In the Presbyterian Church (USA), one in three churches are without a permanent pastor. In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Reformed Church in America, one in five lacks a permanent pastor.

Nor are Christian churches alone. Catholic Churches are short of priests, and the nation's largest Jewish denomination also reports a shortage of rabbis. Related fields, such as military chaplaincies, are finding shortages across all religions.

What are the factors for why people choose not to go into ministry? Are they more interested in high-paying professions? The high cost of seminaries? Or failure by churches to recruit, and a growing secular mindset in society?

According to a recent survey by Promise Keepers, a Denver-based men's evangelical Christian group, more than half of American Christian men questioned were also only marginally satisfied with their church experience. Christian men in the USA rank family, money and health as more important than spirituality.

Declining memberships and quarrels among liberals, conservatives and moderates are the other problems that Protestant churches are facing.

And in denominations that have enough newly ordained pastors, there is a fresh challenge: many new pastors are unwilling or unable to live on the lower salaries paid by out-of-the-way churches — especially in smaller towns that lack career opportunities for spouses.

Some church leaders also fear the caliber of today's pastors is declining, with some incoming seminarians having lower academic credentials.