D032 Raising the Clergy Mandatory Retirement Age to 75

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring,

That the 81st General Convention amend Title III, Canon 9.8 to raise the mandatory retirement age for Priests from 72 to 75 years of age.

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Title III Canon 9 Sec. 8 Resignation

On reaching the age of seventy-five years, a Priest shall resign from all positions in this Church, and the resignation shall be accepted. Thereafter, the Priest may accept any position in this Church, including, with the permission of the Ecclesiastical Authority, the position or positions from which resignation pursuant to this Section has occurred;

 

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Title III Canon 9 Sec. 8 Resignation

On reaching the age of seventy-two seventy-five, a Priest shall resign from all positions in this Church, and the resignation shall be accepted. Thereafter, the Priest may accept any position in this Church, including, with the permission of the Ecclesiastical Authority, the position or positions from which resignation pursuant to this Section has occurred;

 

And be it further

Resolved, That the 81st General Convention amend Title III Canon 7.7 to raise the mandatory retirement age for Deacons from 72 to 75 years of age.

<Amended text as it would appear if adopted and concurred. Scroll below the line of asterisks (******) to see the version showing all deleted and added text:>

Title III Canon 7 Sec. 7. On reaching the age of seventy-five years, a Deacon shall resign from all positions of active service in this Church, and the resignation shall be accepted. The Bishop may, with the consent of the Deacon, assign a resigned Deacon to any congregation, other community of faith or ministry in another setting, for a term not to exceed twelve months, and this term may be renewed.

 

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<Proposed amended resolution text showing exact changes being made:>

Title III Canon 7 Sec. 7. On reaching the age of seventy-two seventy-five years, a Deacon shall resign from all positions of active service in this Church, and the resignation shall be accepted. The Bishop may, with the consent of the Deacon, assign a resigned Deacon to any congregation, other community of faith or ministry in another setting, for a term not to exceed twelve months, and this term may be renewed.

Explanation

  • women and men are living longer (average life expectancy was 77.22 in 2020); and
  • age is not a determining factor in the effectiveness of those in clerical order to minister to the people of God; and
  • many of those seeking ordination are responding to the call to ministry later in life and often deprived of the opportunity to share in the pension of the Episcopal Church; and
  • the Episcopal Church has endeavored to end prejudices that limit access to the ordained orders of ministries.

In addition:

God does not place age limits on those who are called to serve in ministry.

“Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth.”

- Genesis 7:6

“So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.” - Genesis 12:4

“There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” - Luke 2:36-38