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Committee calls for change in
mandatory retirement age
April 7, 2003
News media contact: Kathy Gilbert· (615)742-5470·
Nashville, Tenn.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) – Calling forced
retirement at age 70 "antiquated and ageist," the United Methodist
Committee on Older Adult Ministries finalized proposed legislation
that will relax the rules on mandatory retirement for lay employees,
pastors and bishops of the church.
Meeting March 25-27, the committee forwarded the
resolutions to the churchwide Board of Discipleship for submission
to the 2004 General Conference. The top assembly of the church meets
every four years and will gather in Pittsburgh.
"God does not take away God’s blessing, including
opportunity to serve in full capacity, simply because someone has
reached the age of 70 years or older," the resolutions state.
The action involves amending or changing
paragraphs 714.3; 356.1; 430.1 and 409.1 in the 2000 Book of
Discipline, the church’s law book.
"The committee is concerned about ageism in the
church," said the Rev. Richard Gentzler Jr., director of the Center
on Aging and Older Adult Ministries at the Board of Discipleship in
Nashville.
"Chronological age should not be the determining
factor for removing people from their positions," he said.
The wisdom of age is often overlooked, said David
Maldonado Jr., president of Iliff School of Theology in Denver. He
was invited to speak to the committee about theological education as
it relates to aging and ministry with older adults in United
Methodist-related seminaries.
"In theological education, the assumption is often
that pastoral care equals problems, having to take care of the
aging. Aging is part of God’s creation; it is not a condemnation,"
he said.
Committee members are concerned about training
pastoral candidates to care for and minister to older adults. The
members discussed the idea of hosting a symposium that would bring
together seminary professors and those working in older adult
ministries to develop course work for seminaries.
In other action, the committee:
Proposed and forwarded to the United Methodist
Board of Church and Society a resolution titled, "Deficit Spending
and the Elderly," protesting such spending to finance foreign
conflicts.
Voted to contact all general board and agency
heads to evaluate compliance with a General Conference call to
examine pension policies.
Endorsed creation of a chair of gerontology at
Africa University, a church-related school in Zimbabwe.
Discussed creating a general church award for
each annual conference to use in recognizing an individual or
congregation doing extraordinary ministry with older adults.
Approved a June 30 deadline for sending in
applications for grants for older adult ministry programs. The
committee will review and award the grants at its Aug. 15-17
meeting.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) – Calling forced retirement at
age 70 "antiquated and ageist," the United Methodist Committee on Older
Adult Ministries finalized proposed legislation that will relax the
rules on mandatory retirement for lay employees, pastors and bishops of
the church.
Meeting March 25-27, the committee forwarded the
resolutions to the church wide Board of Discipleship for submission to
the 2004 General Conference. The top assembly of the church meets every
four years and will gather in Pittsburgh.
"God does not take away God’s blessing, including
opportunity to serve in full capacity, simply because someone has
reached the age of 70 years or older," the resolutions state.
The action involves amending or changing paragraphs
714.3; 356.1; 430.1 and 409.1 in the 2000 Book of Discipline, the
church’s law book.
"The committee is concerned about ageism in the
church," said the Rev. Richard Gentzler Jr., director of the Center on
Aging and Older Adult Ministries at the Board of Discipleship in
Nashville.
"Chronological age should not be the determining
factor for removing people from their positions," he said.
The wisdom of age is often overlooked, said David
Maldonado Jr., president of Iliff School of Theology in Denver. He was
invited to speak to the committee about theological education as it
relates to aging and ministry with older adults in United
Methodist-related seminaries.
"In theological education, the assumption is often
that pastoral care equals problems, having to take care of the aging.
Aging is part of God’s creation; it is not a condemnation," he said.
Committee members are concerned about training
pastoral candidates to care for and minister to older adults. The
members discussed the idea of hosting a symposium that would bring
together seminary professors and those working in older adult ministries
to develop course work for seminaries.
In other action, the committee:
Proposed and forwarded to the United Methodist
Board of Church and Society a resolution titled, "Deficit Spending and
the Elderly," protesting such spending to finance foreign conflicts.
Voted to contact all general board and agency heads
to evaluate compliance with a General Conference call to examine
pension policies.
Endorsed creation of a chair of gerontology at
Africa University, a church-related school in Zimbabwe.
Discussed creating a general church award for each
annual conference to use in recognizing an individual or congregation
doing extraordinary ministry with older adults.
Approved a June 30 deadline for sending in
applications for grants for older adult ministry programs. The
committee will review and award the grants at its Aug. 15-17 meeting.
