Ministry with the Elderly: Training Needs of Clergy

Abstract

One of the significant groups of people that every pastor needs to be able to engage through ministry is the elderly. While older persons constitute eleven percent of our society, they often make up a much larger portion of our congregations. Their needs vary as widely as their numbers. Some seniors are important participants in the power structure of the church; others seem to prefer to be left alone. While some of the older members of the church invest numerous volunteer hours, others seem to have insatiable needs. This diversity presents a significant challenge to those persons engaged in educating women and men for ministry. However, the critical question is, given the fact that students can’t learn everything, which should be available to them to prepare them for their vocation? In an effort to address the question of training needs to be considered when educating for ministry with the elderly, a survey of parish clergy was carried out. The purpose of this paper is to report on the