Clergy Retirement (Death, Value, and Meaning)

In Clergy Retirement: Every Ending a New Beginning for Clergy, Their Families, and Congregants, retirement is likened to a death experience, but much more. Besides saying goodbye to congregants, colleagues, and a career, it is equally important, as in any other loss, to take time to grieve aernd then to discover new meaning in life through which to reinvent oneself and grow to new heights. This book is a manual for transition into a new world as one approaches retirement. It not only encourages the retiree to think through the process of making new meaning, but offers practical suggestions of how to do so. IN PRAISE Warning! Do not wait until retirement to read this indispensable book. At last, this is the groundbreaking volume that will offer understanding and support to those transitioning from the active ministry. Assembled are contributions from experts offering unique recommendations for complex problems that may arise. Thoroughly researched, with compelling wisdom and guidance, this is a book to be read and reread years before retirement, not only by the clergy but by their families as well. My only regret--I wish I had discovered it before I retired. -- Rabbi Earl A. Grollman, D.H.L., D.D. Author, Living When A Loved One Has Died Coauthors Rabbi Daniel Roberts and Michael Freidman look at the many dimensions of retirement and aging: the purposes and concerns, the struggles and surprises, the potential and joys. The book reflects on the temptation to isolate oneself from the changes taking place and on the need to stay involved. It talks about the fear of tomorrow and the mystery of forever--and how to cope with it all. It is a panoply of the central issues that emerge with retirement and aging to bring us to the fullness of life, to make us new again. -- The Most Reverend Anthony M. Pilla Bishop Emeritus of Cleveland Dan Roberts and Michael Freidman have written something that should be read and considered by every member of the clergy in every faith tradition, as well as by the lay leaders that work alongside them. The transition from a long career in ministry to the ranks of the retired is unsettling at best and, for some, is a cause for despair and even depression. For the clergy, the questions might be: Who am I now that my career is effectively over? How do I relate to my former congregation, and they to me, now that I am no longer the spiritual leader? How do I spend my time now that I have no full-time responsibilities at the synagogue, the church, or the mosque? For lay leaders, trustees or deacons, the question is: How does the retirement of the clergy leader affect the role of lay leadership, both in saying farewell to the retiring rabbi, pastor, or imam and in aiding in the selection and welcome of his or her replacement? All of these questions and many more are helpfully addressed in this timely book. I recommend it not only to those clergy that are already retired but also to those still working that are worrying and wondering what will happen when retirement brings their ministry to an end. -- Rev. Marvin A. McMickle, Ph.D. President, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School Rochester, New York