When Jesus saw the crowds, Matthew records, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. He turned to his disciples with an urgent charge: pray for laborers, because the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few (Matthew 9:36–38).
Across NAPARC denominations, the need is clear: vacant pulpits, pastors nearing retirement, and too few candidates coming behind them.
“There’s already a shortfall,” said David Veldkamp, Reformed Theological Seminary’s chief enrollment management officer, “and it looks like over the next five, ten years, the shortage is going to get worse.”
Jesus’ words in Matthew 9 inspired Reformed Theological Seminary’s newest initiative, the Kaleo Project, a five-year initiative to strengthen the pastoral pipeline in Presbyterian and Reformed denominations. The project is funded by a grant of nearly $1 million from Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative.
“The church is facing a critical shortage of well-trained pastoral leaders at the very time when faithful, biblically grounded ministry is needed most,” said RTS Chancellor and CEO Ligon Duncan.
Kaleo’s strategy starts with the local church. Survey work that preceded the grant found that elders are more likely to be reactive than proactive in identifying potential ministerial candidates, with roughly three sessions waiting for men to approach them for every one session that actively seeks out candidates. The project aims to reverse that ratio.
“What we’re aiming to do,” Veldkamp said, “is equip churches and pastors to be more proactive in identifying men with gifts for ministry, and encouraging, discipling, and equipping them to be sent.”
A key component is the Vocational Exploration Grant Program, which reimburses up to $1,000 in travel costs for prospective master of divinity students to visit an RTS campus. Current students can also apply for the grant to visit churches as they discern their future calling. The goal is to move men from a vague sense of call to something tested and concrete, a first step that financial barriers sometimes prevent.
Additional phases will roll out over the coming months: a new book on assessing one’s call to ministry; an online course church leaders can work through alongside potential future pastors; and annual retreats where those exploring a call can learn about ordained ministry and how to prepare. The first retreat is planned for October 8-10, 2026, with attendance costs covered by the Lilly grant.
For PCA ruling elders, the Kaleo Project is an invitation to act on what they already believe: the harvest is plentiful, the workers are few, and the Lord of the harvest answers prayer. Kaleo gives sessions practical tools to identify the next generation and help them on their way.