Lee Wright said retirement has been different than he expected, and ministers contemplating it should know that it’s more than “quitting work.”

Wright, church compensation specialist for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, directed a training session on retirement issues Aug. 1 at the conference center of the Birmingham Metro Baptist Association.

He said he understands there are two camps among ministers.

“One group really wants to leave church ministry and do things they’ve perhaps had no time for before,” he said, “but the other group can’t imagine life without ministry. The current shortage of ministers means that many ministers are working beyond normal retirement. The shortage is especially keen in part-time churches, so retired ministers can continue service on a less-than-full-time basis.”

Things to consider

Wright has continued to work on a part-time basis with SBOM since his retirement.

He said it’s recommended that retirement income be somewhere between 70 and 90% of preretirement income.

“I’d recommend closer to 90%,” he said. “Some expenses decrease in retirement, such as work travel and clothing, but inflation has remained at around 3% each year since 1916, and housing and food continue to increase.”

Another consideration is longevity.

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This article was originally published at TheAlabamaBaptist.org.