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Retirement – Insights from Scripture

Someone recently said to me; “Now that you are retiring, you can choose to do only what you like doing”. This may be reasonably true of a retiring businessman, but is it true for a past- pastor?

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When I first started giving serious thought to how I would use my time in 2015 and beyond I found it surprisingly difficult (and still do) to decide what it was that would give me ongoing pleasure and purpose. So I thought some more and consulted the scriptures. Three questions emerged that needed to be answered in the following priority order.

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First, “What do you want me to do Lord?” This is a question of ‘calling’. Christian ministers often speak of being called into their particular area of ministry. Whenever an aspirant pastor or preacher approaches me for advice I invariably probe their sense of calling. I don’t believe that anyone should even consider becoming a preacher or a pastor unless they have a deep and confirmed belief that God has called them into that particular ministry. I am sure that this also applies to other types of Christian ministry.

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Now, it is possible that a calling to a particular ministry area is only for a season and that retirement may well mark the end of that phase of Christian endeavour. But even if this is so, we surely need to check back with the one who called us, and earnestly seek His will for the future. Jesus said; “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) and that applies at all times and irrespective of age.

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The second question I needed to ask was; “What is in the best interests of the church?”, and by ‘church’ I mean both local and ‘larger’. Paul wrote that ‘Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her’ (Ephesians 5:25), and later he urged the Ephesian elders to ‘be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood’ (Acts 20:28). The church is IMPORTANT and if I profess to love and serve Jesus, its head, then I must put the interests of the church high on my priority list.

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Now, once we respond to these two questions, the third, ‘what do I want to do?’ issue is a lot easier to deal with. Paul writes in Philippians 2:13 that ‘it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose’. So, I can trust the Holy Spirit to instil in me a will to do what He has called me to do. On the other side of this decision-coin is the wonderful affirmation of Psalm 21:2, which reads, ‘You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips’.

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My understanding of the process is that if I seek first to do what I truly believe God has called me to do, and in doing this attempt to serve the best interests of the church, then I will indeed be aided by the Holy Spirit and will find satisfaction and purpose in my endeavours.

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I hope this three-part series of posts on pastoral retirement has been interesting to most and helpful for some. I will now move on to other matters… watch this space.

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Retirement – the heart of the matter

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For most, if not all men their jobs need them but they also need their jobs, not just for financial benefit but for a sense of worth. When two men meet for the first time what is one of the first questions they ask? “What do you do for a living?” We need to know this so we can place some sort of value on the person we are meeting – is he going to be a useful contact? Is he important? Is it going to be interesting to talk to him? A little sad this, but true nevertheless.

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We generally see our occupations, and more particularly our work titles, as ascribing value to us. Now, when two church pastors meet for the first time, say at a ministers fraternal, the question is a little different. Instead of “what do you do for a living?” the question most frequently asked is “How big is your church?” What a strange question, if you think about it a little: whose church is it anyway, and why does ‘big’ equate to greater value?

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For pastors, our occupation not only provides a sense of personal worth but also of identity. We get so immersed in the life of the local church that its life overlaps with our personal, and even family life. We, as individuals, get blended with and subsumed by the church we serve. So, when pastors retire they have to deal not only with a sense of diminished worth, but with loss of identity. “Who am I? If I am no longer a pastor, then who the hang am I?”

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I have found, to my surprise that the problems associated with retirement are more matters of the heart than of the head. I planned my retirement from the local church payroll two years ago and then attempted to prepare myself, my wife, and the congregations for this ‘event’. All went well until it registered on me that I only had a few months left in full time pastoral employment. At this point my heart decided to rebel against my head. My head said, “It is all right and good and you are being very sensible about everything”, but my heart retorted, “Yes but I feel sad and … unvalued… and I don’t think I know who I am anymore.” Now if you are under 50 years old you are probably shaking your head slightly from side to side; but if you are over 65 the likelihood is that you are shaking your head up and down – right?

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Little things become, well, not so little. You have to throw away your calling cards and rubber stamps, change your Facebook profile, email signature, details on the church bulletin and website, and so on. All of these little actions bring back the question of identity. Of course, for a Christian this is all very silly – we know that our identity is in Christ Jesus, and that our worth lies in His appreciation for us … but the dilly heart just doesn’t quite get this.

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Now, people are asking me a different question; “What are you going to do now that you are retiring?” I wonder what sort of answer they expect. “Well, I plan to sit on my couch in my vest and underpants watching TV for endless hours.” My wife dearly hopes that I will take up landscape painting, bridge, and gardening, but in reality a retiring church minister has no end of things he can do – my list includes some 16 writing projects, playing guitar in a worship group, itinerant preaching, and so on. The problem is not what to do but who will do it, and will he feel like doing it? “Who are you and what have you done with Christopher?”

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This post might seem a little ‘blue’ but next week I will write about some spiritual insights I have received concerning the retirement process. If you find these ruminations interesting then please comment so I know – otherwise I will leave this topic now and move on to something else.

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Retirement, shmirement

Longer ago than I care to contemplate, the late Bishop Bill Burnett and I shared the leadership of a yearly conference called ‘Fan the Flame’ held at Carmel by the Sea, Victoria Bay. He handled the teaching and I led the worship. The next item on the calendar of their conferences was something like ‘Preparing for retirement’. I was in my thirties at the time but Bishop Bill had in fact already retired and could well have stayed on and taught at that conference as well. Now I am within days of retiring and my mind keeps playing with the question; ‘What does retirement mean for a full-time Christian minister?’ Let me share some of my thoughts with you.

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I have often heard it expressed that a minister should never really retire, but should persevere until he dies in glory in the pulpit, as it were. Perhaps some especially blessed individuals could do this, but I doubt that this is usually in the best interest of the church. Even the most Spirit-filled church leaders tend to get ridged and even narrow in their old age. Others find it near impossible to let younger leaders get on with the sacred task of guiding the church and, despite their great love for the family of God, they sometimes end up bringing disunity and even death to their congregations. On the other hand, seasoned ministers have learned a lot, experienced a lot, and learned a lot (O dear have I said that already?) Did I mention that elderly ministers tend to forget what they have done and said, especially the not so flattering aspects.

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I have also heard the claim that the Bible makes no mention of retirement, so why do we entertain such an unscriptural concept? The New Testament contains no direct teachings regarding ministerial retirement. Not surprising: The Lord Jesus died at about 33 years of age, the Apostles were young men, and the Acts account spans just forty years. However, the Old Testament does contain an account that contains some interesting insights into the subject. Judges chapter eight, from verse 22, is the record of Gideon’s retirement, and it seems that he set up a religious idol in his hometown that resulted in the rapid decline of the nation. It appears to be a story of retirement with strings attached. Hmmmm.

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The real issue that immerged during my deliberations is that the decision when and how to retire needs to be an honest response to the question; ‘What is in the best interests of the local church?’ When a senior minister retires from full time service he lifts a substantial financial weight from the church. With the funds released, the new leaders are able to employ others, fund outreaches, and so on. Handled well, this benefit to the church need not mean a loss of expertise, experience and knowledge. The retiring minister can offer sage advice (when asked, of course), preach (when requested) and fill in ministry holes across a wide range of church tasks. I have made myself available to preach and teach but I am also brushing up on my musical skills so that I can be available to our worship leaders. If needed, I could handle some of the counselling load that often crushes younger ministers. I intend to write academic and ministry related articles, continue blogging, and working with the faculty of the South African Theological Seminary.

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It’s not quite as simple as all this though; unfortunately retirement is not just a matter of the mind, but also of the heart. This where it gets very tricky, but I will write about this in a subsequent post.

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An exception that proves the rule

“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings”. Hosea 6:6

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When Zelda and her husband first attended our services I thought that they were potential trouble. They seemed so focused on what was happening that it was as if they were evaluating and even judging us. I was wrong. They soon revealed themselves as lovely people devoted to Jesus and eagerly seeking a church home in our area. When their first child was born I had the joyful task of blessing her as part of a Sunday service. While the parents were still up front with their baby daughter an elderly lady stood up and prophesied over the child. I can’t remember exactly what she said but it was about how God loved this child and that she would worship Him from a young age.

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Sometime later the little family set off with Zelda’s parents for a holiday in the Cape. She was now pregnant with her second daughter. After her husband Hilton had completed the Argus cycle race they left to return to Johannesburg. Before getting into the car some hours before dawn they joined hands and prayed for safety and ‘traveling mercies’.

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Dawn was breaking by the time they approached Bloemfontein and they were in good spirits. Suddenly, for reasons still not known, Hilton lost control of the car and they had a terrible accident. Both he and Zelda’s mother were killed on impact.

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A long hall truck driver was approaching them on his way to Johannesburg and he stopped and helped them. A doctor, travelling in the opposite direction also stopped and drove Zelda, her father and her baby daughter to the nearest hospital. The child had sustained severe injuries and died in her arms on route. Her father’s limbs were broken in several places but miraculously Zelda came through the terrible experience with hardly a scratch, and her unborn child was unharmed.

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As a church community we were stunned. How could this have happened?! Had words of hope and blessing not been spoken over this precious child, and now she was dead?! Had the family not prayed for protection before they set off on that terrible trip?!

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As the details of that traumatic morning started to emerge it became clear that God had not abandoned that little family. Not only had a doctor been driving by when it happened but a local pastor had rushed to their aid and taken special care of them. Our young mother had received a peace that definitely passed all understanding, a grace that enabled her to live through those early hours and days with faith and supernatural calm.

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In the weeks following the accident her husband’s best friend Robbie took a special interest in her and became a strong arm that she could depend on. He too was a disciple of the Lord Jesus but his life was pretty messed up. He was dealing with substance dependence, anger issues and financial problems. He was her physical support and she became his haven of peace and faith. It didn’t take long for their relationship to develop into genuine love.

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They came to see me one day to tell me that he had moved into her house. They were determined that they wanted to be good witnesses and bring glory to God but they were adamant that they desperately needed to be together at that time. She was having terrible flash-backs of the accident and would wake up at night in great distress. He needed to be there for her and he also needed her strength of character and faith to get through his own ‘dark night’. They said that they understood that, as their pastor, I would not approve of them staying together, but would I please have compassion and not shun them in any way. They needed Jesus, they needed each other, and they needed the church family. They stated their intention to get married when they felt that their lives were more stable and their emotional wounds healed. I believed them. I assured them that not only would I not shun them but would stand with them and explain, to anyone who enquired, that they had my blessing. Foolish by conventional church standards? Perhaps it was, but I had a deep sense that this is what Jesus would do.

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A month later her child was born, and they were married soon after. I had the privilege of officiating at their marriage ceremony at their home. Shortly after this they moved down to the coast and soon had another daughter of their own. It is now 22 years later and they are still happily married and serving God. For years now they have been running a house church from their home. Together they pastor a couple of dozen believers. Their daughters have grown into beautiful young women who love Jesus and their parents.

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Did I do the right thing in sanctioning and defending their ‘cohabitation’? She told me some time later that she doesn’t know how she would have survived if she had been confronted with a choice between her church family and the support of her friend, and now husband. Would I do it again? Yes. Some will quote scripture at me, although strangely enough no one did at that time. I am still full of admiration for their commitment to each other, to the Lord Jesus, and to the spirit and intent of His written Word.

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I guess that grace is the exception that proves the rule.

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Names used with permission

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The night I appeared on TV … but didn’t

 

Over the years of ministry I have witnessed many wonderfully supernatural ‘things’, but the story I will now tell you has to be right up near the top of my list. It is about a dear lady who has been part of our church family for a long time now, but it’s not just about her, it’s about God’s incredible love. I use the word ‘incredible’ because what happens defies common sense and stretches our view of how the world works. I have used her real name, with her permission, because I want those of you who know her to be able to verify the accuracy of this story.

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I was at home alone when the phone rang and a lady introduced herself as Anne Brown. Her voice was quiet and lifeless as she told me of how her husband had left her. A few minutes before he had walked out the door leaving her and their children broken and lost. So please would I come over at once and pray for her. I had no recollection of her being a regular visitor to our church services but my heart went out to her. However, there was a problem; my wife Pat was out at that time and I was not prepared to visit a woman, let alone a distraught woman, alone. I explained this to Anne but before I could tell her that we would come to her just as soon as Pat returned she said; “Well if it’s too much trouble then don’t worry”…. and she put the phone down! I was devastated. I had no idea how to contact her. What would I do? Just then Pat came home and I explained what had happened. Then I did something totally irrational. I picked up the phonebook and opened it to the start of the section listing all the Brown’s. Do you know how many Brown’s there are in the Johannesburg telephone directory?! I knew her first name was Anne but I assumed that the number would be listed under her husband’s initials. I prayed with simple faith; “Please Lord, show me which number to dial” and let my finger move down the long list of names. I don’t know why it stopped where it did, but I picked up the phone and dialled the number it indicated. Anne answered!

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She gave me her address and Pat and I went to visit. She told a heart-breaking story of her upbringing, marriage, and abandonment. When she had finished, and before we prayed together, I asked; “How come you phoned me in particular Anne?” She immediately explained that she didn’t know any pastors in the area but had seen me on television when they broadcast our evening service just a few days ago. I was lost for words. At that stage we did not have an evening service, none of our services had been filmed, and I had never been on national television!

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Isn’t God amazing!? I cannot even begin to imagine how He pulled it off! Anne soon joined our church family and is to this day a loved and involved member. A few years ago I asked her to think back and tell me honestly if she could have been mistaken. But no, it was all true – it happened just as she had said it did. What is impossible for us is well within God’s ability… after all, He is… God.

 

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About Me

My name is Christopher Peppler and I was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1947. While working in the financial sector I achieved a number of business qualifications from the Institute of Bankers, Damelin Management School, and The University of the Witwatersrand Business School. After over 20 years as a banker, I followed God’s calling and joined the ministry full time. After becoming a pastor of what is now a quite considerable church, I  earned an undergraduate theological qualification from the Baptist Theological College of Southern Africa and post-graduate degrees from two United States institutions. I was also awarded the Doctor of Theology in Systematic Theology from the University of Zululand in 2000.

Four years before that I established the South African Theological Seminary (SATS), which today is represented in over 70 countries and has more than 2 500 active students enrolled with it. I presently play an role supervising Masters and Doctoral students.

I am a passionate champion of the Christocentric or Christ-centred Principle, an approach to biblical interpretation and theological construction that emphasises the centrality of Jesus

I have been happily married to Patricia since the age of 20, have two children, Lance and Karen, a daughter-in-law Tracey, and granddaughters Jessica and Kirsten. I have now retired from both church and seminary leadership and devote my time to writing, discipling, and the classical guitar.

If you would like to read my testimony to Jesus then click HERE.