Young Clergy Talk About Saving for Retirement

Rev. Allison Jean, North Texas Annual Conference

Rev. Allison gave her first sermon when she was 16 years old. Now she’s Pastor of Modern Worship at First United Methodist Church Richardson.

God has been a part of Rev. Allison’s life from the start—and so has saving. “My parents wanted to be able to live in financial freedom when they retired, so they prioritized saving for retirement early on,” said Rev. Allison. “After my husband and I got married, so did we.”

Many would consider the kind of financial discipline Rev. Allison’s family practice restrictive, but that’s not how she sees it. “It’s a balance,” said Rev. Allison. “We put away money for the good and challenging days to come, but we still make room for creating meaningful experiences as a new family.”

“You have to name what matters from the start while also remembering that not everything matters all the time,” noted Rev. Allison. “Take my husband and I: we’re big scuba divers, but Texas isn’t a great place for that, is it? So right now, we also value saving for trips.”

As a premarital counselor, Rev. Allison has seen how different upbringings can shape the way people think about money. “You realize there’s no one system that works for everyone,” she observed. “It’s about communicating and finding what works for your household.”

“I tell all my peers the same thing: think about where you want to be in the future, and then work backwards from there,” said Rev. Allison. “It’s okay to ask for help when it comes to figuring out your retirement—in fact, it’s encouraged. We have trusted advisors who are very experienced in these areas, so call them, listen to their advice and then choose to follow it.”

“My husband and I also set up an appointment with EY Navigate for 2025,” said Rev. Allison. “No matter how knowledgeable you might be, it’s always good to have a neutral third party assess your finances objectively.”

Rev. John Langenstein, West Virginia Annual Conference

Rev. John first stepped into a United Methodist church when he was 10 years old. Now he’s pastor of North View United Methodist Church since 2021 and Temple United Methodist Church since 2023—coordinating shared resources, financial and administrative work, and outreach between the two communities.

Although now well-versed in the world of business, the start of Rev. John’s pastoral journey was filled with many unknowns. The same can be said about his journey of saving for retirement. “When I signed up to receive retirement benefits, all I knew was that I was participating in a pension program, and that’s about it,” said Rev. John.

It wasn’t until he got married that John started thinking more seriously about retirement. “When you’re starting a family, it’s important to talk about your future,” noted Rev. John.

The COVID-19 pandemic was also a big factor in John and his spouse beginning to plan for retirement. “A lot of resources were being made available online, and once we logged into Benefits Access and saw the detailed breakdown of our contributions, we started regularly engaging with the portal,” said Rev. John.

“We realized it would only benefit us to take advantage of the church and annual conference contribution matching, and when you look at your personal 1%, 2% or even 3% contribution, you see it’s actually just a small part of your income,” said Rev. John. “In the grand scheme of things, you’re not missing much by putting away a few hundred dollars now, and instead it’ll turn into something much bigger down the line when that money will matter more.”

“I’m a big numbers guy, but even if you’re not, I encourage you to do the math,” advised Rev. John. “Take a look at your expenses and see where you can forgo a bit of spending. You’ll quickly realize you don't have to give up enjoying life now to secure your future.”

Rev. Kaitlynn Shannon, Central Texas Annual Conference

Rev. Kaitlynn was standing on a roof in the Bahamas during a hurricane relief mission trip when she realized she wanted to go into ministry. Since then, she has served 11 churches across Texas.

For many young professionals like Rev. Kaitlynn, retirement may seem like a distant concern. “I remember receiving paperwork telling me I'll be eligible to retire in 2060,” said Rev. Kaitlynn. “I thought, ‘Wow, that’s very far away.’” Eventually, it was Rev. Kaitlynn’s longer-serving pastoral peers that convinced her of the importance of starting to save early.

When choosing her retirement contribution, Rev. Kaitlynn realized it’s all about perspective. “If money comes out of my paycheck and never hits my account, it doesn’t exist to me,” noted Rev. Kaitlynn. “That’s why I don’t mind maxing out my contributions. I then budget based on what I have.”

For Rev. Kaitlynn, securing a financially stable future is worth sacrificing some disposable income in the present. “To me, putting away $100 just means one less trip to Target I’m allowed to take this month but a better life down the road. And that’s okay with me.”

“My word of advice: utilize the Retirement Benefits Projection tool in Benefits Access to figure what you’re comfortable with in terms of your current contribution and predicted amount in retirement,” said Rev. Kaitlynn. “Then start saving as soon as possible and make it part of your system.”