Aging Leadership of Christian Ministries Reflects Similar Trends Among Business Leaders
Editor’s Note: Every quarter, we will survey the senior executive of the 1000 largest Christian ministries in the nation. We will then produce a series of stories based on their responses. This story is the fourth in that series. To read a previous article, which highlights revenue expectations for ministry leaders in the year ahead, click here. An article explaining challenges facing ministries can be found here and one related to women in leadership is here.
As America ages, so do the chief executive officers of the nation’s top Christian ministries.
A recent MinistryWatch survey of the leaders of the largest 1,000 Christian groups in the country reflected this trend, with 90% of responding leaders answering that they are over the age of 50.
Of the respondents, 41% were between ages 51 and 60, 47% were between ages 61 and 70, and 2.6% were over 71.
This trend mirrors that in the top 1,000 American companies. A survey by consulting firm Korn Ferry found that the average age of a CEO across all industries was 59 years old.
Furthermore, the average age of CEOs at hiring has also increased. In 2005, it was about 46 years old but had increased to 54 years old by 2019.
None of this should be surprising, since the overall population of the country is aging as well. In 1970, it was about 28 but now it is almost 39.
A variety of circumstances also play into the fact that adults are working longer and at older ages. According to a Pew Research report, adults 65 and older who are employed rose from 12% in 1980 to 19% in 2015.
Even with Americans working longer, the aging of ministry leadership leads to a question of succession planning. Who will take the reins of these organizations after their leader retires or can no longer serve?
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Dave Phillips, founder and president of Children’s Hunger Fund (CHF), is 61 and has been at the helm of the ministry since its inception 30 years ago.
He told MinistryWatch that CHF has had a succession plan in place for about 13 years.
If he remains healthy, he will stay on as the ministry’s leader until he’s 70 or older because he would like to see the ministry through the current 10-year growth initiative it has undertaken.
“An intentional transition plan of grooming a replacement would likely start within five years,” he added.
If a need arises for an immediate replacement, the ministry’s Executive Board would first consider internal options and then consult a list of external candidates that it keeps and updates every two to three years.
“Elements of our succession plan are discussed annually as part of my annual review with the executive board,” Phillips explained.
Josh Taylor, president of HopeKids, falls on the younger end of the leader age spectrum at 49. He likely has many years of service ahead, but the group does have a succession plan in place, though it has no particular timeline for implementation.
“Our recently created Director of Operations position is the person we have earmarked as a successor,” Taylor told MinistryWatch.
“She is being exposed to all aspects of running HopeKids as part of [her] role as DOO so if/when a transition needs to occur it will be seamless,” he added.
In answer to the most significant challenge faced by ministry leaders, finding and keeping qualified staff was the most commonly identified issue.
This likely reflects the tight labor market that has been identified by leaders, such as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Hiring and retaining qualified staff plays a role in the ability to implement a succession plan within a ministry’s leadership.
Main photo: Unsplash / Creative Commons
