text: why do pastors retire, yet sunday school teachers , church pianists, deacons , etc never retire ?   pastors get paid...they do a job for the church usually under contract. (that's why most get a house, and other stuff to boot. it's part of the pay.) so when they get old and don't want to pastor anymore they retire...it doesn't mean they don't preach anymore it just means they don't get paid for it.  the rest you mentioned usually do those things just because they want to. they don't get paid and are volunteers. they have a calling and decide to serve their chuch by contributing what they can. and no they don't retire but some just quit when they don't want to do it anymore or when they find a replacement or when they die. so they, in a sense, do retire at some point in one way or another.