Six Asian church leaders discuss whether it’s wise for congregations to set age limits for senior pastors.
In 2014, Christianity Today published a feature by Warren Bird, author of Next: Pastoral Succession That Works, about how 100 prominent US pastors successfully—and unsuccessfully—passed their role down to a new leader. Bird and co-author William Vanderbloemen found that half stepped down by age 65 and that the average age of American church leaders was 55.
This year, CT sought to explore the issue of pastoral succession from a different cultural perspective: churches in Asia. Hierarchy and respect for elders often make passing the baton more difficult for senior pastors in this region, and the aging population in some countries means more pastors are leading into their later years.
We asked six pastors in East and Southeast Asia—in China, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines—for their views on whether churches or denominations should set age limits for senior pastors and how they can prepare for a smooth succession. Responses are arranged from yes to no:
Freddy Lay, 68, former lead pastor and former chairman of Indonesia Chinese Church (GKI) in Jakarta, Indonesia:
It would be wise for a church or denomination to set age limits for pastors, since we all have limited lifespans and our bodies and minds deteriorate due to age. I chose to retire at 65, although I kept serving the Lord after my retirement in an advisory role, which is a less physically demanding task. Retired ministers can get involved in mentoring other leaders. [Lay successfully added a pastoral age limit of 65 into his denomination’s constitution.]
Although the Bible does not include specific age limits for a pastor, we can learn from the examples set in the Bible regarding succession. For example, …