Last night I attended a dinner for a pastor who is retiring, or as he prefers to call it, accepting reassignment. The sanctuary was filled to honor this man and his wife who had served this church for the past ten years. Speakers from some of his earlier ministries were there to talk about the impact his ministry had on their lives. It was a fitting way to celebrate a very productive ministry. Following a brief trip he and his wife have planned, he will begin serving as an interim pastor for churches seeking pastors and will open a pastoral counseling office to continue to use the gifts God has given him.
Retirement is not a biblical term, but I think each of us must prepare for those times when God reassigns us to different ministry tasks. My friend will enjoy being away from the daily pressures of the pastorate, but will still be able to share his ministry gifts and experiences with the body of Christ. Too many ministers leave their pastorates at the age of 62 or 65 and feel they have done their job and they're finished. I remember meeting one retired minister when I was in Bible school who spent most weekends traveling. He said that he had spent every Sunday in church for 40 years and didn't feel like he had to be there now. What a shame! He was an obviously gifted individual who still had much to share with the church, but he retired and quit.
Some reading this blog may be approaching retirement age, and some weeks retirement may be looking real good. I would encourage you to not quit when you start drawing your retirement checks but ask God what the next phase of your ministry is. Ask for reassignment. I expect God will have a new task already prepared for you.
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I'm "getting up there" myself. The line from the Simon and Garfunkle song runs through my head all too often - "Old friends, sit on the park bench like bookends..."
It's odd to be approaching an age when I could collect Social Security (I'll be 62 this summer - I'm the oldest guy in my department at my 9-5). It bothered me.
On vacation a few weeks ago in SW Colorado my wife and I attended a small American Baptist Church. There were maybe 30 people in attendance (reminded me of home - the week before we'd attended a service in one of the Calvary Chapel Churches in San Diego - I was out of my element there.) The ABC pastor was, I'm guessing somewhere in his mid 70's and GOING STRONG. He was ministering to his small community. We had dinner together after worship and he told me this is the best time of his life (he'd been a missionary and a college professor)for theological reflection and understanding Scripture and walking closely with the Lord. He gave me a totally different perspective. (At 62 I'm just a baby). God doesn't put old war horses out to pasture (unless they want to go there.) He has a place of meaningful service until He calls us home.
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