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With church attendance falling year after year, and the number of priests and pastors declining along with it, the Christian ministry is hardly an attractive career choice for a bright young person, even one with a lively faith. Add in a great deal of questioning of the place of religion in contemporary society, and the constant drip of stories of abuse by clergy, and it might be thought amazing that anyone comes forward with such a vocation. It is happening - though at a fraction of the rate it once did, and churches of many denominations are facing a recruitment crisis and to address theirs, the Anglican Church in Wales has just set out a five-year strategy to seek out and nurture vocations.

In this week's "All Things Considered" (Sunday 2 May, 8.30 am) Roy Jenkins explores what's happening with vocations to the ministry and religious life amid the changing religious landscape in the UK. Joining him are The Rt. Rev Gregory Cameron, Bishop of St. Asaph; Dr. Gemma Simmonds CJ, Lecturer at Heythrop College; the Rev. Jonathan Stephen, Principal of Wales Evangelical School of Theology; and Alex Roper, a single mum in her 30's and ordinand at St. Michael's College, Llandaff.

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