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Cojak

Preachers, Pay attention to your elders in the ministry who retired.

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **2/9/16 7:29 pm**

And you can learn something.
I am a slow learner but I learn. My dad was a pastor, his thrust was always the youth and pushing for YOUTH in his church. He laughed, it keeps me young.
But dad got old, he reached his 60's and thought he was supposed to retire. Two weeks after my dad retired, he was miserable. He had no hobbies, his life was HIS church. He was lost.

SA Lankford was a wonderful minister, he also retired. He was one of the happiest men I ever met in retirement. He knew he wanted to travel and preach in small churches thru out America, he did. My wife and I traveled with him from Florida to Alaska. What a blessing.

What I am 'suggesting' is that you as a minister, pay attention to your age. You will be old before you know it. Please for your own peace of mind, be prepared for retirement or DO NOT RETIRE, have a plan.

I am glad to know that in retirement Carl Hart has filled in in several pulpits awaiting pastors. Bro Powers (of Inverness, FL fame) is a blessing to a Florida church as an 'assistant pastor'.

Not every retired pastor can count on that, so be prepared. Have a past-time, golf (if you can afford it), fishing is good, painting, writing, hiking is good, travel is great but very expensive without an RV. Even with an RV it is expensive anymore.

Just a thought from someone who is experienced in life. I ask you to look at your friends who have retired, are they happy? Why not?

Love you guys, this is from a guy who follows spring, and loves people. Smile

_________________
Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
jacsher@aol.com
http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/

Cojak

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **2/9/16 9:19 pm**

Take the word of experience, I have retired three times. Very Happy

You are going to be surprised how fast you reach 65! Shocked

_________________
Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
jacsher@aol.com
http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/

c6thplayer1

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6385 **2/9/16 9:58 pm**

I retired 8 years ago at 57. I got a great package so I could take early retirement. I love it !

Cojak

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **2/9/16 10:05 pm**

Old Time Country Preacher

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15570 **2/9/16 10:08 pm**

Cojak

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **2/9/16 10:24 pm**

With those years of retirement under his belt, he is a happy retiree.
It is a miserable life to 'hate' retirement, many folk do. Sad

I have about 20 years on my last retirement, I still enjoy it. Smile

_________________
Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
jacsher@aol.com
http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/

Da Sheik

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **2/9/16 10:50 pm**

Words of wisdom. I would also add that young ministers need to make wise financial decisions with that in mind also. It breaks my heart to see my peers approaching retirement with little or nothing to fall back on.

Cojak is right. One day you will wake up and wonder how in the heck you became an old man. I remember many years ago my grandfather was approaching the century mark. I asked him how it felt to be "old". He said "son I feel just like you do on the inside, I just can't do the things I used to on the outside ".

Cojak

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **2/10/16 10:43 pm**

Preacher777

EXCELLENT ADVICE!

Friendly Face Posts: 434 **2/11/16 1:39 pm**

I was amazed when I saw Cojak's post here because for some time I have been wanting to PM him (you) for advice as a senior minister-Christian. I am in an extremely busy season but it has been on my "to do" list.
I mentioned Cojak because he and others show natural and spiritual maturity through their posts. My greatest help throughout my ministry life comes from elders in the ministry, usually beyond the 60 year-old bracket and seriously up to age 102! I spoke with a 102 year-old Pentecostal woman about 20 years ago who spoke for 20 minutes. She planted multiple churches from tent revivals back in the day.

Yes, I am fully aware methods change, am very far out of the box and if it isn't sin, illegal, immoral or unethical I am open to it. However, I prefer to receive from tried and tested men and women of God who paid the price, walked uprightly and have a track record of pleasing God rather than man. I could drop some names but many of the people I received from are unknown to man but well known to God.

Please learn the value of taking an elderly person (I am always in pursuit of the oldest Pentecostals I can find) to breakfast, lunch or if in a nursing home visit them. If they have a sound mind learn and if mentally faded out be a blessing to a well deserving saint. Over the years I have seen so much talk among pastors who are intrigued with the latest young self-promotional pastor/evangelist who knows how to rile up or gather a crowd. Lately I am about ready to say, "Enjoy the book while he/she is at the top because a fee fall is coming to those who promote themselves." I cannot tell you how many times I was accused of being critical of a brother when I mentioned, "I pray God forgives me if I am wrong but my spirit doesn't bear witness with this person and their methods you keep talking about." I do learn from teens, young and middle age adults by spending time with them and asking questions.

I am not just talking about learning from ministers either. Our culture in America is so ego-centric as to thinking we know everything. Over the years I traveled as a missionary/evangelist in the States and overseas. Many cultures haven't followed the American churches way of imitating the world and business by promoting and following the young good looking faces. I still remember getting off of a plane and being met by the National pastor who greeted me with, "Now you will have more influence here since you lost a lot of hair and are going bald since your last ministry trip." Oh the great wisdom I learned when seeking out the oldest person in the village and relaxing with that coffee/tea time. One not only learns spiritually from the elderly Christians but I also learned much about ministry/culture overseas from the unsaved elders that couldn't be taught in missions training classes.

Please consider reading what the Bible has to say about elders, maybe setting a book aside sometime and spending that time with a proven hero of the faith. I am much more blessed and impressed with somebody who maybe wasn't wise and left themselves broke at an old age yet planted churches with sinners who repented than a smooth talking young minister who knows how to please people. If one is truly committed to reaching the lost, discipling mature believers, being humble finishing our race doesn't it make sense to learn from those who have done it?