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For church leaders, is 50 the new 30?
Last year I wrote a post called “The Alexander Syndrome” that’s been coming back to my mind lately.
This was the basic premise: At the age of 30, Alexander looked upon his Kingdom and wept for there were no more worlds to conque. In evangelical folklore, we are constantly inundated with stories of wildly successful churches (read: BIG) with pastors who are almost surprisingly young (late 20′s to early 30′s). These stories have slowly seeped there way into the subconscious of many young pastors and there is an unspoken pressure that says, “by the time you’re 30, you need to have done something ridiculously significant and made your mark on the world.” This leads to a frenetic, stressed way of living for many of these pastors who find themselves not measuring up and constantly ”behind” the curve (at least in their minds).
But here’s what I’ve been thinking about lately.
What if the most fruitful ministry years are really supposed to be when you’re between the ages of 50-70?
For quite some time there has been a paradigm that has said a senior leader’s most significant time of ministry would be between the ages of 35-45. Why? Because in a traditional church setting, the senior leader’s most important contribution is the teaching they give on Sunday. Furthermore, within this model, a speaker can usually attract people who are 10 years older and years younger. The ages of 35-45 would mean you’re attracting people who are newly married (pre-kids) all the way to empty nesters whose kids have just gone to college. That means you get couples from their 20′s to their late 50′s AND all of their kids.
At least that’s the thought.
But clearly the contents of my blog have always been far more concerned with movements. I don’t have anything against traditional church models, per se, but simply to say that I see the call of the Kingdom to be far more movemental in its’ properties than institutional in nature.
Now I’ve had the opportunity to study sustainable, meaningful movements. I’ve also had the opportunity to work alongside someone who is leading one.
And here is my contention: You simply couldn’t lead a meaningful Kingdom movement before the age of 50. You could maybe start one and plant seeds for it. But in terms of leading one, growing one, sustaining one…I wonder if you have to be 50 and older.
Why?
Because the accrued wisdom needed to lead a Kingdom movement is simply not possible for someone who is younger. For instance, the early church didn’t really begin to take on movemental properties, at least in my opinion, until Paul is training and sending out team beginning in Acts 19 in Ephesus. At that point in his life, Paul is probably well over 50.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t necessarily have to do with IQ and smarts and charismatic gifting. It comes with the wisdom of trying at something for more than 30 years and all the failure that this entails. We may love the stories of wild success that seemingly find overnight at a young age, but these things aren’t reproducible.
I’m starting to find certain things incredibly reproducible and every day my ability to do them grows…even in the midst of failure. I expect that will lead to a lot of gained wisdom in the next 20 years, right?
For me, I find this liberating. No longer is the pressure there to perform, achieve and prove by the eve of my 31st birthday. What it does is allow me to simply listen to what God is asking me to do and to constantly reflect on what I’m learning as I respond to what he’s saying…in both success and failure. Knowing that the more experience and reflection I have, the more capacity I have to lead something truly movemental in the future.
This isn’t me trying to skirt responsibility, but to process the nature of human development and growth as I’m observing things around me.
I wonder if that makes sense? What say you, faithful readers?
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9 Responses to For church leaders, is 50 the new 30?
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Doug
thanks for your blog.
St. Patrick has his dream to launch him into missionary work in Ireland at age 48. Way past his prime in 432 when he lands with his team in Ireland.
Maybe all the struggles and failures are a necessary part of ministry, like a prophetic embodiment of the Cross?
But American christianity in all it forms rejects failure. Of course, their definition of failure is tied up with our preoccupation with success.
Thanks Doug- very encouraging!
I heard that Moses was 40 when he left Egypt and started his life as a shepherd in the far side of nowhere and then 80 when he was called at the burning bush. Now that’s a big between times before his life calling reaches fulfillment
I’ve always felt like I was going to hit my stride when I turn 50. Maybe that’s more than an intuitive hunch!
Hi Doug. I’m 58 today. I’ve been a pastor for 31 years. My younger years were filled with a lot of frustration because I felt like I had failed to make my “mark” — to completely transform a church, or publish the book that would change the world, or strike out on a whole new path. I can tell you from my experience that I feel as though my ministry is in some ways just starting. I have a sense of freedom to develop in new ways and explore new models of church and ministry that I didn’t when I was younger. I’m also looking forward to retirement when I won’t be as tied to a monthly paycheck to start a whole new phase. I really appreciate your post.
What about things like God purposefully using younger people because of the prophetic nature of obedience? In that - if you’re older, you tend more to experience and go with what you’ve heard and seen. When you’re younger you don’t have this luxury and (should) lean more on God’s word and your relationship with Him in order to push through. Taking into mind Solomon building the temple BECAUSE he was young and inexperienced, Jeremiah, Josiah, Timothy.
Not saying that 50-70 isn’t that special time of seeing a harvest and still being able to sow, but that there’s a certain prophetic edge that younger people have by proxy which can sometimes be necessary for the commencement of ‘movements’ as it were.
Maybe the answer lies more with simply training the church to hear God’s word and build their relationship with Him - than building movements or mega-churches. If we’re all in with God first - then naturally the right people will come at the right time, and there won’t be (as much) pressure or expectation as each knows they have only their particular calling and path to adhere to.
Only for the King
Jx
Liberating thought. Thanks for sharing. Gordon McDonald talks about this phenomenon.
When I was under 30, I would have considered this post the ranting of a man who just didn’t quite “make it.” Now, it sounds like wisdom talking. I’m not 50 yet, but I see that number looming on the horizon. I feel like I am just now hitting my stride in ministry, and feel more comfortable with who I am than ever.
I agree wholeheartedly!
28 yrs prison ministry in 4 institutions. Regular trips to Ethiopia, asked to plant a church at age 65!
Most exciting time of my life!
Fantastic Bob!!