There is an old joke that says the typical church seeks a pastor who is 35 years old with 25 years in the ministry and has two children and a wife who plays the piano. After working with many churches in their search for a pastor I can tell you that for some that is their expectations. I've had many search committees tell me their next pastor needs to be married with children (they hope they will then have a children's ministry), and one actually did say that it would be really good if their new pastor's wife could play the piano. Countless committees have stated their church would prefer a younger pastor who has "new ideas that would help grow their church."
One of the questions I sometimes ask is why they think only young pastors can have new ideas. I do know some younger pastors who are extremely creative, and their churches are doing some fantastic ministries in their communities. I also know some older pastors who are very creative and continue to lead their churches in excellent ministry. It is a huge mistake to believe that only younger pastors can be creative and that all older pastors cannot effectively lead a church in today's society.
Some churches express a concern that if they call an older pastor he or she will not be there for a long time. The reality is that most pastors don't remain in smaller churches very long anyway. Depending on whose figures you read the average tenure in a church is only 3-4 years regardless of the age of the pastor. Many younger pastors who want to "climb the ministerial ladder" are going to be looking for a larger church soon after arriving at a small church. Older pastors have little interest in serving in a larger church. In fact, many of them have already been in those churches and are excited about being in a smaller one.
Another concern is that an older pastor would not be able to relate well to young people. One church liked a retired pastor after interviewing him but decided to not call him as pastor. When I asked them why, they said they did not think he could build their youth group. I pointed out to them that the youngest person in that church was in his mid-50s, the average age of the congregation was probably near 70, and they had no youth in the church and was unlikely to attract any regardless of whom they called as pastor. I continue to believe that candidate would have been a good match for that church.
One concern that has been expressed only a few times to me about an older candidate is whether he or she would have the energy required to pastor a church. In most cases, this is not an issue. Now, if the church expects the pastor to give the church 80-90 hours a week then that will be a problem for anyone regardless of age and is an unrealistic expectation anyway. The needs of most smaller churches are well within the energy capabilities of older clergy.
Older pastors bring something to the church that younger ones cannot provide: experience. They have been through the battles and learned which ones are worth fighting and which ones are not. Many of them understand the importance of building relationships with people which is vital in the smaller church. They understand the value of timing, and that not every great idea is right for that particular time. There are some things about ministry that one can only learn through years of doing ministry, and older pastors bring that with them.
One of the things that we in ministry are often told is that we should be where we want to finish our ministry by the age of 55. After that it can be very difficult to move to a new ministry because so many churches are looking for younger leadership. There is a great deal of truth in that statement. I know several ministers in their early 60s who have been looking for a church to serve for a long time with no success. Many of the churches I assist in their pastoral search simply will not consider anyone over the age of 60. I think this is a huge mistake.
A reality facing many smaller churches today is the difficulty they have in finding pastoral leadership. They compound that difficulty by automatically excluding older pastors in their search. There are many older pastors, even retired ministers, who would enjoy serving in a smaller church, but they do not get the opportunity. They continue to have much to offer the church, and they want to be engaged in meaningful ministry. The next time your church is searching for a pastor don't automatically exclude those of us with a little (or lot) of grey in our hair. You might be pleased with the ministry you would receive.
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