The congregation at New Zion Hill African Methodist Episcopal Church has a large senior population, but no praxis that addresses the needs of seniors. My interactions with the senior members of the church have revealed that they are feeling the pressures of growing old while being black in America. Added medical prescriptions, the death of loved ones and friends, and a shrinking budget have all made the idiom of "growing old gracefully" a pipedream. Feelings of isolation and a dwindling sense of purpose only help to compound the aging process. As youth is increasingly valued over the aged, ageism in America is a growing concern, especially for those of African descent. How can black churches engage their seniors to alleviate the stress of growing old while black in America as society increasingly devalues and overlooks the aged in favor of youth? It is important for the church to engage this question and this population especially since the church is the one remaining institution where all should feel welcomed and valued. This thesis will focus on the role the black church can play in fostering a sense of wholeness for its aging congregations. In addition, this thesis will argue that it is the church's Biblical and ethical responsibility to provide ministry to its more senior members that will offer them with a safe space that values and affirms them as they continue to age. As a result of this research, it is my hope that aging persons of African descent will be enabled to embrace a sense of wholeness that carries them throughout their aging and that they will not feel neglected, devalued, or alone as they age. With a little help, it is possible to "grow old gracefully."
