A graph provided by the Reformed Church in America’s Ministerial Formation Certification Agency shows enrollment and Certificate of Fitness for Ministry trends from 2004 to 2011 in a graphic released on October 2, 2012. Enrolment in 2011 was down to its lowest level in more than a decade, the MFCA reported.

Reformed Church in America ministry candidates enrolled in a certification agency in 2011 were at their lowest level in more than a decade, with various trends explaining the statistics including, trends involving a seminary distance program, student time and finance constraints and student’s views on debates in the denomination over ordination of women and LGBT matters.

The denomination’s Ministerial Formation Certification Agency, which oversees the education and certification of candidates for ministry, on Tuesday reported 71 candidates enrolled at the end of September. Just over 100 were enrolled as recently as 2009. The MFCA has been certifying about 20 ministers per year over that period according to a graph released with the report.

Seventy-six percent of candidates were male and 24 percent were female. “Ethnic/Racial” candidates comprised nearly 20 percent of the total.

The MFCA noted trends that explain some of the statistics.

– The Western Theological Seminary (WTS) distance program, especially the Newbigin Cohort, has attracted a large number of students who would normally attend a non-RCA seminary in their region.

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