Pastoral Retirement

Definition and Meaning

Pastoral retirement is the act by which a pastor withdraws from service as senior pastor of a church or from active duty within a denomination (the actual performance of an assigned office), either upon reaching a set age or by the pastor's own choice. The Korean term for retirement, euntoe (隱退), means "to step down from one's post and rest." A retired pastor generally retains the status of an ordained minister and may therefore continue to preach or administer the sacraments when asked. The retired pastor does, however, relinquish the authority to govern the church and the responsibility for its administration.

Biblical and Historical Background

No passage of Scripture directly regulates the retirement of ministers. The text most often cited is Numbers 8:24-26, which provides that the Levites were to cease from the service of the tabernacle at age fifty and thereafter assist their brethren in their duties. 2 Timothy 4:1-8, in which Paul entrusts the ministry to Timothy near the end of his life, is also frequently cited in discussions of ministerial succession.

For much of church history, ordained office was regarded as a lifelong calling. Age-based retirement systems are generally understood to have taken hold in the modern era as denominational structures became more formalized. Today the Catholic Church requires diocesan bishops to submit their resignation to the pope upon reaching age seventy-five.

Practice in the Korean Church

Retirement Age

Most major Korean denominations set the mandatory retirement age for ministers at seventy. Representative examples include the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap), the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in Korea (Hapdong), and the Korean Methodist Church. Debates over extending the retirement age or permitting early retirement continue to arise at denominational general assemblies.

Differences Among Denominations

• Presbyterian: A pastor's membership and retirement fall under the jurisdiction of the presbytery. When an installed pastor who has served one church for many years retires, the pastor may be named pastor emeritus by resolution of the congregational meeting and with the approval of the presbytery. Both the Tonghap and Hapdong denominations require at least twenty years of service in the same church for this designation. Those who do not meet this requirement are classified as "retired pastors."
• Methodist: Because a pastor's membership is held in the annual conference, retirement is likewise handled through the annual conference. The denomination also recognizes pastors emeriti, with the requirements set out separately in its church law, the Doctrines and Discipline.
• Baptist and independent churches: In keeping with the tradition of congregational polity (a system in which the gathered membership decides the church's major matters), individual congregations have broad latitude to determine the timing of retirement and the honors extended to the retiring pastor.

Honors and Controversies

A retirement service is held at the time of retirement, often in conjunction with the installation of the successor. A pastor's livelihood after retirement depends heavily on the denomination's ministerial pension system and on the support provided by the church. Critics have consistently pointed out that pastors of small churches often face an insecure old age because of insufficient pension contributions. Conversely, in large churches, controversy has sometimes arisen over excessive farewell gifts and benefits, the continuing influence of the retired pastor, and hereditary succession in the process of calling a successor.