Empty pews: Rural Manitoba churches struggle to find ministers
CBC
A long-serving United Church minister is preparing to leave his pulpit, adding pressure at a time when filling vacancies has become increasingly difficult.
Rev. Doug Neufeld, who has led Trinity United Church, in Brandon, since 2016 and Forrest United Church, in the community of Forrest, for the past year and a half, will give his final service on Dec. 28 before moving to Stamford Lane United Church in Ontario.
Born in Boissevain, Man., Neufeld said he has “the Prairies in my DNA,” and has shaped his ministry around community connections, even if pews are little more empty.
“The church is shrinking in size, in attendance and in their roles,” he said. “What’s important to one community's faith might be not as important to the other … it’s the same fruit basket, maybe just different contents.”
His departure comes as up to 63 per cent of United Church of Canada ministerial positions sit vacant in the Pine to Prairie region.
The church projects total national membership will drop to around 111,000 in 2035 from just over 321,000 in 2023, but they're working on initiatives to lessen that dip.
The church said it can be challenging setting vacancy rates — not all callings are full-time, and there can be shared ministries or laypeople-led congregations. But rural congregations face particular strain.
Across Canada religious adherence is falling, with 53.3 per cent of Canadians reporting a Christian religion in 2021, down from 67.3 per cent in 2011, according to Statistics Canada. The United Church was the denomination chosen by 3.3 per cent of Canadians in 2021.
On a typical Sunday, Trinity sees about 100 people — up to 200 during Christmas. Neufeld leads a 10 a.m. service, then drives about 20 kilometres north to Forrest for a 12:30 service, with about 25 people.
Collaborative ministry has long existed, but population shifts toward cities are making them more necessary, he said.
“More of the population is in bigger communities,” he said. “These small farming communities are getting smaller … there’s less community to support.”
Meanwhile, Trinity ministry and personnel chair Miranda Edwards said today’s search process looks nothing like it did in 2015 because of high vacancy rates.
It could take more than a year to find another minister, she said.
While they wait, the congregation will work together to ensure there are services each week.
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