Setting out from experiences in pastoral ministries, pastoral training and supervision, the author examines the changes in the underlying conditions for ministry work and the consequences for the profession and for clerical training. Individualisation and pluralisation trends demand substantial adaptation processes of churches. Pastors are – for theological and sociological reasons – significant actors in church parishes. Their aptitude for the profession is developed through a complex training process that is oriented to the needs of the churches. The concept of competence-oriented theological training is exemplified by the Canton of Bern in Switzerland, from which markers are set for a sustainable theological education.