AGEISM : POLICY AND PRACTICE
Ageism is the term coined in 1969 by US gerontologist Robert N. Butler to describe discrimination against seniors and patterned on sexism and racism. In 1972 Maggie Kuhn, at the last minute, had to fill in for a friend and address the 181st General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church. From that speech the Gray Panthers was born to create a nation that put people over profit, especially for older adults. In 1967 the Age Discrimination in Employment Act established protection for those aged forty and above. In spite of these efforts to stop the practice of age discrimination in employment, the practice is alive and strongly entrenched within the American society. More often ageism can be observed in the secular world, but age discrimination is practiced widely within the church.
When church professionals, ordained ministers and Directors of Christian Education, reach the magic age of older adulthood Search Committees overlook these experienced persons because they are "too old to attract young people." Although these committees agree to follow the Equal Employment Opportunity Guidelines of the denomination and give equal opportunity to all candidates without considering race, sex, and age, they practice discrimination. This agreement is a mere formality which in reality is not practiced by most congregations. The current practice is to hire the youngest possible person to fill the position "to bring in the younger crowd." The wisdom and experience of age no longer counts in churches. If checked, many of the heads of staffs are thirty to forty something ministers.
The practice of ageism is subtle in the church. Committees can affirm they check out older persons, but they "did not meet their qualifications." One of the qualifications is younger person. Letters of rejection may be simple or flowery, but they all indicate that the rejected person did not meet their qualifications. It appears to be legal, but in effect their guidelines established certain candidates as illegal because of their age.
How does the denomination that espouses equal opportunity for all condone this practice? Anyone who looks at the Personal Information Form (PIF), which must be completed in order to look for employment, can easily find the reason for this discrimination. In many of the sections the person is asked to supply dates - dates of education, dates of employment, date of ordination, dates of service to the church. It does not take much for someone to figure out a person's approximate age by the use of these dates. Because of separation of church and state, the EEO has no effective power for the church. Therefore, it is legal to discriminate. Committees on Ministry rarely do anything which prohibits this practice of discrimination.
Through the practice of a standardized form we continue to entrench the reality of age discrimination within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). These forms must be changed in order to remove any information which will give Search Committees information on a person's age. Committees on Ministry must become more aggressive in its condemnation of any discrimination.
In Unchurched Gabe Loyns and David Kinnaman present reasons the twenty and thirty somethings are not part of the church. One of the reasons presented is a church that says one thing and practices another. Is the church saying one thing and doing another in its Equal Employment Opportunity practices. The PC(USA) in its Book of Order indicates that discrimination is not to be practiced. There are statements that EEO should be implemented in each governing body of the church (G-9.0104 e, G-11.0502 g, G-12.0102 d, G-13.0201 b, G-14.0502 a). General Assembly has issued "guidelines" for governing bodies. In the very use of the term "guidelines" the implication is that it is not necessary, just suggested. There are no teeth to deal with those who practice discrimination. If the denomination does not really mean what it says, then the practice of EEO should be removed from the book that governs us. If we truly believe that EEO is an essential practice for the church, then a method of enforcement with penalties should be developed.
Ageism is going to be a growing problem within the church. The beginning of the baby boomer generation who will have to work until 66 to retire will be just the beginning of a growing older adult population, not only in society but within the church. Eventually when pastors will have to work to 70, what will the church do about ageism if we continue to tie retirement to social security?
Sam Hobson
Interim Pastor, Huntsville, AL
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Hurst, Texas
