Ordained Ministry in the United Methodist Church: Update or Same Old Thing?

The United Methodist Church is currently studying Ministry.  OK, you United Methodists out there stop your snickering.  Just because we've "studied" ministry almost every quadrennium since what seems like the Christmas Conference, doesn't mean that this quadrennium's study is insignificant.  Again, stop snickering.

Recently, very recently, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry in conjunction with United Methodist Communications published a video about ordination in the United Methodist Church.  As the world wide church is looking to this representative body to lead a discussion of what ordination means in the UMC, this video is inviting people to consider ordination in the UMC. 

Are the two connected?  

To start with, the video focuses on the actions that ordained persons do.  It doesn't ask questions about what work is more important than others.  However, the makers of the video have taken special care to include an even mix of elders and deacons, chaplains and other positions.  They have obviously tried to represent a diverse voice by paying attention to gender, race, and geographical location.  No doubt this video has consumed great attention from GBHEM.

While I agree with the video and its aims, I wonder at its methodology.  In particular I am leery about how it presents ministry to the world.  Non-religious people make up the fastest growing group of religious affiliation in our country today.  This has long been the case in Europe and now the United States seems to be joining them as a nation spooked by Christianity.  I don't critique this video to be picky or negative.  I critique this video to incite conversation about what it means to be a Christian leader in a dying church.  Our current Commission on the Study of Ministry faces this same challenge.  In a country where most people don't go to church, what is the role of a minister?  This video with its soft music, faded and gentle background, and soothing explanations of the ministry each person does seems better fit for past generations than it does for the present.  I do not discount the fact that its probably the first of its kind and is even available on You Tube.  These are positive steps that the UMC is taking in communicating through media that is meaningful for most of our society.  

But how can we now work on the real meat of our communication: the content.  Yes, it takes many forms.  And thank you for taking us into the lives of these clergy.  But why doesn't it seem real?  Is it too calm?  Does it fail to show the many sides of any sort of ministry?  What makes ordained ministry great is so much more than the peaceful or happy moments shown on the video.  Let the chaplains talk about a hard day.  Let them talk about how meaningful days like those are.  I want to hear deacons talk about the long hours of serving a primary and secondary appointment.  These things should not seem scary.  Ministry is challenging and that's what makes it so wonderfully exciting!  I say let the medium convey the message as well!  

What does ordination mean?  How does media genuinely convey that message?

I invite you to watch it.