It is obvious even to the casual observer that we live in a culture that is currently obsessed with youth. It seems that almost everyone wants to look younger than he or she really is. To meet this “need,” American industry puts out a great variety of products designed to thwart or camouflage the effects of aging on one’s body. One would almost think that to be “old” was to have some incurable and contagious disease from the way we react to the elderly. The very term “old” has a negative connotation, while the adjective “young” is taken as a compliment. The “old” is bad; the “young” and the “new” is obviously good!
Effects on the Church
Within the church we attempt to be “in the world, but not of it,” but, in fact, the world is more a part of us than we care to admit. The modern obsession with youthfulness and newness has had a telling and detrimental effect on the church of Jesus Christ. To cite but one example, consider the mindset of the typical vacant congregation as it contemplates calling a new minister. Whenever a name is mentioned, the matter of his age is soon raised, along with that inevitable question, “Is he good with young people?” The average congregation, in seeking to fill a vacancy, seeks a minister who is “young” and who will perform some urgent but ill-defined function for the youth of the congregation. In one congregation after another, the tendency is to select the youngest man on every trio. Men over fifty find that calls are “few and far between.” Thus the merits of the experience and wisdom of a more mature pastor tend to be slighted, as are the needs of the elderly members of the congregation.
A Matter of Stewardship
In the light of this situation, I think it is safe to say that churches today tend to be poor stewards of the gifts God has given them in the talents and experiences of our more mature ministers. We hear of synodical committees addressing the matter of fully utilizing the “gifts” of every member of the congregation, but the “gifts” of our older pastors are not being fully appreciated, and hardly anyone dares to speak out about it. Yet it is beyond question that the abilities of ALL our ministers are an important resource that the Lord has given to His church. Does not responsible stewardship extend to ministerial talents as well as financial resources?
In some instances, a minister who anticipates retiring in five years could greatly benefit from the opportunity to serve another charge before his active ministry ends. Indeed, such a man has a great deal to offer a vacant church! But the sad fact is, no matter how much he may desire such a call, it is unlikely that he will receive it. If he does find that his name is. placed on a trio or duo, it is generally safe to predict that a younger man will receive the call. Having spoken to many colleagues in the ministry who have more experience than I, I am convinced that this situation is a problem for most “older” ministers. They, of course, hesitate to talk about the problem m the presence of laymen for fear of being misunderstood. It may be thought that in their current charge they are dissatisfied or that they are merely jealous of the calls others receive.
Other Considerations
It is not only the older minister who has reason to regret the modern obsession with youth. As churches we are depriving ourselves of the benefits that could be ours by fully considering the advantages offered by a mature pastor. No matter how rigorous the theological education one receives in seminary, there is no substitute for experience as a teacher. In addition, some churches at the time of their vacancy have special problems or tensions within the congregation that an inexperienced pastor may be ill equipped to deal with.
We must also ask whether the church ever has the right to ignore the needs of any group within its membership. May we focus on the needs of the youth when calling a pastor without considering the needs of the elderly and all the age groups in between? Furthermore, the unspoken assumption that a young minister will naturally get along well with the young people of the church while an older man will not is highly doubtful, as is the notion that the young people expect or even want their pastor to be “like one of them.” Our youth orientation fares poorly indeed when its assumptions are held up to the light of sanctified common sense.
Conclusion
I am certainly not suggesting that we should ignore the talents of younger ministers, or that we should refuse to ordain anyone under the age of 35. Either suggestion would place me in a very awkward position. I am suggesting that the age of a prospective minister should be at best a secondary consideration for a vacant church. Of all the relevant considerations that must come into play when calling a pastor, age should be very close to the bottom of the list.
As the church seeks to perform its task in the midst of an increasingly sinful world, surely the task at hand is large enough to permit us as churches to make use of the various talents of all ministers, regardless of their ages. In fact, our task is so large that we dare not squander any of the resources God has given us, especially the wisdom and experience of our “older” ministers.
John R. Jackson is pastor of the Walker Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Mich. In view of his subject we may add that he is 31 years old, now serving his second pastoral charge.