rabbinic transitions

[cellio]

An observation from perhaps too little data (so further data welcome): if a rabbi leaves his congregation and is seeking other employment, then it seems that one of the following things is true: (1) his next job is not with a congregation; (2) he's helping to found a new congregation; (3) he's leaving town. It appears that trying to move to another established congregation in the same city is awkward in several ways and thus rarely done.

Just something for someone thinking about the rabbinate to keep in mind: congregational life implies nomadic life.

Comments

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

are you sure it implies nomadic life? In my experience, once a rabbi finds a congregation, they tend to stay there for a long time.

[cellio]

From what I've seen -- and of course this is a limited data set -- the first couple jobs tend to be for shorter periods of time (5 or fewer years) before settling into a place long-term. I don't know if this is a characteristic of being an associate rabbi (you can't necessarily move up when you only have 4 or 5 years of experience, but maybe there's some pressure to move on?).

It occurs to me that CCAR almost certainly has useful data on this. (Presumably so do USCY and OU.) I wonder if anyone has compiled -- say, for inquiring students at HUC -- a profile of a "typical" career path.

Similar to Christians

[(Anonymous)]

I've seen a very similar pattern in Christian churches as well.

The first couple jobs a minister gets are as assistant. After a couple positions like that in various congregations, the minister finds a permanent position as the head minister or teacher at a seminary or something like that and settles down for a long while.

Methodists may be different, if I remember right.

Anyone knows what happens to assistant Imams? I bet it's the same thing.

Rob of UnSpace (http://www.unspace.net/)

Re: Similar to Christians

[cellio]

Good point. And within the Catholic church, at least, the church hierarchy itself moves people around; priests don't go looking for congregations but instead go where they're sent, so there's even more uncertainty. I was talking with a rabbi this morning who's doing some interfaith stuff with a church that, though no apparent fault of their own, has been getting revolving-door priests; they stay for a year or two and then get moved. That's got to really, really suck. I guess not being allowed to have families (no kids to find good schools for, spousal jobs, etc) and not having to worry about housing makes it easier.

Re: Similar to Christians

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

The Methodist pattern is as you describe. A minister will have a couple of assistant pastor positions, in increasingly large/difficult places, then senior pastor. He might stay at one church for 10-20 years, and if he's quite good, he might become District Superintendent or Bishop eventually. Many seem to settle in to one charge (church) for life or nearly so once they achieve senior pastor.