Unique needs: Salvation Army officers in retirement and end-of-life care

ABSTRACT

Retirement is a major life transition. On this point there is general agreement. But what about retirement for clergy and those who serve in the church? Perhaps a few see ministry as a job; then the change would be much like a worker ceasing paid employment. However, does being ordained, having a respected leadership role in the church, and serving God bring some unique dynamics to this transition? In this article we try to identify such factors using a large sample of Australian Salvation Army officers.

KEYWORDS:

• Clergy needs
• qualitative research
• retirement of clergy
• Salvation Army officers

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this project was provided by Aged Care Plus (Salvation Army) and the J. O. and J. N. Wicking Trust.