Soulful Aging

The historical or mainline churches have increasingly larger percentages of older adults as congregants. They are characteristically vibrant and committed. In contrast, there are proportionally fewer younger adults or children active in the church. The older congregants in the last third of life can offer much by speaking about their lives, their spiritual journeys, and their hearts and souls. Too often older people are forgotten in the counting of talents and gifts they have to offer to one another and to subsequent generations.

Soulful Aging is a ministry resource for older adults as they journey through the later years of life. The authors have excerpted from important works that address the issues of spirituality in older adults and have developed pathways for spiritual growth.

For each stage of life, the authors conclude with a short reading and a suggested pastoral strategy for group discussion or sermon preparation. Finally, the authors have developed a strategy for practical use of the excerpt in a church setting or long-term care setting.


Henry C. Simmons is Professor of Religion and Aging and Director of the Center on Aging of Union-PSCE, where he has taught for 14 years. He graduated from the University of Ottawa, Canada, in 1970 with a PhD in Psychology and Religion. He taught previously at the Toronto School of Theology in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. He is a Charter Fellow of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, and a nationally known teacher on religion and aging. An ordained minister, he has been a full-time seminary professor for more than 30 years, teaching in the areas of spirituality, adult education, ministry with older adults, and congregational analysis.

Jane Wilson is Interim Associate Pastor at Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church in Fountain Hills, Arizona. She has served two churches in Ohio. Prior to ordination in 1998, she worked for the federal government in Washington, DC.