You’ve really given us all some good food for thought – thanks.

Another data point (which is just anecdotal – has anyone ever collected real data on this?): I was 39 and had been married for 17 years when I was ordained as a priest (subtract 3 from each for ordination to the diaconate). This combination has worked well for us (Glory to God).

The more I think about it, the more strongly I doubt the wisdom of stressing new marriages with the rigors of service as a rector/priest. I’m not saying it can’t be done (obviously it often works), but I am glad that Pani Tina and I were allowed to take on these things sequentially.

Orthodox like to joke about third year seminarian courtships (and, again: all of us know cases where they have worked), but with the pitiful state of our culture, this isn’t the best way to set folks up for success.

So I agree that an age requirement for candidates and their marriages would help with this. FWIW, I think it would also significantly deepen the seminary experience (in whatever form it takes). Again, speaking from experience, I got much more out of this kind of education as I got older. In general, I have also found that “non-traditional” students interact differently with material than younger ones.

Is there any doubt that someone who has served several years as a husband (at least for candidates who are not celibate), reader, subdeacon, parish board member, and/or deacon would be better prepared for advanced seminary training and ordination? (and I am glad to see that you are taking on the topic of seminary education next!).

[FWIW: I recognize that pride automatically biases my analysis in favor of my own experience, and I know many young seminarians that I believe will do well as priests].

Marriage really needs time to be established as a man’s first priesthood before he undertakes a second one. Age and experience are not the sole determinants of maturity and marriage stability, but that doesn’t mean they’re not determinants at all.

Again, what does it mean for a man to be a “presbyter” (=”elder”)?

My 2 cents: I wonder whether the 30 year limit would deliver as expected.

One of the things we’d like to see it help with is to allow the candidate to develop (test?) a sound marriage/family before ordination. In some cases, this might happen. But, given how late people get married nowadays, I bet we would still end up with lots of seminarians looking for spouses, with the same probable effect on the quality of marriages that develop now among clergy (maybe even worse, to the extent those years have been spent poorly WRT relations, habits, etc.).

I guess what I am saying is that, in terms of maturity, 30 might become the new 25. It has in the rest of our culture.

Bishops look at the maturity of the candidate and the stability/trajectory of his marriage (and this discussion is great at generating indicators to help them), but these are only partially correlated with age and experience.

I agree that experience is a good thing to have. However, I think seminarians have to be considered on an individual basis.

I’m also actually in favor of emphasizing a permanent full-time (paid) diaconate. If such stress is put upon having vocations postponed for the sake of experience, then I think it would behoove many to consider this possible ministry.