Dear en,
I enjoyed reading John Benton’s stimulating article about pastors and whether to stay or go on retirement. My father was a pastor who faced this issue and I, too, am a pastor who has now passed the age of 60.
It is a wisdom call. Sure, a pastor is as much a member of the body as anyone else. But does that mean it is never best for a member to move to another area or church?
I think wisdom suggests that a pastor should generally leave the church on retirement, painful as that will probably be. Anyone in senior leadership in any sphere knows that it is not straightforward when the previous senior leader stays around. And a pastor is not just a pastor, but also the senior leader of the church.
I am not saying that staying cannot work. But it is the exception. I suspect that most retiring pastors think they are the exception! I know of cases where the retiring pastor says it is fine to stay and is convinced their successor is fine with it. Indeed, when asked, he has told them it is so. But how can their successor say anything else?
We have decided that we should not stay in the church when I retire, so that my successor can lead without me being a focus of alternative leadership. Of course that danger exists wherever a retired pastor ends up, even if it is a church at the other end of the country.
Ideally, retired pastors are a valuable resource to any church, bringing wisdom, maturity and experience as well as pastoral and preaching gifts. We had two retired pastors join us in our previous church. What a blessing they were and still are.
But for a retired pastor to benefit a church requires great humility on his part and a willingness to accept that he should serve, but probably no longer as a senior leader; plus a willingness to rejoice in the gifts of others and submit to the leadership. In short, to be exactly the kind of church member they have always longed for others to be.
Warmly in Christ,
