Retirement is one of the most important life events many of us will ever experience. It can be the most enjoyable and productive time of our lives—with the right preparation.

Closer Than We've Ever Been

by D. Ray Lewis

To some, retirement is the end of a journey. To others, it is the beginning of a new and exciting chapter of their lives. People come to retirement with different hopes, plans, and dreams, all of which require planning.

Many people envision retirement to be the golden years: a time when they can do all the things they did not have time for when working a full-time job. They envision days spent fishing on the lake, day after day on the golf course, visiting grandchildren, the freedom to travel to new places, and time and resources to go on short-term mission trips with International or North American Missions programs, or time just to kick back and relax.

Retirement planning involves more than the amount of money you need to have when you retire. Consider a better test. Will you be in a financial position to do the things you’ve envisioned for retirement? You can’t just pick an age to retire and walk off into the sunset expecting to see retirement dreams fulfilled.

The best time to start planning for retirement is while you're young, but it’s never too early to start. If you are past the age most people consider young, just start where you are now. The important thing is to start as early as possible and stick to your plan. I tell people everywhere I go, “Having something set aside for retirement is better than having nothing.”

I still talk to people who say they don’t plan to retire. Many of them have reached middle age. They are in good health and feel like they could work forever. But will they feel the same way when they reach their 60s, 70s, or 80s? Many times, the decision to retire is made for us, whether retirement is in our plans or not. Some people are to retire as a result of health reasons. Others have to retire because their church or employer is looking for someone younger.

It is better to save now, even if you don’t ever plan to retire, than to reach retirement and have no savings. We need a big enough nest egg in case we can’t work in our latter years because our body or our employer won’t let us.

Regardless of whether or not we continue to work after reaching retirement age, why not be prepared financially? If we make proper preparation, we will be free to do whatever God has for us during this new stage in our life. Retirement is not an ending or a termination from serving the Lord. It is a transitional passage, the beginning of new adventures and new directions.

If you are employed by a Free Will Baptist church or agency, I invite you to contact our office today. Let us help you develop a plan for your retirement. Retirement planning is a personal process, not a one-size-fits-all plan. Your retirement plan should be based on your vision, your hopes, and yes, your financial situation. We want to help you realize your dreams.

Every Free Will Baptist Church should consider contributing to the pastor’s retirement plan. Show him you care about his future needs as well as his present ones.

All of us are closer to retirement than we’ve ever been before. It can be the most exciting and fulfilling time of your life. It just takes planning.


About the Writer: D. Ray Lewis joined the Board of Retirement in 1982. He became director in 2005 after serving for several years as assistant director.