CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Once a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) retires, that pastor will be advised to transfer her or his membership to a different congregation of the ELCA than the one being served at the time of retirement. That's according to guidelines the ELCA Church Council approved Nov. 13.
The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between meetings of the ELCA's Churchwide Assembly. The council is meeting here Nov. 13-16. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is August 16-22 in Denver.
The ELCA's Division for Ministry drafted the guidelines, which state that retired pastors "are not only to be honored for their past service = but are seen as important resources for ministry within the life of this church."
Ordained ministers of the ELCA may retire at age 60 or after 30 years as a Lutheran pastor. A retired minister remains a pastor of the ELCA, = but the guidelines make it very clear that the pastor is entering into a new relationship with the larger church.
"At the time of retirement a pastor is no longer pastor of a congregation and therefore must discontinue the functions of the pastoral office in the congregation unless specifically authorized to do so," say the guidelines.
Responding to a question from the Church Council about possible discipline for a retired pastor who failed to follow the guidelines, the Rev. Joseph M. Wagner, executive director of the ELCA Division for Ministry, said, "Common sense needs to prevail." He added, "These are friendly guidelines."
"One area of potential service for the retired pastor is interim ministry," the guidelines suggest. "Many retired pastors provide valuable and needed ministry to congregations in time of transition following the resignation of a pastor."
The guidelines describe how a retired pastor's continuing service to the church will be compensated, given that ELCA pastors are eligible for pension benefits. The guidelines also outline the retired pastor's relationship with his or her bishop.
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
