Explanation

• women and men are living longer (average life expectancy was 77.22 in 2020); and
• age is not a determining factor in the effectiveness of those in clerical order to minister to the people of God; and
• many of those seeking ordination are responding to the call to ministry later in life and often deprived of the opportunity to share in the pension of the Episcopal Church; and
• the Episcopal Church has endeavored to end prejudices that limit access to the ordained orders of ministries.

In addition:

God does not place age limits on those who are called to serve in ministry.

“Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth.”

- Genesis 7:6

“So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.” - Genesis 12:4

“There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” - Luke 2:36-38