Dangers of Growing (slightly) Older in Ministry

I will celebrate my 61^st birthday soon. I have been a senior pastor for 37 years. That is right. I planted Northwest Valley Baptist Church when I was 24 years old. I wish I knew the things then that I know now. I would dearly love to start ministry all over again with my present understanding and knowledge.

In many ways, it is more difficult to pastor at this age than earlier. Earlier there was an entire life ahead to build and grow and let God do something. That era of life came very naturally to me. I am forward-thinking, I am an idea guy. I like to think outside of the box and do new things (even though many see me as a traditionalist). But now it would be easy to consider the future with less optimism. The fears and concerns are even more difficult now than early in ministry. At this season, I can start to think “Am I a help in this ministry or am I in the way?” “How do I financially transition without becoming a burden on my ministry or children?”

I don’t want to think that way. It is not my nature. I feel good physically. I feel I could go at full speed for another 20 years. But is that what God wants? It is as essential for me to be seeking God’s will for my life direction now as it was when I was in my early 20s. Ministry is about passing on the faith to the coming generations. It is at the heart of the 2 Timothy 2:2 command. I don’t plan on ever quitting the ministry. It is not only my calling, God has given me a deep love for it. I love preaching, studying, strategizing, and most of all leading. But is also a time for some soul-searching. I invite you to think it through with me. This transparency is a bit uncomfortable for me but I think it is important.

There are some very important attitudes to shun.

God-dependence to self-dependence.

There is a huge temptation as traditional retirement age nears to go from a God-dependence mode to a self-dependence mode. The Christian life and Christian ministry are about Spirit-led steps of faith. If our sense of the typical retirement years is that we have to save up enough to be guaranteed a comfortable income, we are in danger of falling into a trap. We are all as God-dependent for our daily bread now as we were when we were just starting. We cannot let paid-off houses and retirement accounts deceive us into lethargy. Faith steps are not just for the young.

Faith to fear.

We must not transition from faith mode to fear mode. Instead of playing the game of life to win, we go into prevent defense. Jesus said to occupy until He comes. The Apostle Paul did not retire, and neither did any of the disciples. He was doing the work of ministry until the end. There is nothing wrong with trusting God, stepping out in faith, and making a difference in later life. If we fear too much being a burden to our children, or not having enough, we will become paralyzed.

There is another side to the same thinking. That is hanging on too long in a ministry out of fear mode. This might result from a lack of wisdom and foresight in planning for the future, but we also can never completely plan for the future. Ministry transition is always a plunge into the unknown. Moses had no idea what was ahead when at 80 years old he led the children of Israel out of Egypt. Even at retirement age, we should greet the ministry future with a sense of adventure and Spirit-inspired anticipation. God has used people greatly in the last third of their lives and He can do that with me as well.

Leave that for the next guy.

If I am in ministerial leadership and there is a task that needs to be done—especially as far as the advancement of the ministry—things like building, starting a new ministry, etc—and I find myself saying “I will leave that for the next guy”, then I am already virtually finished as a leader. If I cannot have the vision to prepare and lead for the time when I might no longer be here, I am failing in my responsibilities. It is like the church staff member who is planning to move on to another ministry but leaves in his heart (and with his time) long before he leaves his office (and the payroll). There is no place for coasting to a stop in ministry leadership.

I am old.

“Uuuuugh” the three-year-old little girl grunted as she lifted herself off of the sofa to come to the dinner table. The mother looked at her with amusement. “She sounds like a little old lady!” the mom, in her early 30’s thought. Later in the evening, the young mother caught herself saying the same “uuuuuugh” as she lifted herself off of the sofa. Suddenly she realized who that little three-year-old girl was imitating. Neither was old, but for some reason, they were acting like it.

Quit acting like you are at death’s door. We do it way too early looking for sympathy or as a form of self-deprecating humor. It is not worth it. It just makes people think you are old and significantly more limited than you are. Let’s fill our minds with as much youthful energy and attitude as possible so that we can be as effective as possible for our Lord for as long as possible. There is no point in mentally dwelling on all our aches, pains, and deficiencies.

Jo Purdy, a godly woman who was my secretary for many years, struggled with chronic arthritic pain her entire adult life. It was sometimes debilitating. We had a man in our church who wanted to start a spiritual support group for people dealing with chronic pain. I asked Jo to attend and tell me how it was going. “Do I have to?” she complained. “Why wouldn’t you want to go? Wouldn’t something like this be a help to you?” I said. “I don’t want to sit around in a group of old people (most were younger than her) and talk about my aches and pains all night,” she said. “What I want to do is hang around a group of young people who love God and have enthusiasm for God and ministry. When I do that, I forget all about my aches and pains!” I thank God for her wisdom.

The good old days.

This is the attitude that believes that our best days are behind us. It lives in the past—even glorifies the past. True leadership must expect that the best days are in the future. That does not mean that ministries sometimes have to adjust and change. But if we do not believe that God is on the throne, revival is on the horizon, and He will continue to build His church, we are in the wrong business. Good old days syndrome is a form of pessimism and lack of faith.

Time to take a break.

It’s time to take a break, time to take it easy. I will rest while others carry me along. This attitude leaves us open to ministerial and personal failure. It was the attitude of David who rested in his home in the time when kings should have gone forth to battle (2 Samuel 11:1-2). We think we deserve it. We think we have paid our dues and deserve to take it easy. Take a vacation. There is nothing wrong with that. Get some rest now and then as necessary. But then get back to work. God has called us to the work, not to rest.

I deserve something better.

This one gets a lot of people in ministry. Retirement age is often when the years of sacrifice in ministry start to manifest themselves. Others are playing golf, enjoying free time, and most of all living without financial worries, while Christian servants who live on little and gave much, struggle for survival. There is a tendency either to get bitter at what we have given and what we now have or to try to make up for it all at once by stepping out of God’s will. The ministry is a sacrificial endeavor. I am not poor, and I am not complaining. Please do not misunderstand. But if I compare my financial circumstances with the businessmen of my church—or my college peers—I will breed in myself misery and discontent. God has called me to sacrifice until the end of my life and that is OK, that is my privilege. That is my calling and He is worthy of my sacrifice and much more.

We must always be moving forward with enthusiasm and expectation until Jesus comes or calls us home.

---

Listen to an audio version of this article at our podcast, here.