Will You Still Need Me When I'm 64?

by

John D. McArthur, Jr.

I must confess to a tinge of jealousy. This jealousy rears its ugly head when my community ministerial association meets. The problem is not theology or doctrine but a resentment about a very practical matter.

Among the churches represented in the town where I minister is a very strong Catholic church. Faithfully attending the meeting is a retired priest. But although he is retired, he lives in the parish house with the other priests, he is on the church's payroll and, as much as his declining health allows, he participates in their programs. Maybe jealous is too strong a word but seeing how the Catholic church has taken care of this older man does make me a little envious and has forced me to ponder what will happen to me when I am his age?

What happens to the ministers of the Christian Church/Church of Christ when they are too old or too sick to serve full time? I've heard the horror stories of ministers unable to find a church to preach at and being forced, after 50 years of parsonage living, to find a cheap apartment and struggle to make ends meet. After I turned 40 last year, those stories did not seem so distant or remote.

What kind of vocation hires its workers to serve in her fields all their adult lives and then kicks them out and tells them they are on their own? I've seen the t-shirts and bumper stickers touting ministry as low wages but a great retirement plan and I know that our reward is in heaven. But what happens during those increasing number of years, thanks to advances to technology and medical science, when a minister retires from full time service and Jesus says come home?

Analyzing my frustration, I discovered my real fear was not material. Even though the odds are increasing it won't be available in 25 years, I am in Social Security (I never opted out of the program because I could not find any religious reasons to be excluded). A couple of years ago, the church I minister with, graciously and wisely enrolled me in a retirement program (This is something all congregations should consider for their minister and staff: I have been in the ministry almost 20 years and have never had enough money to open my own IRA). So now, with enough planning and budgeting and maybe an occasional part time job, my golden years shouldn't be a nightmare (assuming I remain healthy and have no huge and unexpected bills come up).

But what is really scary as I look to the future is not my finances or my health. What really concerns me is will I still be needed?

It is not that the retired priest I know is allowed to live in the parish house that makes me jealous but that he is considered part of the staff and has a voice in what happens at the church. It is not that he has plenty of food and is covered for any medical expenses that may come up that makes me see green but that he still participates in their worship service, still calls on members and still has a job to do. And I certainly do not covet his theology or doctrine but that he has security until the day he dies.

It is scary to think that most of our churches wouldn't hire someone as old as Moses was when he led the Israelites out of Egypt. Pulpit committees today would disregard his resume almost immediately because he was 80 years old. The emphasis my generation gave to being young is catching up to us. What to do with retired ministers will be a major problem in the next 15 years as the Baby Boomers begin to retire.

But this is not just a coming problem but one that is way overdue in being discussed. I know many older ministers who have long prayed that they would die before they were too old or too sick to work.

What are we doing with God's faithful servants? Is there a place in church work for them after they turn 65? There has been an emphasis in recent years to hire older semi-retired ministers as senior citizens ministers, ministers of visitation and the like. That is good and should be something all our churches, no matter what size, should consider. The wisdom, encouragement and help these men could give to younger ministers is tremendous. The few dollars you spend to support and care for a seasoned preacher would multiply many times over in the ministry of your congregation.

But may I suggest one further, perhaps radical, step in the care of retired ministers? Often, hiring someone who has retired from preaching means they will work for a few years until they are able to financially survive or they get too sick, tired or feeble to keep up with even a part time pace. The wise minister has prepared himself financially for that day but it is still a concern in the back of his mind. What would be so awful if a church hired a retired minister or missionary and promised to take care of him for the rest of his days? If the church won't do this, who will?

I do not know many ministers who would miss not being able to go to board meetings and the need is not necessarily financial. But just because the world gives you a gold watch and sends you home when you reach a certain age does not mean the church should operate in the same fashion. Again, the problem is not financial but emotional and spiritual. What has the church lost because, after decades of service, Christian leaders are told to go home and take it easy?

Some ministers might just as soon remove themselves from the work of the local church, at least in an official capacity. But if God has granted us longer life, what are we going to do with it? Just because our hair turns white or disappears and just because we don't have as much energy as we use to doesn't mean we cannot serve. We all need to feel needed. What message are we giving our seasoned ministers?