There is a growth of baby boomers taking early retirement and entering the mission field, reports Christianity Today (February). Some of these fifty-something missionaries are signing up for a few weeks of service, while others join for several years. The missionary agency Wycliffe Associates has seen a 40 percent increase for several years in a row of baby boomer missionaries.
Such mission personnel agencies as the Finishers Project works with 100 organizations, matching retirees with volunteer mission projects. Todd Johnson of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity says that “Most mission agencies are trying to work with this trend that 20 years ago was unwelcome. Today, most realize it can be useful to their work.”
(Christianity Today, 465 Gundersen Dr., Carol Stream, IL 60188)
