retirement
Following Bishop Donald Allister's retirement, I was
There must be security around clergy housing, pay, pensions, and retirement, if we want to enable new vocations, and improve clergy well-being.
In 2025 379 priests resigned, rather than wait for retirement to escape.
Before semi-retirement, I had a substantial career in Human Resources, latterly as a senior HR professional and consultant working primarily with churches and faith-based charities.
Alongside an increase in the national minimum stipend, it will now make a very significant difference to what clergy receive in retirement.
I have already had the joy of talking to a number of clergy who have retired in recent weeks, for whom the pension improvements have been transformative in the way they feel about entering retirement.
There remain, however, other serious injustices in clergy retirement provision, particularly around housing.
Our Private Member’s Motion also called for a review of retirement provision, again approved unanimously.
One reason I am standing again is to ensure we keep that pressure on, and that the recommendations of that review are turned into even more concrete changes that will mean genuine fairness and dignity for all clergy in retirement.
Diocese, a role I held until retirement in 2025.
Rural churches also keenly feel the loss of their local priest when retirement or move to another post leaves an empty space.
Retirement has given me the capacity to offer my experience, convictions, time, and energy to the wider church.
In retirement over the past 9 or so years I have been a Chair of Governors and Foundation Governor of our local church school, now federated with the school next door in Hope.
In June 2026, I transitioned into semi-retirement, providing me with greater opportunity to devote time to voluntary work both within and beyond church mission.
Before retirement, I spent most of my career working in strategic planning and financial forecasting for major manufacturing firms on Teesside and in the Netherlands.
Stipends and pensions have improved somewhat, but retirement housing remains inadequate, and I want to keep pressing the ACFC on this issue.
I love serving as a priest and, God willing, I will do so for another 30 years and then beyond into retirement.
Since my official retirement 3 years ago I have been Assistant Warden at St Peter’s Church, Hindley in the newly formed parish of Chapelfields (Wigan East) in the Diocese of Liverpool.
I have spoken in debates on a wide variety of subjects including safeguarding and the safeguarding redress scheme, burial and funeral fees, the clergy dignity and fairness retirement review, support for looked after children, the Armed Forces Covenant and the cost of living.
As I write this statement, I am preparing for retirement from full-time work (at the end of October) in the hope that I can spend more time serving my local church community in services and bible study groups.
Before retirement I taught in a church primary school and value the Christian foundation that underpins the education they provide.
Since retirement I have enjoyed having a bit more time for the things which energise me – keeping fit, having rich conversations with friends, keeping up with my languages and spending more time with my grandchildren.
Retirement has opened up further opportunities to serve the wider church.
After retirement I moved to San Pedro Spain in the Diocese in Europe and joined the PCC of the Costa del Sol chaplaincy and became treasurer.
Law: Until my retirement, I was a partner ina national law firm, Mills & Reeve, advising clients in the business, university and charity sectors.
Theological study: On retirement, I completed an MPhil in New Testament and Early Christianity at Cambridge University.
My language skills have taken me all over the world in my work, and since retirement, the management experience I gained, reinforced by my MBA studies with the Open University, has been very useful in my role as churchwarden at St Michael and All Angels Walthamstow.
Work & Life Outside Church: I am now active in retirement in a number of volunteer roles.
I have asked formal questions (the way at Syn od to hold those in authority to account) on a wide range of issues (evangelism, transparency, clergy wellbeing, pensions, clergy retirement housing and the Crown Nominations Commis sion as well as others).
passed nem con and led to the restoration of the clergy pension to 2/3rds of the benchmark stipend and an ongoing review of pensions to address many outstanding issues for clergy wellbeing in retirement.
During my time on Synod I have had a special concern for clergy wellbeing, advocating for improvements to the stipend, the pension, retirement housing provision and support for our mental health.
I want to see Synod continuing to recognise the invaluable place of retired clergy and to enable the best use of their gifts, abilities and experiences whilst making proper provision for their personal and pastoral needs in retirement.
Through life’s journey, however - witnessing the work of the Mission to Seafarers, mixing with many creeds and cultures at sea and experiencing the joy of worshipping in different settings during retirement travels around the UK in our old narrowboat - I have become accepting of a broad church, rooted in Christian love.
Being part of the Vacancy in See process recently (following the announcement of Bishop Martin’s retirement) has been fascinating.
With full-time clergy numbers in decline, a ‘retirement bulge’ (an ageing profile), and fewer candidates training for ordained ministry, there’s an urgent need to focus efforts on creative and effective ways of resourcing gospel-centred ministry and ensuring clergy wellbeing.
both laity and clergy need deeper roots and better care from their earliest ministry all the way into retirement.
In my time on General Synod I have focused on working for better provision for clergy, particularly improved pensions and retirement housing.
I am a psychiatrist and until retirement was Medical Director for an NHS Mental Health and Learning Disability Trust.
I have spoken on a wide variety of subjects – including churches engaging with rural poverty, parochial fees, funding for local and parish ministry, support for clergy in retirement and the Prayers of Love and Faith.
I have been pleased to be a part of the votes this Synod, that have enabled improvements in the clergy stipend and retirement provision.
We need to face up to the serious crisis of leadership in view of clergy retirement patterns, invest in the best forms of training for all leaders, and enable clergy to better facilitate this lay involvement.
Although I have been a member of the Anglican Church, I have been more proactively involved in Church life since my retirement in 2020.
Prior to my retirement I was a Civil Servant from 1983 to 2020.
Schools work has flourished, Messy Church has been planted, as has a new worshipping community on a retirement village.
The structures we agree need to be fit for purpose for ministry in this century and beyond, enabling new ministers to come forward with confidence that they will be supported throughout their ministry and into retirement.
I supported the reform of clergy pensions and CDMs during the last Quinquennium and will support other initiatives going forwards that support clergy and enhance their well-being (including I hope an appraisal of / improvement in clergy retirement housing).
After five years’ retirement, I’m seeking re-election to the Synod to continue that service and to work for a Church of England where Inclusion regardless of age, disability, race, class, gender, sexuality, neurodiversity is taken for granted.
In retirement I remain in contact with those whose vocations I have nurtured and assist with the MDR process.
Many of those approaching retirement worry about survival, and working until 70 is often a necessity rather than an option.
Improve clergy retention Every year, several hundred clergy leave full-time ministry before retirement age.
Two years later, I took early retirement, and since then God has opened doors to opportunities I could never have imagined!
This continued into another 18 years of John’s full time retirement ministry at St Michael’s, West Hill during which time we were blessed with 10 grandchildren.
In retirement, John and I were Pastoral Helpers at Lee Abbey for 15 years, praying for people with a variety of needs.
I would advocate for a stipend that increases in line with the cost of living, and firm assurances about our pensions and affordable housing options in retirement.
Despite being past the age when it once might have been required, I have managed to dodge retirement, and plan to go on doing so for the foreseeable future.
Studies have shown that many of the clergy are depressed by overwork and an underpaid existence and worried as to how they will fare in retirement.
If the present is not strengthened by appointing more priests, supporting and paying them properly, and ensuring a decent standard of living in retirement, the Church of England risks a future confined to a handful of successful city-centre Minsters alongside an ever-growing financial reserve.
Since my retirement I have mountain biked in various parts of the world.
Nominated by Becky Waring (Archdeacon of Bristol) and Simon Taylor (Director of Ministry) As your representative I have given speeches in General Synod on subjects including net zero, creation care, racial justice, contested heritage, and LLF, and have asked questions on subjects ranging from church buildings to ND inclusion, from gluten free communion bread to retirement housing, and more.
We face a catastrophic reduction in clergy numbers through projected retirement, exacerbated by burnout and disillusionment.
Hopes for the future: Clergy Pensions and Wellbeing in retirement.
My top priority for the next Quinquennium of Synod is to advocate for issues around Clergy Wellbeing, particularly changes to Clergy Pension and retirement.
The Clergy Retirement Fairness and Dignity Review will come to Synod in February 2027.
Can we ensure the provision of affordable retirement housing for clergy?
Can a national framework for dignity in retirement address apparent diocesan variations for those retiring?
Our parish has already lost a Priest-in-charge who decided to take early retirement after finding six parishes too much to cope with.
After my gap year I worked in Human Resources (briefly), Information Technology (mainly) and Finance until my retirement.
On retirement I wanted to continue being involved in helping within the church and community and became a member of Mothers' Union (MU) as part of this.
Before retirement I taught English in a secondary school.
Due to the retirement of Mark Ireland, which left a vacancy for a Blackburn clergy representative, I was privileged to serve on General Synod for one year to complete the term of office.
I took early retirement and now, I ama self- employed consultant which allows me to devote some time to serving the church.
I was asked to assist a group of parishioners troubled by the intended creation of a benefice from 2 small parishes to 6 following the retirement of the incumbent.
Until retirement, I worked as a barrister in Yorkshire and the North-East, and then as a judge sitting mostly in the same area, but also in other parts of the country.
And when a priest announces retirement, there is no succession planning, and parishes must wait years, whilst still being expected to pay their diocesan ‘share’!
issues for clergy retirement.
I took early retirement in 2015, after a career in pharmaceutical research with GlaxoSmithKline.
Retirement has allowed me to devote significant time and energy to the church at parish level and beyond.
Since retirement I have become more involved in both church and community:
I want to add my voice to the support and encouragement of those on the ground, not simply through kind words but by contributing to shaping the processes and structures that will undoubtedly be changing around them as we approach the upcoming retirement cliff and the drastic reduction in clergy numbers.
In setting apart people for ministry, I am concerned that clergy are adequately provided for in training, service and retirement.
To support clergy wellbeing and their adequate provision in training, service and retirement.
Prior to my retirement 3 years ago, I
No longer in paid employment, but very active in ‘retirement’, after prayer I feel called to stand for the next five-year period.
Since my retirement I have chaired the Bromsgrove International Young Musicians Competition and set up the Bromsgrove Young Musicians Platform to help young musicians on their journey of public performance.
I have spent most of my working life in education, teaching Religious Studies and English before taking early retirement as a Deputy Headmaster at a school in Oxford.
I am fortunate enough to have taken early retirement and now able to commit time and energy to the work of Synod that quite simply was not a practical option during my working life.
numbers entering ordination training, while many stipendiary clergy are approaching retirement.
Prior to my retirement I also was member of
On my retirement I became a governor at the West Suffolk Hospital and then became Lead governor.
Before my retirement I ran a large research group a Loughborough University, concerned with High Temperature Materials and Nuclear Reactor Materials.
I took early retirement 10 years ago, largely so I could apply my skills and experience more fully as a volunteer within the Church.
Secondly the recently established Clergy Retirement Dignity and Fairness Group, established to enquire as to what is needed to ensure clergy and their dependants are supported in retirement.
After completing my doctorate at Durham University, I worked at ICI Engineering in Billingham before joining a pharmaceutical company called GlaxoWelcome at Barnard Castle (now GSK) where I held various roles of increasing responsibility until my recent retirement.
This part of my working life I enjoyed until my retirement from full-time employment in 2013.
That means good formation and pastoral supervision, better preparation for incumbency especially first incumbencies, support for curates and Training Priests, opportunities for coaching and development, manageable workloads, financial security, support leading up to and after retirement, and attention to spiritual wellbeing.
Clergy retirement, housing and financial security deserve serious attention.
Those who have given decades to serving the Church should be able to approach retirement with gratitude and hope rather than anxiety about what comes next.
Practical areas such as administrative and other support in parish work, housing, pensions and retirement housing must be further addressed in the next Synod.
Other stuff I want to get stuck into includes the significance of Church Schools, clergy retirement provision, vocations and the importance of proper theological training of ordinands and curates, and the rights of private patrons.
I supported the motion to improve clergy pensions and also see the need for long- term thinking on sustainable clergy renumeration and housing - including retirement housing - as well as clear access to additional practical support for clergy and members of their family when needed.
well-being in service and retirement;
Recent years have seen: Advances in safeguarding training and practice, and recognition of serious past failings A refreshed desire to see more children and young people in our churches leading to freedom to experiment with new liturgies and fresh expressions of church Increased lay involvement in ministry, both voluntary and professional Since the COVID crisis many parishes have real and ongoing experience of the ‘Quiet Revival’ leading to significant and encouraging church growth Following debate in General Synod, a recent (2026), and welcome, increase in clergy stipends and pensions, and ongoing discussion about clergy retirement provision
I am conservative in belief, but I support change in practice where it leads to better, clearer communication of the gospel During my time on Synod I have: Asked questions about the ‘Five Guiding Principles’ and their application within the church Asked questions about ecclesiological balance at senior levels I have spoken up to urge respect for others in debate I have spoken in support of the parish patronage system as a means of maintaining parish traditions and distinctions I have listened and made good friends across traditions If elected to serve for the coming quinquennium I will: speak up for busy parish clergy against an increasingly episcopally directed church. support reforms to clergy condition and terms of service that will enhance clergy wellbeing and the proclamation of the gospel support reforms to enhance clergy pensions and retirement housing provision that will improve the lives of those who have served the church support the freeing of central church resources to benefit parishes on the ground continue to work to maintain a respected place within in the Church of England for all who find themselves isolated or marginalised by change I would really appreciate it if you would consider giving me your first preference vote.
Since my ‘retirement’ I have spent a great deal of time supporting various Trusts and charities and being involved in local politics.
Since retirement I have also been active in my local community.