Anyone who leaves a position he or she held for many years is bound to experience some nostalgia. Retired pastors can feel adrift with no measurable purpose, especially after years of being the person to whom so many looked for guidance and biblical truth. You may be longing for the place and significance you once had.
After having pastored for 47 years at the church my wife and I founded, I understand. I welcomed retirement, but it was also unknown.
What now? I wondered. Kay and I had moved from northern Virginia all the way to a suburb of Nashville. Would this new chapter be one of rest or work? The answer, it’s turned out, is both.
Here are four lessons I’ve learned as a retired pastor.
1. Retirement gives the gift of time.
Retired pastors need physical and emotional renewal. They need time to reflect, give thanks, and pray about what’s ahead.
But they also need time to enjoy their families. Perhaps you need time to serve your spouse. My wife, Kay, has sacrificed for me and our church over the years, and retirement has allowed us to enjoy one another in a different way than when life was back-to-back with ministry activities.
Surprisingly, Kay and I are doing more ministry together now in retirement than we were able to when I was pastoring full-time. If you have grown children or grandchildren, use this newly available time to invest in their lives as well. This is the season to put Deuteronomy 6:4–7 into action.
2. Retirement is a blessing, not a limitation.
After you’ve rested and replenished, it’s time to think about what’s next. What surprised me is that getting back into the ministry saddle in a different capacity has been life-giving for me. That’s the stage I’m enjoying now at a church in Franklin, Tennessee.
I’m doing occasional mission work in the Amazon jungle with Justice & Mercy International. When I’m home, I’m training and encouraging young local pastors. I have a flourishing Sunday school for those over 60—they probably get tired of me telling them “We have work to do!” Teaching has always been my sweet spot, and without the responsibilities of being the lead pastor, it feels like I’m having more direct influence than ever before.
Getting back into the ministry saddle in a different capacity has been life-giving for me.
As retired pastors, we have years of experience and wisdom to share with others. Take inventory of what you’ve learned. Don’t think for one moment your ministry is over. Some of your best years have just begun. You’re in new territory with seasoned wisdom ready to be delivered to those coming behind you.
3. Retirement allows space to serve.
Without the pressures of preparing and delivering weekly sermons, attending countless meetings, and being part of budget decisions and building programs, I now have time to serve my church in especially tactile ways. I’m blessed to be part of a community of believers where I can make hospital visits, counsel the struggling, speak to the youth, teach a Sunday school class, and occasionally preach, to name a few opportunities.
The variety of ways I’m able to serve is a blessing I couldn’t have imagined before retirement. Without all those decision-making responsibilities, I have more time to teach, which I love to do, and I feel as if I’m soaring on eagle’s wings. Ironically, because I’m no longer lead pastor of a congregation, I have more freedom to serve with my gifts.
4. Retirement isn’t the end.
Remember, Abraham was “looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Heb. 11:10). This life isn’t a stroll but a hike, and a long one at that. Retired pastors aren’t just pilgrims—we’re older pilgrims, and hopefully wiser ones. That’s a supreme advantage. What have you been gifted with—entrusted with (Luke 12:48)—over the years? Where did the fruit hang from the tree in your full-time ministry? Make the most of your gifts to benefit others and glorify God.
The variety of ways I’m able to serve is a blessing I couldn’t have imagined before retirement. I feel as if I’m soaring on eagle’s wings.
Be encouraged that you have valuable experience and more to offer than you realize. Younger pastors may not have learned in seminary how to handle criticism, or to lose close friends over doctrinal or ministry issues, or to have their families living in a fishbowl. But you’ve been there. You know what perspective and wisdom to offer. You know how to be a listening ear. You know how to come alongside and pray.
Years ago a friend said to me, “I want you to finish well.” I gave it some thought and asked myself, What does finishing well look like? Here’s what I concluded: finishing well is finishing with the fewest regrets. And in retirement, you’ll never regret putting your boots back on.
The Gospel Coalition