“When and how do you get ready for retirement?” is a question usually asked about the pastor. And yes, the minister should plan about his retirement—for his and his wife’s finances, where to live, and what they would like to do after he retires. But that question needs to be asked about preparing the church—When and how does a minister prepare the church for his retirement?

It has been my observation that, generally speaking, that question is not being asked, and it needs to be. We all know situations where a pastor retires without preparing the church, and it could result in years of an empty pulpit. The congregation can go through very difficult discouragements while the search lingers on for another pastor. I remember when the Lord took Dr. James Boice to glory. We grieved at our loss that he was gone. But there were other ministers on staff that stepped in and the congregation was cared for. I know most churches in the OPC are not the size of Tenth Presbyterian, and so do not have several pastors. But seeing how the church was cared for at the death of Dr. Boice left me thinking, what can we learn from that to prepare a church for the pastor’s retirement so the pulpit is not vacant and the church will receive continuous care?

“When do you get ready for retirement?” I encourage the pastor and elders to begin to ask this question when the minister is about 58—about eight to ten years before he plans to retire. Why so much time? There is too much to do to transfer pastoral responsibilities and care of the flock. But also, there is the important, maybe more important, spiritual and emotional transition of the congregation from one shepherd to the other. I had been the pastor of the Church of the Covenant (OPC) in Hackettstown, New Jersey, since the church began in 1981, so I was the only pastor many had known all their lives. Having a slow, intentional transition allowed the congregation to get to know and trust a new shepherd. After over forty years of one pastor, the transition had to be done very carefully so the church would have time to embrace another pastor with different gifts and personality.

Then to answer the second part—How do I get ready for retirement?—let me share our story. Every church situation is unique, so these concepts will not all apply to everyone. But I hope they will help each church and session think and prepare for this important stage in the life of the church.

Let me share what we did to prepare our church for my retirement by phases:

Phase One (eight years before the pastor’s retirement)

Start the discussion of what the transition after retirement will look like for the church. Should the church call an associate pastor, so he would be in place when the pastor retires? We decided to have a pastoral intern with the intent that, should he and the congregation agree, he would become an associate pastor while I was still pastor to help with the transition. These years we had to plan the budget for a future intern.

Phase Two (six years before the pastor’s retirement)

Complete the intern process and vet him with the intent that he could become an associate pastor at the conclusion of his internship. We called an intern, Jim Jordan, and during his yearlong internship he came under care of the Presbytery of New Jersey and completed his exams for licensure. At the conclusion of his internship, Jim and the session desired that he stay as an associate pastor, so the congregation voted and called him as associate pastor with the intent that he would be pastor when I retired. The congregation voted to take monies from savings and pay off the mortgage so that we could budget for an associate pastor’s salary.

Phase Three (four years before the pastor’s retirement)

Begin the transition of pastoral responsibilities to the associate. This is so the associate has time and help to learn all the areas of pastoral and session oversight of the congregation. Each year we planned to transfer areas of responsibility:

The first year we transferred the oversight of the church secretaries, church office, church annual calendar—to learn all the things that happen in the church throughout the year, all the paperwork and files for the church office, the preparing of bulletins, reports, agendas for meetings, et al. Since he was needing to work with the secretaries, he took the pastor’s office at the church, and I moved my office to my home. This same year we also transferred the oversight of follow-up of church visitors.

The second year we transferred the oversight of the session. He was elected moderator and had the year to learn all that the session addresses throughout a year at their meetings. He had the year to learn the session’s policies and procedures. As moderator of session, he would oversee the interview and reception of new members. He would moderate the trustee and congregational meetings.

The third year we transferred all premarital counseling. We continued to share pastoral counseling, funeral services, and weddings.

The fourth year we transferred the teaching of the New Members’ Sunday School class, which is required for membership.

Phase Four (that last year before the pastor’s retirement)

All pastoral responsibilities and oversight now have been transferred to the associate pastor. I continued to preach Sunday mornings and the associate would preach Sunday evenings. My retirement date was announced to the church. Seven months prior to retirement, the congregational meeting had to prepare the motions for presbytery to dissolve the pastoral relationship effective on the date I retired. The congregation voted its desire that Jim become “senior pastor” when I retired. When we first called Jim as an intern, he was a single man. Over the years, the church saw him mature as a preacher and watched him become engaged, marry, and become a father. There was sufficient time so that when the congregation had to vote for Jim as pastor, it was not a shock. For most people the transition had already happened mentally and emotionally months before. In other churches, if the retiring pastor has not been pastor for such a long tenure, perhaps the transition could be shorter; but we needed a careful, lengthy time.

Retirement

I preached my last sermon as pastor on Easter Sunday. The following Sunday our new senior pastor began preaching every Sunday morning, and the transition to another pastor was complete. I took several months away so that the church (and I) could “reboot” without me. The session, with Jim’s blessing, asked if that fall I would continue as an “assistant pastor” to help carry the load and continue the transition. We agreed that I would preach twice a month, usually on Sunday evenings and visit the elderly and shut-ins.

We received feedback through the years from the congregation that they were aware of the transition. They expressed their gratitude that there was a plan of transition so pastoral care was not interrupted. The elders were able to continue their care of the congregation without having to be working on pulpit supply and processing candidates to find another pastor.

This was all done out of love for the church. These are precious sheep for whom Christ died. We desired that they be best cared for during one of the most unsettling and difficult experiences a church faces. We give thanks to the Lord for leading us and answering so many prayers through these years. All praise to the Lord.

Ronald E. Pearce is pastor emeritus of Church of the Covenant (OPC) in Hackettstown, New Jersey. Ordained Servant Online, November, 2024.