Posts Tagged ‘social security’
Retirement issues for the Missionaries: Not just a U.S. worker problem!
I find it interesting that the same issue affecting the American and Europe population is soon to effect the Missionary on the field in most churches. That issue is Retirement. Currently speaking we are going to face having to pay more for missionaries who are unable to perform in the capacity as they once did for new missionaries going to the field.
This problem has been brewing for some time now and whats most incredible is that there is really no talk on how to fix this problem. If you look at the demographics of many United States churches the largest contributing population is baby boomers and the soon to be baby boomers. The generations after don’t make up enough in number to replace them and don’t have the financial capacity either.
In my state the numbers are staggering the average age is over 55. In my church and the surrounding churches the numbers are increasing with greater number. We already support three missionaries who are retired with a roster of 12-15. The average age of most missionaries are in the 50′s or 60′s. We just had a younger couple go to the missionary field they are in their late 30′s early 40′s but it will take close to 3-4 years to raise enough capital to get them to the field.
With more and more missionaries retiring the ratio will begin to reflect 2 to 1 very shortly possibly by year 2015 if the lord shall tarry. Now if he comes back before that time then this article will not be necessary and solutions will not have to be thought of but if not we have a serious problem.
We need to have more talk of finance and entrepreneurial ideas for these problems especially for the global financial changes that are now on our doorstep.