Did the 2000 General Conference pass a law making it manadatory for pastors to retire at the age of 75?

-- Anonymous, July 18, 2000

Answers

Yes, Effective 2004

-- Anonymous, July 20, 2000

I think this is a wonderful thing. all my life i have seen pastors stay pastoring beyond retirement age a nd they lose the punch in most cases and they do nothing towards church activities oe growth. I think that as large a church as the ame church we couild pool our resources and develope strong 401k's and other retirment packages so that if cash flow is the reason that would not be so. i also think that 75 is too old. I have been and Elder for soem time now and I do not push my way through the system of this AME church. I have sat back and seen so many times we use the wrong folk for programs and sending all the way across the world for a speaker. And I have wondered about this political maddness. And, Since I have been a Reverend, I have not gotten voted as a delegate to the general conference but I make it my business to go every four years and I pay my total way. Because I care and I can talk to folks voting. It is so funny how we make a big deal about some stuff. I think this was a wiser choice but, we have fallen so far behind from where we came.

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2000

As recommended by Convocation IV, the retirement age of 75 was passed.

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2000

I had heard about the "suggestion", but had not heard that it had passed.

I think the church will rue the day that this really becomes effective. Effectiveness should be the yardstick by which service is measured. We had one pastor in our area (Columbus District of the "Terrific Third" who filled his role with effectiveness until his illness and subsequent death at age 94! ... and the congregation and others LOVED him - Pastor A. C. Brogdon.

But a larger question looms - where are we going to get the pastors to fill the pulpits of those who are forced to retire? We can't even staff all the pulpits NOW!

I wonder - how many active pastors do we have who are 75 or over? Will this rule be "grandfathered" to exclude those currently 75 or older?

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2000