Pastoral Care of Pastors and Their Families > Aging/Retirement Preparation

While it will not likely be up to you to process a pastor into retirement, you are in a prime position to be a true pastoral presence in their lives by spending some extra time with them as you sense they are nearing the end of their full-time ministry.

Retirement may be something for which a pastor is emotionally and financially prepared. You may even find some pastors who are anxious for that day to come! If that's the case, great! Here are some positive ways you can be involved:

•Make sure they know whom to work with in your conference's HR department to get the paperwork started

•Check up on them occasionally to see how it's going

•Take the pastor and spouse out for a leisurely special meal as the time gets close and ask them to share the story of their ministry, completely with high and low points. You will hear some things you can help them celebrate, and you can help them process some hurts or disappointments that you sense are yet unresolved. Bring them a small gift from your office that's not related to anything the conference might do. That way they will know that you personally wish them well and that you will miss working with them

•You can also use this meal as an opportunity to find out of they intend to stay in the conference during their retirement, and if there are ways they may still want to be involved if they so desire. Many retirees feel a huge sense of disconnectedness when they retire, and you can be an important link to helping them realize they are not going to be "out of sight, out of mind"

•Help them plan when and how to tell their church. Sometimes pastors make their announcement too soon, only to discover that too much advance notice can make things at church awkward

•After it's been announced, contact a major leader at their church to ask if you can help them with an appropriate send-off party or reception that will send the retiring pastor off in high spirits and with lots of loving memories of their time at the church. Also help the church leaders realize that the pastor is not just retiring from pastoring their church, but that he's retiring from a long life of ministry. Acknowledging that in whatever send-off that takes place can add a lot of richness and appreciation in the pastor and spouse

•Make a note in your calendar to contact the pastor in, say, 6 months or a year after retirement just to let them know they are missed

But what if retirement is not something for which a pastor is prepared or desired? Your involvement is especially needed in such cases.

If a pastor is forced to retire for health reasons, he or she may be severely disappointed that they can not continue their work

If they are in financial trouble, you might need to connect them with some professional financial advisory help. This one area alone is one in which you can be a great service to your pastors. If you know that a pastor is five or so years from probable retirement, this is an important time to come alongside and ask frankly if they need some financial advice before getting any closer to retirement. If your conference can pay for or at least subsidize such counseling, you may be giving the potential retiree one of the most important gifts he or she will be receiving

If you sense a pastor is being forced out of his or her position (or even if that's just what they think) and there are no places the conference can place that pastor, they will need a lot of pastoral care working through their emotions. They may possibly feel that the church has betrayed or turned its back on them after a lifetime of service. Feelings can run deep if this even appears to be the case, and your involvement in their transition can make the difference of a retirement poisoned with bitterness or one in which the pastor feels that he was treated kindly and fairly

In Either Case...

Whether retirement is welcomed or feared, this is a major time of transition for the pastor and for their church. Emotions might be running high enough that the retiring pastor may not think of all the best and healthiest ways to leave their church.

•You can help ease the transition into retirement for the pastor by having a kind but pointed conversation about:

•How to wrap-up their ministry at their current church

•How to relate to the new pastor and the church if they are staying in the area

•How the conference can still use their gifts and pastoral energy (if appropriate)

•Helping them to resolve any unresolved issues before leaving so that the new pastor can work with a clean slate

The Bottom Line

Take the time to get to know the ages of the pastors in your field. Take the time to speak often to those who are getting close enough to begin thinking seriously about retirement. Some pastors are so committed to their work that they don't take the time for proper planning and preparation. Do everything you can to help make their transition from full-time ministry into well deserved sunset years as smooth and kind as possible. After all. You'll be there yourself one day, and you'd probably appreciate that, too!