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The correct answer of course,is if God is in it age doesn’t matter. From a practical perspective however, we know that when a person reaches a certain age, opportunities either dry up completely or else they are few and far between. Not to mention that with age comes a decline in health,stamina,desire, and a whole host of other things necessary to be an effective pastor.But what if the rare opportunity does present itself to you and you are in your 60’s or 70’s? Assuming you still had the stamina to be effective in a pastoral role, would you accept it, and if you answer yes, WHY would you? Especially since at this age most pastors are ready to ride off into the sunset!So, I’m interested in hearing your thoughts about how old is too old to accept a new pastorate,especially interested in hearing from some who may have done this “Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”

I really don't think it is practical or Biblical to place an age restriction on the pastorate. Many other cultures respect and look to the ldrerly as authorities. I sure hope that in the next 10-20 years I learn more about the Bible and common sense practical knowledge through life's experiences. My goal is to be challenged daily by others who want to grow and learn more about God. Yes, I wish I had the energy of a 25 year-old. I am not pointing fingers at others but I am glad for the ability to learn and not do the supid things I did at 35 or 45 again because I learned from my dumb mistakes. Maybe I am in the minority but when needing advice (natural or spiritual) I am much more likely to look to somebody 20 years older than me with a proven track record in life and ministry than somebody 20 years younger.Another advantage for elderly pastros is that most should be able to use the younger people in ministry and help others develop their giftings. One reason is because of the energy level that is missing as compared to younger pastors. Another factor is that without children to raise (as compared to younger pastors) the elderly has more time to help other ministers develop. When young I and most pastors who are honest would admit we had ambitions to be the mega-ministry and the man of the hour. Healthy elderly pastors are content with the flock in his or her care and want to see younger people grow. One is less threatened when realizing that they can't proselytize or steal part of the church when we are not trying to build a big thing for ourselves.

This is another great argument for having a plurality of pastor-elders rather than a single pastor. With a plurality of pastor-elders, the answer is never. Having a 90 year-old on that team providing his wisdom and perspective to the other elders would be an amazing blessing.

Most churches today don't want an older man. If I suddenly decided to come out of retirement, I'd probably have to start a new work

Most churches today don't want an older man. If I suddenly decided to come out of retirement, I'd probably have to start a new work

Churches that are small and in financial difficulty don't have a lot of choices. A retired pastor that was 85 took a small, struggling church here in NC & stayed there a year or so until his health forced him back into retirement More of Him...less of me.twitter.com/camiracle77www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=691241499&ref=name

Couldn’t agree more. When I was in the corporate world I was “reassigned”,or moved horizontally when I reached the age of 59. No explanations were given, even though I asked for and was granted a meeting with the executive that made the decision. When I asked if I’d done something wrong he was quick to say I had done nothing wrong. He simply wanted to make a change.The person that replaced me was 13 years my junior. Coincidence? I think not.And yes, I have seen many older pastors edged out, as well as witness many older ministers denied one opportunity after another “Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”

What are some of the reasons that churches don’t want an older pastor? Does image carry more weight than it should,meaning a smiling,young,energetic face is more desirable than one with a few wrinkles? If this is true, what does this say about the church’s priorities being in order “Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”

Years ago an elderly sister in the church came to me to share her heart over being “set aside” in favor of a younger person. Her chief complaint was that all of the elderly saints were being told they weren’t needed,that it was time for the younger ones to take over. While her statement was a bit of an exaggeration, her point was well taken because that I’d exactly what was taking place in our church. The church does itself great harm by not utilizing its senior members in leadership positions. It’s almost like we are counting their wisdom and experience as no longer needed, when we all know how untrue that is “Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”

I'll be 59 pretty soon ...might as well say 60 at this point in terms of cultural perception.I wouldn't think twice about going to another church if the Lord led me & I was voted in. Empty nest syndrome is for the birds!Email me at: [email protected] planters are focused on just one thing ...introducing people to Jesus!