Posted on September 16, 2025 by Rev. David Gunderson, tLMFT
Church Worker Wellness
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“Retirement is Great!” Those words were spoken to me by a retired pastor, (Rev. George Baumgartner) when I first arrived at St. John’s Lutheran in Yankton, South Dakota. It was my second parish and I was 34 years old. The thought of retirement wasn’t even on my mind.
But, as the years went by, I continued to remember George’s words, and now, that I am retired from full-time parish ministry, I can join George in saying, “Retirement is great!” However, I would add this warning, “Retirement is great, if you are ready for it!”
Retirement is a new chapter in life. It can be challenging, especially for professional church workers. When considering retiring, a church worker needs to plan ahead and recognize life will be different, but by God’s grace it can be amazing!
To get ready for retirement consider the following five areas:
There are many resources for financial guidance for those planning to retire. Contact the people in charge of your pension, meet with a financial planner, or visit with a local banker for guidance. Check in with social security to see at what age is best for you to retire. Visit with church worker retirees and learn from their experiences. If you are in the Concordia Plans system, they have excellent resources to help you plan. Warning: Don’t wait until you qualify for AARP (age 50).
Begin making plans now, even if you just started in the ministry.
In the book of Numbers, God gives the command that a Levite should be twenty-five years and by age fifty they must be retired from regular service work in the temple [1]. Today’s church workers usually don’t consider retiring at 50 years of age, but health issues may force some pastors and church workers to seek retirement or disability earlier than expected. If one’s health is good, then one may want to work longer than the average age for retirement which currently is 62 years old.
One of the biggest challenges for anyone retiring is losing how one is viewed by others. One day we are in front of the congregation leading the worship and the next day we are “emeritus”. We are no longer in front of the others, and for many this is tough to handle. In our world, people link their life to their career or work. For example, we meet someone and we ask, “What do you do?”. Church workers might answer with, “I’m a pastor, a DCE, a deaconess.” But, once retired, what’s the answer?
As Christians our identity is in Christ and not in our job! When the Holy Spirit called us to be members of God’s kingdom, He called us to be children of the heavenly Father. As members of God’s kingdom, we serve our Lord in a variety of roles or vocations. Our work is a blessing from God and a way we can serve God and others, but it is not who we are. We are children of the heavenly Father, and that doesn’t change at retirement.
In life we served in different roles or vocations. In retirement, the time we spent at our jobs can now be spent on some of our other vocations like being a spouse, a parent, a sibling, a grandparent, a neighbor, a friend, a mentor, and the list can go on and on.
Consider this: Most church workers average 3-4 weeks of vacation, but they seldom had weekends off. Many church members get normal weekends but not the church worker. In retirement, a church worker’s life becomes more “normal”. One now has the time to travel and see the grandchildren’s baseball games, dance competitions, or school events. One now has time to pursue volunteer opportunities, or go back to school, or maybe pick up a part time job.
Retirement means the church worker can actually sit in the pew and worship with their spouse. (Warning: This can be a big adjustment for both spouses, since the spouse often sat alone for years and the church worker was upfront. But, what a joy to worship with one’s family!)
With retirement comes time to explore a new future, but there will be times when one will reflect on one’s past. For church workers this can include joys and regrets from one’s ministry. Concerning past regrets, one needs to remember that through Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection we are forgiven for all our sins, mistakes and errors. Instead of dwelling on the mistakes of our past, we can rejoice in the joys of our ministry, and how God worked through us to touch the lives of others with the Gospel message.
As church workers, one should take time to spend in prayer and study of God’s word for one’s personal growth. While many church workers spend time studying God’s word to teach others, this is done to gain information. A devotional life can be dedicated to spending time in God’s word for “transformation” not information. Being retired hopefully gives one more time to spend in God’s word and in prayer.
Retirement is Great! God’s word teaches us,
“What does one really get from hard work? I have thought about this in connection with all the various kinds of work God has given to mankind. Everything is appropriate in its own time. But though God has planted eternity in the hearts of men, even so, many cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. So I conclude that, first, there is nothing better for a man than to be happy and to enjoy himself as long as he can; and second, that he should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of his labors, for these are gifts from God” (Ecclesiastes 3:9-13).
Retirement is not lying around and doing nothing. Retirement is great because we continue to serve the Lord, but without punching a time clock.
Please reflect on these five areas if you are considering retirement. Remember, however, these five points are important regardless of what stage of life you are currently living. If you are just starting out or have been in the ministry for many years, take time to reflect on these areas for your own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual welfare.
To help you in reviewing these areas of your life, consider visiting with a representative from Lutheran Family Service who is trained in helping others.
God’s Peace in Christ!
David Gunderson, LMFT Intern
[email protected]
[1] “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting, but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites” (Numbers 8:24-26).
Our church needs healthy workers. Lutheran Family Service knows the importance of proactive wellness and encourages church workers to prioritize mental health just as much as physical health. We have years of experience serving church workers in LCMS congregations and schools. If your congregation, yourself, or a church worker you know would benefit from the support of Lutheran Family Service, refer to or contact us today.
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