Ministry life after retirement

 What do ministers do after they retire? A better question might be should ministers ever retire? Let's address the second question first.

At some point in a minister's life he or she is going to find that their days of serving a church as pastor are over. This may be due to health reasons when one becomes physically incapable of handling pastoral duties. I once knew a pastor who suffered a significant stroke affecting his speech, his movements and his energy. Although he wanted to remain in pastoral ministry he simply could not function well enough to serve a church.

Other pastors may be in good health but find that most churches are not interested in calling a 75-year-old as their next pastor. I served 14 years in a judicatory ministry and worked with dozens of churches seeking new pastoral leadership, and I never saw one seriously consider older candidates. While I understand the desire to call a 45-year-old pastor with 30 years of pastoral ministry to be a church's next pastor, I also know that many churches, especially smaller ones, are overlooking a lot of experience and wisdom when they ignore the older candidates. The argument usually given is that the older candidate might not be with the church for very long, but this overlooks the fact that the average pastor in our denomination changes churches about every 3-4 years. Realistically, the younger pastor probably won't be at the church for a long time either. While one might not want to retire, retirement might be forced upon him or her due to a lack of interest from churches due to one's age.

This brings us back to the first question. What does a minister do when they do retire? Many make themselves available to serve as supply pastors filling in when pastors are absent from their churches. Others are willing to serve as interim pastors or transitional pastors for churches when they are seeking new pastors. Since my retirement I have served as a transitional pastor for two wonderful churches, and I am still at the second one.

Serving in this capacity gives the minister the opportunity to use his or her experience during a challenging time in the church. Seeking new pastoral leadership is a stressful time for congregations, and the transitional pastor can help them work through some of that stress.

Another way retired ministers can continue to serve is to find ways to minister outside the church. Before I retired I received a license to be an auctioneer. I view this as a way to expand my ministry to persons who may not be involved in churches. People often call me when they are downsizing and find out that family members are not interested in their possessions. They are worried that they cannot take everything to their new home and uncertain what to do. When I assure them that I can sell their items for them at auction they often express great relief.

I also get to minister to persons who need to close out an estate after a loved one passes away. Some of them may live several states away and wonder how they can dispose of everything. When I agreed to sell one estate the daughter's shoulders dropped as she breathed a sigh of relief. She said it was like the weight of the world was off her shoulders.

More than once I've been called to someone's house to talk about doing an auction and had prayer with them before leaving. One individual I had never met before that day began to share some of the struggles she had lived through in the past few weeks. She was obviously hurting. I explained that was also a minister and asked if I could pray for her. I've never been refused in such times. After praying for her I asked if she had a church, and when she replied she did not I was able to recommend two in her community that I knew would minister to her.

Use the gifts and wisdom God has given you to find ways to continue to minister even after retirement. You may find such ministry quite rewarding.

When a pastor leaves a church

Several years ago a pastor search team called asking if I would be interested in talking with them about their open position. I said I would, and a couple of weeks later they showed up, uninvited, for the worship service in the church I was serving at the time. That was a little awkward! After the service they took my wife and me to a local restaurant where they talked to us over lunch.

Prior to that I drove the two hours to the church building to see what it looked like. I noticed a sign attached to the building that indicated that parking space was reserved for Dr. ___________. In the conversation we had over lunch I learned that was the name of their former pastor who had led that church to split from another church a few decades earlier. He was retiring but would continue to attend the church. I immediately knew I had no interest in accepting the pastorate of that church. They already had a pastor. No matter who might hold the title, their pastor would continue to be Dr. ___________.

In our denomination each pastor is asked to sign a Code of Ethics. One of the items in that code states that when a pastor leaves the church, he or she leaves the church. They don't continue to attend there, they don't return to do funerals, weddings or any other event unless invited to do so by the pastor. I will admit that this is often violated by former pastors. I wish that was not the case.

When a church calls someone to serve as their pastor, he or she is not really their pastor. That person preaches and serves a role in the church, but he or she becomes the pastor when they become involved in the people's lives they serve. It is in doing the weddings, the funerals, the baptisms and being a part of the people's lives that one becomes their pastor. For a former pastor to return and do those things is very unfair to the new pastor and may make it very difficult for that person to ever really become the pastor.

I know first-hand how difficult it is to not return for special events in the lives of the congregation. I served our church for 20 years and became extremely close to the people. It was hard to not do weddings and funerals for people I had known and loved for two decades. I'm certain some did not understand why I wouldn't. But, it would have been unfair to their new pastor if I had.

In my last sermon to that wonderful congregation I closed by telling them that in a few moments I would walk out the door, and I would never again be their pastor, but I would always be their friend. I think ethically it has to be that way in order to be fair to the church and to the pastors who would follow. I would certainly be glad to hear your thoughts on this.

Pastors and their finances

No one goes into the ministry to become wealthy. If they did it's likely they will get a reality check rather quickly. It's important that ministers understand how to manage their money wisely. Unfortunately, after 12 years of public education, four years of college and three years of seminary most have received little to no training in how to manage their personal finances. Many are struggling with student loan debt and the expenses of starting and raising a family. This can create huge problems in the home, increase stress and even cause the minister to leave the ministry in order to financially support his or her family.

While serving as an Area Minister I spent a lot of time in my car. At the time of my retirement I was serving over 130 churches scattered across the southern third of Indiana so I had a lot of windshield time. To pass the time driving I regularly downloaded a number of podcasts on my I-Pod to listen to. One of those podcasts was The Dave Ramsey Show. This was a three hour podcast where Ramsey took caller's questions about their personal finances. He would give them advice on how to solve those problems often referring to his Baby Step formula.

After listening for several months my wife and I decided to follow those steps, and we found out they worked! When I recently served as a Transitional Pastor in a church I asked an individual to lead Ramsey's Financial Peace University in a small group, and the results were amazing. To my knowledge, every person in that group saw tremendous improvement in their personal finances.

Ramsey has published several books on personal finance and members of his team have written more, but the one I would recommend to anyone who needs help with their personal finances is The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness. This book contains the Baby Steps and explains how to follow them. It also provides a lot of commonsense advice on money management. Because Ramsey is a Christian you will find that a lot of what he teaches is based on biblical teaching.

If you struggle financially you may find his recommendations will help you get better control over your finances. When you do that you will likely find that your ministry is more productive because you are not stressed out over money problems, and your home life will probably improve as well.

I would also recommend that your church offer Financial Peace University to your congregation. If your church is like most, there are probably several families who are struggling financially who would benefit from this eight session program. This could be a tremendous way to minister to them in an area in which they are hurting.

If I returned to pastoral ministry I would also begin to offer FPU to the community as an outreach effort. Jesus touched people where they were hurting, and many people today are hurting financially. This could be an excellent way to introduce people to your church and minister to their needs.

Ministers and retirement

Right from the beginning I have to confess that I am not a big fan of retirement. I've retired from two different jobs, and I'm still working at least part time. My wife tells me retirement just doesn't seem to stick with me. Frankly, I would probably go back to full-time work tomorrow if I found the right job. However, at some point, if we live long enough, retirement will come into the picture and it's important that we are financially prepared.

The church I pastored had never paid into a pastor's retirement fund. Their average pastoral tenure before me was 12 months as they had a succession of seminary students serve as pastor. I stayed there 20 years. After being there for several years I asked the finance committee if they would consider enrolling me in our denomination's retirement plan instead of giving me a raise that year. They agreed and made that part of their budget proposal.

This led to the first major conflict in the church since I had been the pastor. Since the church had never done this before a handful didn't want to do it now. At the time, to enroll in that program required the church to pay 16 percent of the pastor's salary into the fund. Some argued that was too big of a raise. There was a lot of "intense fellowship" around the topic, but in the end the church voted to enroll me in our retirement fund. The good news is that we lost no one over this issue, and despite the stated concerns of some, it did not lead to the church suffering any kind of financial stress.

Over the years I have met a number of pastors who have nothing going into retirement. Some have opted out of social security but are not putting anything towards retirement. Like many Americans ministers are not taking seriously the need to financially prepare for retirement.

According to one study, one out of three Americans have less than $5,000 saved for retirement. One out of five have nothing set aside for retirement. One third of Baby Boomers, those now approaching retirement age, have between $0-25,000 in retirement funds. Obviously, preparing for the future takes a back seat to immediate gratification for many people.

No doubt there are many reasons why some pastors are not setting money aside for retirement. Many enter the ministry with a huge amount of student debt that must be paid. Starting and raising a family can make it hard for anyone to put money into a retirement fund that won't be needed for 30-40 years. Many ministers are not well paid, and there just isn't enough money left over to put into retirement. Another problem is that if a church is not part of a denomination there is not a denominational retirement fund into which a church can pay towards the minister's retirement. Of course, even if such a fund is available to a church that doesn't mean they want to pay into it. Smaller churches, especially, may use their size to argue that they cannot afford to pay anything towards the pastor's retirement.

A few years ago I talked with a minister in his 50s who had nothing set aside for retirement. He was serving in a nondenominational church and was understandably concerned about the future. Not too many years before that the retirement fund for the denomination in which I serve had opened up their services to ministers in any denomination. I explained this to the minister and gave him the phone number of our area's representative. Long story short...he is now enrolled in a retirement fund. He won't have as much money in his account as he would have if he had done this when he was 30, but at least he'll have something to draw from in retirement.

If your church is not paying anything towards your eventual retirement, this is a conversation you need to have with your leadership. As in yesterday's post which addressed continuing education, you may need to ask someone to lead this conversation for you. From personal experience I can vouch for the difficulty you may have in asking your church to pay towards your retirement. It was not an easy conversation I had with our church when it was first raised, but it was an important conversation. It was important not only to me but for future ministers in that church who would not have to fight that battle.

Scripture makes it very clear that we have an obligation to provide for our families. That also includes after we retire. One of the things I pointed out to those opposed to the church paying into my retirement was that every one of them had a pension plan where they worked. I then asked why they were opposed to me having the same opportunity to have one. Make sure you can retire with dignity and that your family will be financially secure when you are no longer able to earn a paycheck.

Pastoral libraries

I am currently facing a problem that all retiring ministers face towards the end of their ministries. What do I do with my library?

Numerous times in this blog I've posted articles about how much my library means to me. I've spent the past 35 years adding books to the library that I thought would be helpful in my pastoral and writing ministries. Having recently celebrated my 70th birthday I realize that decisions need to be made regarding my books. I don't want to leave them for my wife to deal with.

I posted some online and sold a few, but not nearly enough to justify the amount of time it took me to list them. I've boxed some up and sold them at auction, but not many people who attend auctions are interested in buying ministerial and theological books. The boxes that did sell only brought a couple of dollars for the entire box. I also realize that many of them are so marked up with highlighting and underlining that they have little value. (Let's just say I'm an active reader!)

At different times I've considered donating them to a church for its library, but I'm realistic enough to know how much many church libraries are used.

Of course, every time I think about getting rid of my library I begin to fear that I might need these books. I just completed a two-year stint as a Transitional Pastor, and my commentaries and theological books were invaluable as I returned to preparing sermons and Bible studies. My books on leadership and ministry were consulted as I was once again confronted with some of the leadership challenges of pastoral ministry. What if I get rid of my books and then am called to another interim position?

Then I hear the story from a retired pastor's wife who boxed up his library when they moved into a smaller house and no longer had a church office. His library is stacked in boxes sitting in a corner of their garage! I don't want that to happen to my library.

I would be interested in hearing from some of my retired readers to learn what you did with your pastoral library.

Too busy to retire

When I finished my recent time as a Transitional Pastor several people asked if I was going to retire again. I retired from Cummins Engine Company in 1996 and retired as a Resource Minister with the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky in 2015. As my wife says, I don't do retirement well! So, when I was asked if I was going to retire again I told everyone I was afraid to. Every time I retire I get busier than I was before!

Retirement is a word I try to avoid using. I still have my auction business going. In fact, I have two auctions scheduled for September. I'm always open to filling the pulpit for a pastor who's going to be away, and I would consider serving a church as a Transitional Pastor again. God called me to preach in 1980 so I'm going to preach as long as He gives me life and the opportunity to do so. I backed off leading workshops and conferences while serving as a Transitional Pastor, and I'm now available to do that again. Plus, I've been working on two more books and plan to finish them this winter.

Today I celebrate my 70th birthday. My health is generally good. I feel good although I have a few pains now and then I didn't used to have. As I am writing this post George Jones just came on Pandora singing "I Don't Need Your Rocking Chair." That's exactly the way I feel! Life is good, and I plan to enjoy it as long as I can. God has been better to me than I've been to myself, and I intend to serve Him until He calls me home. That pretty well eliminates any talk of retirement.

What should a minister (or anyone) do if they don't plan to retire? Here are some things I plan on doing. Maybe they'll help you.

• Set goals for the future. I already mentioned one of my goals which is to finish the two books I've been writing. Work on those goals regularly until you complete them, and then set new ones.
• Stay busy doing things you enjoy doing. If you are retirement age you have earned the right to do things you enjoy. Do things that add value to other people and things that are fun for you and your family.
• Watch your health. Recent blood tests showed a couple of things that were slightly over the top limit so we are working on them to get them back in the acceptable range. A little more exercise and cutting out some foods should make that happen.
• Know your limits. I was recently faced with a choice between two opportunities. Although one was more appealing to me personally, I felt it would be unfair to the organization. They needed someone younger who could commit more years to them than I might be able to give.
• Not retiring doesn't mean you have to work every day. Take time to do things with your family and friends. Create memories that will outlive you.
• Continue to grow. Read. Learn new skills. Add to your information base. Keep your mind sharp. I once knew a retired pastor in his 90s who took a class to learn a foreign language. I've recently acquired a number of books on antiques, and I'm learning more about them to help me in my auction business.
• Find a young person to mentor. You have a lot to offer younger ministers and other leaders. Make yourself and your wisdom available to them. One such minister recently asked if he could call me with questions. He said he night not always do what I said, but he would be interested in knowing what I thought about some things. That is as it should be, and I told him to call me anytime.
• Stay close to God. 

Ministers and retirement

I've occasionally heard ministers say that they do not find retirement mentioned in the Bible so they have no intention of retiring. That's fine, but eventually even the most dedicated minister will find that his or her energy level isn't what it used to be. They will need to slow down which may preclude them from serving in ministry. Perhaps an illness will sideline them. I once knew a man who loved the ministry but a stroke made it impossible for him to continue preaching. There are any number of factors that might force a minister into retirement.

Some might respond that they are going to trust God to take care of them and their families. I believe that He will, but how exactly will He do that? Will He drop groceries off at your front door or make your mortgage and utility payments from His debit card? Or, has He given you the wisdom and ability to plan today for your eventual retirement? I think it is most likely the latter.

Before I go any further into this planning it is important to mention one other thing I saw happen too many times as a judicatory minister. I encountered a number of ministers who had done nothing to prepare financially for retirement and had to keep working. While I appreciated their willingness, this wasn't always the best thing for the churches they were serving. In more than one case, the minister had remained far longer than he had been effective, and the church was too gracious to say anything to him. The church's decline matched that of their pastor. That is a very unfair thing to do to a church.

In today's post the planning I will address is the financial one. I recently talked with a pastor in his mid-50s who had nothing set aside for retirement. He was not a member of a denomination that offered a retirement package, and neither he nor his church had budgeted anything to go into a retirement account. Unfortunately, you can multiply his situation by the thousands.

Dave Ramsey recommends that after paying off your debts and setting up a six-month emergency fund you begin putting 15 percent of your income into a retirement account. Your first reaction to that might be that it's not possible. Well, thousands of people have proven that it is possible. It's only impossible if a person insists on living on more than he or she makes. If you've never read his book The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness I encourage you to do so. It will explain the steps you can take to make this possible.

Many denominations offer a retirement plan that the church can pay into and the minister can add to. The denomination in which I serve has such a plan. Now that I've reached retirement age I only wish I had enrolled in it sooner and paid more into it. Our plan recently opened up to persons outside our denomination which is great news for ministers serving in non-denominational churches.

Scripture is clear that we are responsible to provide for our families. That would certainly include making sure that we can continue to provide for them in retirement. Regardless of your age or income I would encourage you to start today looking into how you can best plan financially for your retirement.

Busy hands are happy hands part 2

A few days ago I discussed why it was so difficult for me to retire. The simple reason is that I enjoy doing what I do so much. The focus yesterday was on my work as a pastor. Today, I'll focus on my work as an auctioneer.

I got my auctioneer's license four years ago at the age of 65. Some wondered why I would do that at that age. One reason is that I enjoy auctions. I typically will go to several auctions every week, and I thought it would be fun to be licensed as an auctioneer.

The other reason is that it is another way in which I can minister to people. Who is it who needs the services of an auctioneer?

1. There are some people who make their lives picking and buying items to sell at auction. This is how they support their families.
2. Some people find they need money to pay bills or other expenses and need to sell things to raise that money. Rather than list their items on Craigslist or E-Bay or have a yard sale, they call an auctioneer to sell their items.
3. There are people who need to downsize or move into assisted living. They have too much to move, and they find out their children are not interested in owning the items their parents have spent a lifetime accumulating. Probably one-half of the auctions I do are for people in this category.
4. When family members pass away the family is often left with the responsibility of disposing of the estate. Often, they do not even know what their loved ones had. Auctions are the simplest way to dispose of that property, especially if the family members live some distance away.

Each of these are an opportunity to minister to people. Any time I am called upon to discuss having an auction for someone I tell them I am a minister. I cannot tell you how many times I've had the opportunity to pray with people who are dealing with pain in their lives while I am there discussing their auction. Many of these people feel overwhelmed by the need to dispose of the items and are relieved when I tell them I can solve that problem for them.

Every believer in Jesus Christ is a minister. You don't have to stand behind a pulpit every Sunday to be a minister. Each of us are called upon to serve people where they are. You can minister to someone as a sales associate. You can minister to someone as a nurse, an attorney, a clerk in a gas station, or whatever your occupation might be. In fact, some of the best ministry that happens occurs as two people meet in everyday settings.

As I wrote in yesterday's post, retirement should be about doing what you enjoy doing. I love ministry. I love the auction business. I enjoy staying busy and making a difference in people's lives. I thank God every day for the health and the ability to stay busy and serve others.

Busy hands are happy hands

I haven't posted much in recent weeks. The simple reason is I have been busy. As my regular readers know, I am currently serving as the Transitional Pastor of Madison FBC in Madison, IN and I have an auction business. My days are pretty full.

Someone recently asked if I wasn't retired. I think it was my wife! Actually, I've retired twice from two different organizations. I just don't do retirement well. A few weeks ago I bought a couple of books on retirement, but I haven't had time to read them! Later this month I'll be 69 years old, but I enjoy staying busy, and I love doing what I'm doing. Isn't retirement supposed to be about doing what you want to?

Pastoral ministry has been a blessing to me. I served as the bivocational pastor of Hebron Baptist Church for 20 years before going into judicatory ministry. As a bivocational pastor I was busy, but it was such a rewarding time in my life. After retiring from my judicatory role I've had the opportunity to spend almost a year as the Transitional Pastor in my present church, and it has also been a very rewarding experience.

I love preparing and delivering sermons that have the potential to change lives. It's not the sermon that changes people's lives; it's the foundation upon which the sermons are developed: the Word of God. When we stand before the people God has entrusted to us and proclaim His Word people's lives can be changed forever. As they say down south, if that doesn't light a fire under you your wood is wet.

I love the way ministry touches people's lives. To see families healed, to see addicts set free from their addictions, to see people who had no hope find hope in Christ is a joy. In my present place of ministry I've been blessed to watch people within the church find creative ways to minister to hurting people who needed someone to come alongside them.

I love to be with people who gather together to worship God. Our current church has two worship services: a traditional service and a contemporary service. Both have excellent worship leaders. Both are very different in their approach, and both provide an outstanding worship experience. Week after week I look forward to being a part of both services.

I love being a part of a denomination that is so diverse and yet committed to ministry. Perhaps this will surprise some because denominations get so much negative press these days, but it's true. I don't always agree with everything our denomination does, but I appreciate the support I've always received. I appreciate the faithful work of our missionaries around the world. Having served 14 years in judicatory ministry and getting to know many of our regional ministers around the country, I appreciate their faithful service to the pastors and churches that comprise their regions.

Yes, ministry can be tough at times, but it is the most rewarding thing I've ever done. Why would I want to retire and never again serve in such rewarding work?

In tomorrow's post I'll talk about why I enjoy working as an auctioneer.

Financial Peace University

I am excited that the church where I am serving as Transitional Pastor will soon offer Financial Peace University (FPU). FPU was developed by Dave Ramsey as a way to teach personal finance from a biblical perspective. This program has been taught in tens of thousands of churches since its inception resulting in thousands of families getting control of their finances for the first time in their lives.

Since arriving at the church last summer I've occasionally mentioned that I would like someone to coordinate this class. Recently, one individual came to me saying she was willing to do so. We are currently accepting registrations and hoping for at least 10 families in our first class.

One reason often given for the poor giving in many churches is that the people are overwhelmed with personal debt. I've been there myself, and it can make it hard to give to the church as one would like. Proverbs 22:7 is certainly true when it says that "the borrower is slave to the lender." FPU teaches a method for getting out of debt and staying out of debt. There is great freedom when one has no debt.

Not only is FPU a way to teach the people in our church about personal finance, it is a way to reach out to the community. We saw how the recession of 2008 destroyed many people financially. Many lost their homes, their cars, their retirements, and their careers. Many have still not recovered and continue to struggle financially. FPU seems to me to be a great way to reach out to those in the community who might have little interest in God but great interest in learning how to better control their finances. As they see how the Bible speaks to their financial questions, they may become open to what it says about other matters including their need for God.

Over the past few years I've followed the principles Ramsey teaches in my own personal finance. It's made a huge difference, and I can only wish I had learned them much earlier in my life. I don't claim that I do everything exactly like he teaches, but I certainly try to do so most of the time.

If you live in the Madison, Indiana area and would like to attend this nine-week program, contact me. If you live elsewhere you will find an FPU class near you. You can go to Ramsey's website to find the closest class to where you live.

I am not being paid anything for promoting FPU. I just think it is a positive way to teach our church members about personal finance and a way to reach out to the non-churched in our communities to help them see how relevant the Bible really is to their daily lives.

You are not indispensable

I retired as a Resource Minister with the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky December 31, 2015. Prior to my retirement I was responsible for relating to the 133 churches in my area plus I worked indirectly with the additional nearly 200 churches that made up our region. Nearly every day there were phone calls to answer, e-mails to address, and meetings with the various churches to attend.

After 14 years I retired from that ministry...and there was nothing. My home office phone was disconnected a couple of days after I was retired. Various internet accounts were closed. If it wasn't for SPAM e-mails I would hardly receive any e-mails anymore. Before, I was involved in much of the work going on in our region; now I have no idea what's happening. It was like I had fallen off the face of the earth.

My ministry has certainly not ended. I've preached in numerous churches since I retired. I've led several conferences for small church leaders since retirement and have several more to do this fall. A couple of churches have asked me about doing some consulting work with them, and we are in the process of exploring that possibility now. My ministry has not ended; it's just taken a different direction.

My experience has been a good reminder that none of us is indispensable. Early in my pastoral ministry I never took all the vacation the church allowed. I think I was afraid that if I wasn't there things would fall apart. That's terribly arrogant when I read this on paper, but I've seen many pastors with the same mindset. They just won't say it out-loud.

The cemetery is full of people who thought they were indispensable. So far, the world has done OK since they've been gone. There will come a time when you will no longer be the pastor of your church. You should not be surprised when it goes along just fine without you. In fact, a few years after you're gone some will struggle to remember your name. That's OK, too.

Remember this, it's not about you. You are filling a role for a period of time. Unless you're in a new church plant your church has had many pastors before you, and if the Lord tarries, it will have many after you're gone. Take your vacations. Take sabbaticals. Spend time with your family. Develop hobbies and interests outside the church. When the time comes for you leave your current ministry you won't be sitting around wondering why the phone never rings. Instead, you'll be prepared for the next stage of your life.

Ministers and retirement planning

Over the years I've heard that retirement is not found in the Bible so there is no justification for ministers to consider ever retiring from the ministry. While I will admit that we should not abandon God's call on our lives, that does not mean that we will serve in a ministry position throughout our lives. Because of health reasons, limitations as we grow older, or the sense that our ministry skills are no longer effective in a changing world, most of us in ministry will retire at some point. To not plan for that eventuality is foolish on our parts.

As a judicatory minister for 14 years I met several pastors who wanted to retire but could not for financial reasons. They had very little in savings, and their Social Security would barely cover their monthly expenses, especially if they had debt. Some of these pastors resented having to continue working, and they were not doing their churches any good by their continued service.

Many of these pastors had been fully-funded throughout their ministries, but their salaries were meager at best. In many cases their churches did not pay into any kind of retirement account on their pastor's behalf leaving them at the mercy of Social Security. However, when your income is low your Social Security payout is going to reflect that as well.

Those of us in bivocational ministry may be better able to fund a good retirement. Not only do we have outside income paying into Social Security, we often have more disposable income to invest in retirement planning. The secret is to not dispose of it before doing so!

As one reaches a certain age (like me!) he or she wishes they had done some things differently. One of the things I wish I had done was to begin early in my working life living on 75 percent of my income. That would leave 10 percent for my tithe and 15 percent to invest in retirement. One of the things I've learned late in life is that investing 15 percent in a good retirement account throughout one's working life will often lead to over $1 million dollars in retirement. And that's not even including Social Security!

I know many will argue that it's not possible to do that. It is possible but it's not easy, especially if you started out living on 120 percent of your income and you've piled up a bunch of debt that has to be paid off before you start saving for retirement.

Seminaries need to teach every ministerial student a course on personal finance. Of course, most won't because if they taught the course no one would take out student loans and they would lose income. But, their students would have a much better idea of what to expect financially in the ministry and how to prepare financially for each phase of ministry including retirement.

If you feel that you are sinking financially it's time to do something different. I would suggest start by reading The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey and following the Baby Steps he presents in the book. By doing that you can begin to better prepare for retirement. Believe me, you and your family will be thankful you did.

Retirement

Letters went out last week officially announcing my retirement as a Resource Minister with the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky. This is something I've considered since the first of the year and finally made the decision a couple of months ago that it was time. My retirement will be effective on December 31, 2015.

My ministry began in 1981 when I was called to be the bivocational pastor of Hebron Baptist Church near Madison, Indiana. At the time I had never heard the term "bivocational," and suddenly I was one. I served that church for twenty years until being called to my present ministry in 2001.

Over the past 34 years I've seen many changes in ministry and especially in bivocational ministry. When I began there was not the acceptance of bivocational ministry that there is now. We had few resources that had been created especially for us, and many of us felt as if our denominations had forsaken us. (I have to say that was not the case for me. I had excellent support from the leaders in the ABC/INKY.)

I wrote my first book, The Tentmaking Pastor: The Joy of Bivocational Ministry, due to the lack of resources available to us. I never dreamed it would lead to seven more books related to small church and bivocational ministry. Nor did I ever imagine I would be asked to lead workshops and conferences on the topic. This ministry God has given me has been a true blessing. Bivocational ministers are my heroes, and I've been privileged to be allowed to serve them in this way.

I will continue to minister in retirement. I've been working on two more books I plan to complete in 2016. I already have two speaking engagements scheduled for next year, one in California and the other in Indiana. If you are looking for a conference speaker for next year, please consider giving me a call. Since I love preaching so much I am hopeful to have the opportunity to fill the pulpit as often as possible.

As I've mentioned in this space before, about two years ago I started an auction business, and I will be working to build that business up in retirement. Many people have wondered why I would want to be an auctioneer, but I view it as another way to minister to people. I'll explain that in a later post.

My wife and I will celebrate our 49th anniversary later this year, and we look forward to being able to spend more time together. We also want to spend more time with our two children and seven grandchildren, none of whom live near us. It's time to make some family memories, and I am looking forward to doing that.

There's no danger of me sleeping until noon and then heading to the golf course when I retire. There are plenty of things to keep me busy, and I look forward to having the time to do them.

Second career ministers

Once upon a time people looked at retirement as the opportunity to enjoy life and do the things they never had time to do during their working careers. Some moved to the beach; others to the mountains. Others moved closer to their grandchildren to enjoy more time with them. While some people still look forward to such retirement, increasing numbers of people are finding new life in second careers.

There are a number of reasons for this.  One is financial. It has been well documented that most baby boomers have not saved enough to enjoy a comfortable retirement, and it appears that those generations that follow us will be in even worse shape financially when it comes to retirement. A second reason is the large numbers of people who take early retirement. Many companies offer such lucrative early retirement options that it's foolish not to take them. A third reason is that we baby boomers enjoy work. We like staying busy. One can only golf and fish so much before it becomes boring. Besides, we like to feel that we can still make a difference even in our sunset years.

Several years ago Bob Buford wrote the book Finishing Well: What People Who Really Live Do Differently! that looked at people who successfully transitioned into second careers. Buford interviewed 60 people who turned their retirement years into opportunities to do things that made a difference.  It is an inspiring read for anyone approaching retirement who wonders what he or she will do next.

Your Ministry's Next Chapter: Restoring the Passion of the Mid-Career Pastor (Pastor's Soul Series) by Gary Fenton looks at the various stages of a pastor's ministry including the retirement years. I've also found it to be an interesting and helpful read.

We are seeing a number of individuals entering the ministry as a second career. Many of these had felt a call to ministry earlier in life, but for one reason or another did not respond to that call. I know one individual who is currently working on his master's degree from seminary as preparation for his upcoming retirement. He currently fills the pulpit in churches on Sundays and plans to become a pastor when he retires from his current job. That retirement and his seminary degree will come at about the same time.

His example points out an important point. If you are planning to do something different in retirement, now is the time to begin preparing for that. If you need additional education, pursue it now before you retire. If you need to learn new skills, now is the time to get those. Don't wait until you retire before you begin preparing for a second career.

What about those of us already in ministry? What might we do as a second career?  Many choose to serve as interim pastors. This allows them to use their skills and experience to serve a church that is seeking a new pastor. A number of retired pastors become bivocational ministers. Again, this allows them to use their education and experience in ministry without many of the pressures of a larger church. Some teach in seminaries, Bible schools, and universities training the next generation of church leaders. Others become church consultants, coaches, or mentors.

Just because a job ends at retirement it does not mean that one's calling ends as well. There are many things a minister can do in retirement that honors God's call on his or her life. Even if you are a few years away from retirement, now is the time to begin thinking and praying about what second career options might be best suited for you.

Have you made it easy for your heirs?

This may seem like an odd post for a blog dedicated primarily to small church related matters, but it really isn't.  As many of you know, last year I obtained an auctioneer's license.  In addition to my ministry, I conduct an average of one auction per month.  In many ways, I see my work as an auctioneer as an extension of my ministry because I am often called in to help a family dispose of an estate after a loved one has passed. Recently, I met with another family who was overwhelmed with trying to decide what to do. None of the family live nearby so it was important that they make decisions while they are here. The loss of a loved one is stressful enough, and having to decide what to do with the possessions just adds to the stress. Fortunately, there was a will and family members knew what it said and who was responsible for carrying it out.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case.  Too many people die without a will leaving it up to family members and the courts to decide how to divide the property. This can and does lead to serious family issues some of which are never resolved. Even when a will exists, families may not know of various banking and insurance accounts a loved one may have had. Filing systems vary widely from one person to another making it difficult for that information to be gathered. A family member once named me the executor of his estate but never told me that until less than a month before he passed away.  I literally had to go through every piece of paper in his home and business to be sure I wasn't overlooking anything important. He did have a will so the only thing I had to do was to follow it and submit the proper paperwork, but it was still very stressful trying to make sure I had found everything that might be important.

What can you do to make this difficult time a little easier for your loved ones?  First, make sure you have an up-to-date will and that your heirs know what's in it and where it's located. It is amazing how many people do not have a will. Do they think if they don't have a will that they won't die? I know many people don't like to think about death, but right now the death rate is 100 percent, with or without a will. You can make it much easier on your family if you have one. Incidentally, the cost of having an attorney prepare a will is very small so don't say you can't afford it. If problems arise because you do not have a will it will likely cost many times more to resolve them than it would have cost to have had a will.

 In that will you should have named an executor of your estate, and it's very important that you have discussions with that person letting them know where they can locate the information they will need to properly handle your estate. I have a single file that contains that information, and my family knows where that file is located. Again, the goal is to reduce the stress on your loved ones as much as possible.

A third thing to consider is downsizing as you grow older. I've talked with several retired ministers in the past few weeks who are in the process of doing away with their libraries. One told me he had sold some of his books and had given others to a young minister who recently entered the ministry. Few things are more difficult for a minister than for him or her to give up their library, but what would our spouses do with those books? I'm not ready to retire yet, but I have been thinking seriously about what to do with my own library. Although I haven't done anything yet to get rid of books, I have cut way back on buying new ones.

One other thing pastors should do is to challenge their congregations to do these things as well. None of us knows when our time on this earth is done, and taking steps to make our passing easier on our families is one way of loving them well. You may want to invite someone in who specializes in estate planning to talk to the congregation about these matters. This person would bring not only expertise, but he or she would also be an outside voice.

It's never easy to discuss these matters, but it is important that we do so. Losing a loved one is tough enough. Let's not compound their pain by forcing them to make decisions about our possessions that we should have already made for them.

What to do with a minister's library?

A reader of this blog sent me a question last night about how to dispose of his ministerial library.  He retired from the ministry a few years ago and still has his library which he no longer needs.  Interestingly enough, this is a question my wife and I have been discussing for the past few weeks.  Although I am not retired, I left pastoral ministry 13 years ago to serve as a judicatory minister.  I have a large collection of commentaries and other Bible study books that I no longer use for sermon preparation.  A large percentage of the remainder of my library would be more useful to a pastor than to someone in my current ministry role.  I don't want my wife to have to deal with this when I'm gone so we've been looking at options.  (BTW - the thought of giving up my books horrifies me!)

Several years ago I sold a few commentary sets I didn't find helpful to Baker Books.  At that time, they were buying used books.  They paid for the shipping and a fair price for the books, but I don't know if they still do that or not.  A few years ago a young man began pastoring a small church.  I asked him about his library, and he admitted he didn't have much.  I gave him a very nice set of New Testament commentaries, and about three months later resigned from the church and moved away.  That didn't work out well!

I'm sitting here looking at seven book cases stacked full.  The vast majority are ministry related, and most of them are newer.  If you are retired, what did you do with your library?  If you are approaching retirement, what are your plans for your books?  I think this would be a great question for discussion on this blog, so let's here from you!

Finishing well

I recently read that one study found that a very high percentage of pastors had ministries that did not end well.  This past weekend I had the privilege of attending a retirement party for one pastor whose ministry did end well.  It spanned over 40 years and included pastoring the same church (the one from which he recently retired from) three times.  In between those pastorates he had several very successful interim pastorates.  His church would not hold the expected crowd so his retirement celebration was held at the local school.  I would estimate the invitation-only dinner crowd at 150-200 people, and I do not know how many people came for the open house earlier in the day.  This individual was not only pastor to his church but to the entire community.

Three denominational leaders, including myself, spoke of our relationship with this pastor and his wife.  Each of us had been profoundly impacted by his ministry and his friendship.  One summed up this pastor's ministry by noting that he had never seen him act in any way but pastoral.  He did not mean by that comment that the pastor had merely acted pastoral, but that he was pastoral.  My experience with him is the same.

My friend never pastored a megachurch nor did he serve in some large metropolitan area. His was a median size church located in a small community surrounded by farm land. He never wrote a book, although he tells me he is writing one now. He was never a featured speaker at a church growth conference. He just went about his ministry serving the people God entrusted to him. When we would eat lunch together everyone we saw wanted to speak to him. He was indeed the pastor to the community.

It is exciting to see a pastor have this kind of impact on his or her church and community.  One can only imagine how many people his ministry has impacted over the course of his ministry.  When it was his turn to speak the words did not come easily.  He was obviously humbled by the love demonstrated in that room and very quickly reminded people that anything he had ever done in ministry was possible only through the power of God in his life.  Reflecting on the evening later I could only sum it up by noting that he was one who has finished well.

I would think every minister wants to finish well, but we need to remember that such an ending to our ministries does not happen by accident.  There are simply too many opportunities over the course of a long ministry to get tripped up.  We can fail to grow and develop as leaders and fail to lead our churches in the vision God has for them.  We can stop learning and fall prey to outdated ideas and ways of thinking.  We can not understand the changes that occur in society and become irrelevant.  We can become isolated and find ourselves involved in behaviors that will wreck our lives and ministries. 

If we want to finish well we must intentionally plan to do so.  We must intentionally seek growth opportunities.  We must learn what is happening in our neighborhoods and in the lives of people and address them from a biblical perspective.  We must commit ourselves to learning new skills that will improve our ministries.  We must develop boundaries that will guide our behavior.  We must maintain balance in the important areas of life - God, Family, Ministry, and Self-Care.  If we do these things we can enjoy a good end to our own ministries.

My friend's ministry really hasn't ended.  He reminded me that night to keep him in mind if I have churches that need someone to fill the pulpit on a Sunday or perhaps even need an interim pastor.  He said that he believes he still has some good ministry left in him.  And, that's the way to finish well.

Ministers and the pressures of retirement

Later this month I will turn 65 years of age.  My retirement age for drawing full Social Security is 66.  I really doubt that I will retire at 66, but I've got a lot to think about as I approach the time when I will retire from the ministry.  Although many people look forward to retirement, it can be one of the most stressful times in the life of a minister.  Some of the questions that make it so stressful are:

• Will I have enough money to retire?  Not all denominations offer their clergy a pension program, and even if the pastor has a pension program that does not mean the minister and/or the church has contributed much to the account.  If the minister has lived in church-provided housing he or she has not had the opportunity to build escrow in a home so that money is not available.  Sometimes with advancing age there are increased medical bills that can eat into a savings account very quickly.  When all these, and more, issues are factored in it is easy to see that this is a major question for any minister considering retirement.
• What will I do?  One can only play golf or fish for so long.  I believe each of us are wired to be productive, and I think that is especially true for those of us in ministry.  Most people entered ministry to make a difference in people's lives, and that mindset doesn't suddenly change because we reach some magic number that entitles us to retire.  Some ministers do supply preaching or interim ministries after retiring; others want to do something other than ministry-related activities.  The important thing is to begin seeking an answer to this question before retiring.
• How will my health be after retirement?  Health issues can become a problem as we get older, but there are some things we can do to stay as healthy as possible.  One is to remain active.  I've known a few people who just quit after they retired, and most of them didn't live very long.  Making sure you get adequate exercise, eating properly, and having regular medical check-ups are all important to remain healthy after you retire.
• Where will you live?  If the minister has lived in a parsonage, he or she will have to find a new place to live after they retire.  Sometimes the minister wants to remain in the community where he or she now lives.  Others want to move closer to children and grandchildren, but such a move will require them to make new friends, find new medical care providers, and do a lot of other things they may not prefer to do in retirement.
• How will I relate to former church members?  This will be a major issue if the minister remains in the current community.  According to the Code of Ethics our denomination requests our ministers to sign, we are not to maintain professional relationships with former members.  When I left the church I served for twenty years, even though we remained in the same community, I explained to the congregation that I would not return to perform their weddings and funerals.  When some problems arose in the church and friends of mine began to leave the church, I was heartbroken, but I could not step in and address the issues that caused them to leave.  Ministers must address this question whether they retire or move to another church, but it is one that must be addressed and explained to the congregation.
• Where will I worship?  Very seldom is it proper for a minister to continue to worship in the same church from which he or she retired.  In a smaller community there may not be another church of the same denomination which will mean the retired minister may have to travel some distance to a church where he or she can worship or find a church of a different denomination in that community.
• How will I stay mentally sharp?  Most ministers spend a large amount of time reading and studying which helps them stay mentally sharp.  Dementia and Alzheimer's disease are concerns for anyone approaching retirement age, and although nothing can guarantee they won't affect someone, it is known that remaining active and using one's mind does lessen the chance of having these problems.  I know a retired minister in his nineties who began learning a new language.  He not only learned a new language but remained mentally sharp throughout his life.
• How will I deal with growing older?  I have to admit I am not thrilled to turn 65.  There are things I can't do today that I used to do, and I miss doing those things.  Aging has brought some limitations, some of which are hard to accept.  But, there are things I can do today that I couldn't do when I was younger.  I enjoy writing books and leading workshops based on my experiences in ministry, and I couldn't do those things thirty years ago.  My wife and I enjoy traveling to places we didn't have the time and money to visit when we were younger.  Rather than focus on the things you can't do, spend time finding new things you can do today you couldn't do as a younger person.

Growing older and retiring is not for sissies!  There are a lot of questions you need to answer before you reach retirement age to reduce the stress often associated with retirement.  For more assistance in dealing with this, and many other stresses associated with ministry, I encourage you to get my book The Healthy Pastor: Easing the Pressures of Ministry.

The plight of older ministers

As I work with pastor search committees I find that many of them are wanting a young creative pastor who will bring new life into their churches.  There are several things wrong with their request.  One, quite often if a pastor does attempt to do anything that will bring new life into a church it is met with resistance.  A church once told me they wanted a pastor who would grow their youth group.  A few months after calling a new pastor I met a member of that church's search committee at a restaurant.  When I asked if their pastor had grown a youth group in the church she replied that he had.  I commented that must have made the church happy, and she replied that it had actually created problems in their church.  Many of the older members were upset because the pastor was spending all his time with the young people and ignoring them.  Some had left the church and others had quit giving creating some financial problems in the church.  That pastor did not last long.

About a year ago I met with the search committee of another bivocational church who told me they wanted a pastor who would grow their church.  I had never done this before but this time I asked, "Are you sure about that?  You do realize that if you could grow this church by doing what you've been doing it would already be growing, don't you?  That means you are telling me you want a pastor who will come in here and turn everything upside down.  Is that what you really want?"  They began to look sideways at each other and smile.  Finally, one of them said, "Maybe we need to think about that for a little while."  The fact is, many older, established churches really don't want a new pastor to bring new life into their church.  They want a chaplain, a caretaker, someone who will love them and be there for them and keep things relatively calm, and if any growth does occur without upsetting things that will be a plus.

The other problem with the original statement is the belief that young pastors will be more creative than older ones.  That simply is not always the case.  Yes, there are some older pastors who are very traditional in their approach to ministry, and they are locked into doing things like they did when they began ministry thirty years ago.  However, there are many pastors nearing the age of retirement who are very creative in their approach to ministry.  These pastors draw from a lifetime of experience and study and are not afraid to take risks and try new things.  Some ministers fresh out of seminary only know what they were taught in their seminary classes which are not known for being especially creative.

I recently had lunch with a minister colleague who is seeking a place to serve.  His concern is that he is in his early 60s, and he knows many churches will not be able to move past his birth year when they look at his resume.  Talking with this person it was obvious that he has great insights into ministry and probably has many more good years to serve, if a church will give him that option.

Reading through the Old Testament it seems that many of God's choicest servants began some of their best ministry in their later years.  It seems a shame that some of our churches fail to see the value in the experience and wisdom that many of our older pastors could bring them.  These ministers who have seen and heard it all could be the non-anxious presence that some of our churches need to be able to move forward.

When I was in my early 50s a denominational leader told me I should try to be where I wanted to finish my ministry by the time I was 55.  As I now work with churches looking for pastors I see some who are willing to consider a person who is approaching 60 years of age, but not many.  Even fewer will consider someone older than 60.    That's a shame because there are many ministers 60 years of age and older who still have a lot to offer a church.  They are sharp, active, and quite creative in their thinking.  They certainly are not ready to retire.  I believe many of our churches would be well served by these older clergy persons.  If your church is seeking a pastor do not automatically discount those whose age might be above your "magic" number.  You could be missing out on the perfect person for the position.  In fact, you could be missing out on the person God has prepared to be your next pastor.

Planning for retirement 2

In 1996 I was able to take early retirement from the factory where I had worked since 1966.  Our contract had a 30-and-out retirement available to us so I took it.  I've never regretted that decision.  A few months after I retired a person with whom I had worked took early retirement.  I happened to run into him several months later and he complained that retiring was the worst thing he had ever done.  He had nothing to do.  He was bored.  I told him to buy a fishing pole.  Get a job at Wal-Mart.  Find something you enjoy doing and do it.  A few months later he died.  I knew his brother well and asked if they knew what caused the death of his brother.  He said there were no physical problems; his brother had literally bored himself to death.  He could find no reason to live, and stopped.

Yesterday I focused on the importance of preparing yourself financially for retirement; today I want to address the emotional preparation.  Pastors are typically busy people.  Bivocational ministers are often extremely busy people.  The day after your retirement you will wake up and not know what to do.  There is no job to go to, no office, no hospital visits you need to make, no sermon to get ready for Sunday, no meetings to prepare for.  One minister told me after his retirement he couldn't believe how few e-mails he now received.  His inbox used to be full every day, and now he seldom gets more than a half-dozen.  After retiring life will change, and you need to be prepared for it.

Part of that preparation will be deciding how you will spend your time.  Some ministers want to travel.  When you have spent a lifetime of your weekends being filled with responsibility it is nice to be able to get away and see all the places your congregation got to visit while you were at the church.  I can see my wife and I taking off for a couple of months touring the country when we finally retire.  Some will decide to move away to a different climate, and some may already have purchased retirement homes in places like Florida or Arizona.  They want to get away from cold winters, play golf, fish, and enjoy life.  Some will devote more time to their favorite hobbies.  I know pastors who look forward to spending more time in their workshops or on the lake.  Some will want to spend a lot of time with family visiting children and grandchildren. It really doesn't matter what you decide to do, just plan on doing something.

At some point you will have to make some decisions about ministry.  It is one thing to retire, but I'm not sure one ever completely retires from ministry.  Many pastors offer to become interim pastors or to fill the pulpits in churches when the pastor is away.  Some take on the role of Visitation Pastor in a church.  Doing these types of ministries does a couple of things.  One, it keeps you involved in the work God called you to do without tying you down.  Two, it helps remind you that God is not finished with you.  Just because your phone doesn't ring every time you sit down to a meal or your e-mail inbox isn't full doesn't mean you have nothing to contribute to the Kingdom of God.  It is a big boost emotionally to be reminded that God can still use you even in retirement.

Finally, I must insist that part of preparing emotionally for retirement is accepting that your work with your previous church is finished.  In my final message to the congregation I served 20 years I told them I would always be their friend, but I could never again be their pastor.  I told them I could not do their funerals or their weddings unless their new pastor personally asked me to be involved.  Remaining in the same community has made that difficult at times, but I have honored the pastors who followed me by not interfering in their ministry to the people of that church.  I hear from too many pastors who complain that the previous pastors keep coming back to do funerals and weddings making it hard for them to ever become any more than the preacher in the church.  Friends, it is a violation of ministerial ethics for any minister to return to the church he or she formerly served and participate in those kinds of activities.  You must come to grips with this or emotionally you will not be ready to retire.

If you have prepared yourself financially and emotionally for retirement you will enjoy your retirement much more than those who are not prepared.  You will be able to enjoy a new sense of freedom and be able to do things with family that were not possible when you were employed.  The younger you are the easier it will be to prepare yourself for retirement, but regardless of you age you need to start now to prepare for retirement.  As I said yesterday, you may not want to retire but circumstances may be such that you have no choice at the time but to retire.  If you're prepared it will be a much easier transition.