Ministers and Retirement

Part 1 on Leadership

I’ve often said that I’ll never retire. I love ministering the Word of God, and even if I could afford to, I wouldn’t be happy spending my days playing golf or Scrabble. I need to be involved in something that makes a difference in this world. However, eventually, I know I will slow down. There is also something valuable about enjoying life—particularly with one’s spouse and family members. Ministers sometimes fall into the wrong mindset, believing that enjoying things like hiking, nature, or exercise is seen as compromising.

 When Priests Retire

Recently, I was reading from Numbers 8, where God establishes the Levitical priesthood. Instead of taking the firstborn from each family, the Lord appoints the tribe of Levi to serve as priests. By making atonement, they held back judgment from Israel: “to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the sons of Israel by their coming near to the sanctuary” (Num. 8:19). The job of the priests was clearly crucial, but it did not last forever.

“Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the work of the tent of meeting. But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from service in the work and not work anymore. They may, however, assist their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep an obligation, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their obligations.’”

Service begins at age twenty-five and ends at fifty. I imagine many priests were happy to enter retirement, while others probably felt like they still had a decade or two in them to minister. Having that strict cutoff ensured priests didn’t serve too long and allowed younger leaders to rise up.

Some senior leaders today understand this principle. As they enter their mid-fifties or sixties, they begin thinking about transition. I’m not sure what fifty felt like in Moses’ day, but at sixty, I sometimes feel like I’m just getting started—though I’m wise enough to know that might be self-deception. In our day, sixty may seem too young to retire, but it’s not too young to start thinking about the next generation.

 Won’t Let Go

We’ve all seen congregations where a senior leader, now in his seventies or eighties, struggles to let go of power. I recently saw a post where a senior leader, turning ninety, handed over the ministry to his sixty-five-year-old son. I don’t think that is ideal.

The problem is that as we enter our final decades, our bodies and minds don’t function as they once did. Dr. Peter Attia, an expert on aging, says, “At seventy-five, both men and women fall off a cliff. At the population level, it’s unmistakable what happens at the age of seventy-five.” Don’t be discouraged—his goal is to help people live longer, healthier, and more functional lives. You can watch his interview on [60 Minutes here]. And remember, we will graduate to eternal joy, with bodies that never grow weak. But it would seem that God allows us to grow weak to allow the next generation to fulfill their destiny. For most of us, if we are not willing to slow down as we get older, our bodies demand it. However, how we live today will determine in large part when and how quickly our minds and bodies come to that cliff that Dr. Attia talks about.

Of course, seventy-five isn’t a hard-and-fast rule. Many factors influence how our bodies and minds age. I’m thinking about this intentionally as I enter my sixties: diet, exercise, and managing stress are major factors. Keeping the mind active through reading and learning also helps. I was watching Charles Barkley recently, who lost a lot of weight. He said, “[My doctor] told me, ‘There’s no fat old people, only fat young people. If you don’t get this stuff together, you’re not going to be around.’” He wasn’t making fun of people who struggle with their weight—anybody who knows Charles Barkley knows that he has had a lifelong struggle with his own weight—he is recognizing the importance of living healthily as it relates to longevity.

But I digress. The reason it’s important to release ministry to younger leaders is that, as we age, our judgment can falter. I recall a time years ago when a leader had to be replaced, and because there was no immediate successor, an older, retired leader was sent. Sadly, he was in the early stages of dementia, which had not yet been diagnosed. He was a godly man, but he was no longer in full control of his words or emotions and was yelling at people and being inappropriate.

 Retirement Doesn’t Mean Crossword Puzzles

Notice that in Numbers 8, the text doesn’t say that when a priest turns fifty, he should go home and figure out how to fill his time. It says, “They may, however, assist their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep an obligation, but they themselves shall do no work.”

This means they could still be involved in ministry—but in a supportive, not leading, role. When a leader embraces this posture, it brings tremendous health to a ministry. But when he insists he’s just as sharp at eighty as he was at forty-five, the ministry can suffer greatly.

 What Can We Take Away?

If you’re in your early sixties, like me, now is a great time to take inventory. How’s your diet? Are you overweight? Do you exercise regularly? Are you caring for your key joints—knees, hips, back? I learned recently that for every pound I lose, I’m taking four pounds of stress off of my knees! I have been active my whole adult life, but that is not enough at my age. Now, I need to do specific exercises for my knees, hips, and core.

Secondly, if you’re a leader in a congregation, what’s your plan for retirement? My definition of retirement isn’t stopping work—it’s slowing down and empowering younger leaders. I’m no longer the senior leader of a congregation, so I don’t face the temptation of clinging to that position. I turned it over to someone ten years younger in 2016, and this year, he passed it to someone younger still. Amazingly, we’re all still elders together, along with our original senior leader. At Shelanu, our general manager already oversees the ministry.

That’s the beauty of the biblical model: as one generation steps back, the next steps forward—each serving in the strength and season God gives.