Biblical
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Age of Ministers 

Statistics from some surveys looking at the age of ministers.

Statistics from the Church of England Ministry 2010 summary report

  • The average age of full time stipendary diocesan clergy is 52 years and 22% of full-time clergy are aged 60 or over
  • 66% are aged between 40 and 59 years
  • 12% are under 40
  • The age of a self-supporting diocesam clergy is 58 years and 55% are aged 60 or over
  • 3% of self-supporting ministers are under 40
  • 55% of licensed readers are aged 60 or over
  • 2% of licensed readers are under 40


Statistics from the Life in Ministry survey by the Baptist Ministers Fellowship 2009

  • 34.9% of respondents were aged between 55 years and 65 years
  • 3.1% of respndents were aged between 23years and 34 years
  • The majority were in the 45+ age range


Statistics from 2005 Church Census

  • Average of a minister is 54.
  • Average age of adult church goers is 55.
  • Greater proportion of female ministers in their 50's than men but proportionally less women in the other age groups.
  • 40% of ministers in their 30's are leading in churches that are growing. For the 40's age group the figure is 36% in charge of a growing church. For leaders aged 50+ 33% are leading growing churches.
  • The smaller the church the older the senior minister is likely to be with the average age of a minister in a church with less than 11 people being 57, whilst for a church of 100-150 people the average age of the senior leader was 52.
  • 25% of ministers under 40 were leading churches that had seen very fast growth between 1998 and 2005 whereas the figure for ministers over 60 was 17% leading a fast growing church.
  • Younger leaders are more likely to be in charge of city centre churches; older ministers are more likely to lead churches in rural areas.
  • 54% of ministers in their 30's and 40's lead churches that offer regular midweek youth activities.
  • 33% of ministers aged 60+ lead churches that offer regular midweek youth activities.
  • 45% of young people attending midweek youth activities regularly attend Sunday services.

Church of England Diversity Audit 2005

  • 10% of white clergy are under 40 compared to 14% of clergy from minority ethnic backgrounds.