Why is “retiring” such a scary word for so many ministers? I’ve written before about preparing for retirement, proposing three reasons pastors avoid the subject: fear of boredom, obsolescence, and financial failure. Now, I want to revisit retirement through the lenses of our faith and God’s faithfulness. Let’s start with three important questions:
Has God been faithful to you so far?
I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging for bread. He is always generous…” – Psalm 37:25-26a, CSB
Do you have any reason to believe He won’t finish what He started in and through you?
I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6, CSB
Will you accelerate or coast through the finish line?
Now also finish the task, so that just as there was an eager desire, there may also be a completion, according to what you have.” – 2 Corinthians 8:11, CSB
“Retirement is both a finish line and a starting line for ministers.” — @markdance, director of pastoral wellness for @GuideStoneShare on X
Retirement marks more than the end of a four- or five-decade ministry. It also marks the beginning of what could be your most fruitful and fulfilling season of ministry. In other words, retirement is both a finish line and a starting line for ministers. What can you do to start dreaming about retiring instead of dreading it? Here are a few suggestions for you and your spouse to consider:
1. Assess your spiritual gifts
By the time we reach retirement age we already know what we’re good at, what we stink at, and what we’re mediocre at. We don’t have to waste any precious time trying to improve at ministry we were never created to do in the first place. The beauty of retiring is we can focus most of our ministry time on what we’ve been gifted to do. There will be no pressure to fulfill unrealistic expectations, unless you put them on yourself.
2. Create a ministry bucket list
This can be a fun exercise for any ministry couple, regardless of where you are in the race. Write down your dreams, regardless of how wild they may seem.
Is there a book you’ve always wanted to write? A mission trip you’ve always wanted to take? Or maybe a class you’ve always wanted to teach? What do you enjoy most about your ministry that you want to do more of in retirement? What do you want to do less of (or not at all) in retirement? I could live the rest of my life without performing another wedding. There, I said it. Many of you feel the same way.
Don’t hesitate to mix this dream list up by adding family and recreational dreams with your ministry dreams.
3. Make a financial plan
The somber truth is some of our dreams will never be actualized unless we’ve prepared for them. For over 100 years GuideStone has been helping servants of Christ finish well, both to and through retirement. Our biggest challenge is when a person waits to ask for help until they’re in their early 40s, but this is the average age a minister comes to us. Regardless of when you ask someone for financial advice, kudos to you who have done it.
If you don’t currently have a financial retirement plan, this is your wakeup call, friend. Many reading this are married men in pastoral ministry. Let me remind you of something you already know: You likely will not outlive your wife. If you are not prepared for retirement, she isn’t going to be provided for, which means your children will have to pick up your slack.
4. Practice soul care
I lead pastoral wellness initiatives at GuideStone which are as scripturally holistic as the Great Commandments. The first commandment focuses on loving God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, while the second commandment reminds us to love our neighbors (lit. nearest ones) (Mark 12:30-31). These comprehensive covenants were never meant to be compartmentalized by western theologians, so the key word is “all.”
In 2024, GuideStone commissioned Grey Matter Research to find out what our young ministers (under 55) need help with. The top three needs were financial health, physical health, and mental health. Three in 4 said they wish they had started saving for retirement earlier. Which area do you need more help with today that will help you prepare for a fun, fruitful retirement season tomorrow?
If you want to still have gas in your tank for that last ministry lap, pay attention to what goes into your heart, soul, mind, and body. If you trash your temple today (1 Cor. 6:19), you may limit your options tomorrow. If you make compromises in what you watch today, the mental and spiritual atrophy will affect what kind of ministry you’ll be able to do tomorrow. If you overlook your family and friends today, the relational erosion you’ll experience later will be inevitable.
Regardless of where you are in your ministry race, today is the best time to start preparing for a strong finish tomorrow.
