The Ministry Label: Who Claims It, Who Doesn’t

DESCRIPTION: Christopher M. The’s article “The Ministry Label: Who Claims It, Who Doesn’t?” examines how graduates of Association of Theological Schools (ATS) member institutions describe their work several years after graduation, particularly whether they consider it “ministry.” Drawing on more than 3,400 responses from the 2022–23 ATS Mapping the Workforce Study/Alumni Questionnaire, the article identifies five vocational profiles based on ministry identity, work setting, and employer-required credentials. While 46 percent of respondents describe congregational work as ministry, other graduates occupy less conventional combinations, including non-congregational ministry and credentialed work they do not label as ministry. The article also considers differences across demographic and theological contexts and encourages schools to examine how vocational discernment, curricula, and alumni engagement can support graduates whose theological formation leads into diverse professional settings.

KEYWORDS: alumni; career discernment; clergy; congregational ministry; credentials; employment; ministry identity; non-congregational ministry; theological education; theological formation; vocation; vocational discernment; workplace fulfillment; workplace support; Mapping the Workforce Study; Alumni Questionnaire

CITATION: The, Christopher M. 2026. “The Ministry Label: Who Claims It, Who Doesn’t?” Colloquy, August 2026. The Association of Theological Schools.