It stands
to reason that a denomination named after its older members would have a lot of
older members. Given that the word presbyter means “elder” we ought not be
surprised to hear that the median age of Presbyterians is 58 and that 39% of
our members are retired [according to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Research
Services.]
For all the
talk about our failure to reach and mobilize young adults — a hobbyhorse I ride
with regularity — many of our congregations have directed their efforts to make
older adult ministry a specialty.
Some have
developed that specialization by default, having lost the critical mass of
children-through-young-adults needed to draw in new faces crowned with anything
other than gray hair. Instead of scolding the empty seats, they have determined
to provide the superior pastoral care, classical worship, thoughtful Bible
study, and high impact mission service opportunities that mobilize and energize
the elders among us.
Given that
most of those booming non-denominational churches are gearing more of their
ministry toward twenty-somethings, and given that the first baby boomer has
filed her Social Security application — with 78 million more to follow over the
next 30 years — a specialization in older adult ministry could generate
membership growth if pursued effectively. In fact, given that our spurts of new
member growth through the past century have often come from middle-to-older
aged believers transferring here in search of a more intellectually stimulating
and theologically nuanced faith than they’ve found elsewhere, the future looks
promising for an upward growth pattern.
That’s all
well and good, but to what end, simply to fill pews with folks looking to
critique the sermon? Simply to collect higher offerings from individuals who
may have accumulated some wealth over their years?
God
forbid!
Many elders
— teaching elders and ruling elders, pastors and bankers, ordained and
unordained (yes, the word can be a title, but it also can be simply an age
designation) — are enjoying a leisurely break from the daily grind that once
drained them. But, some have decided to
treat retirement not as a graduation but a commencement. They are serving on
sessions and presbytery committees, as parish associates and treasurers, in
local mission projects and overseas mission endeavors.
But a
greater wealth, a greater elder wealth, still remains way too untapped.
If one word
goes with elder in the Bible, it’s that characteristic wisdom. And the church,
the Christian church in general, and PC(USA) in particular, is starving for a
lack of it.
Now don’t
tell anybody you heard it in these pages, lest our inbox overflow with
counterarguments, but the young-ers in the church don’t know everything. Most
of them know they don’t. Some of them will admit that fact, but usually only in
the presence of a therapist sworn to confidentiality. The “never let them see
you sweat” mentality belies the self-doubt and skill shortage they know are
limiting them.
And don’t
tell anybody you heard it in these pages, lest our inbox overflow with denials,
but the elders in the church are not stuck in the 1950s. Most can read the
signs of the times, and from their longer view, they can sort what’s really new
— like YouTube — from what’s really a rehash of the old — like teenagers
holding high ideals.
In fact,
now that they’re liberated from maintaining institutions, many love to think
and operate outside the box, even beyond the box. When invited to coach and
mentor, they can affirm good intentions while offering creative alternatives;
they can confirm great proposals while pointing out missing pieces; they can
play the devil’s advocate in the service of the Lord. Their counsel can help
avoid replicating dumb mistakes while facilitating effectiveness in personal
living and Christian mission.
It’s high
time for us to be matchmaking the mentors to those who need them, the coaches
to the team’s front line.
Elders, who
are you mentoring? Who are you coaching?
Young-ers,
who are your counselors?
Church leaders
of all ages, what structures do you have in place to foster such passing of
wisdom from one generation to the next?
Let us
engage!
—JHH