Polity, Church Attractiveness, and Ministers' Careers: An Eight-Denomination Study of Interchurch Mobility

THERE is no inherent reason why ministers should not spend their entire professional lives in the first church they serve. Interchurch mobility, however, is a common feature of the ministry. Evidence from a national sample of ministers from eight Protestant denominations, to be described later, indicates that 43% of the ministry have served in at least four different churches, 36% have been in their present post for 2 years or less, 26 % expect to move to another position "fairly soon," and 33 % would like to move to another position. There is considerable movement-and expected and desired movement.