Is your pastor going on sabbatical?
Here’s what church members need to know.
In the world of ministry, many congregations offer their pastors an extended time away after a certain number of years of service. This gift might be called a sabbatical or a renewal leave, but typically it’s a one to three month period (preferably on the longer end), and it is in addition to any vacation or professional development days the minister has accrued. The church continues to pay salary and benefits during the minister’s sabbatical. Often the details are either part of the church’s standing sabbatical policy for pastors, if there is one, or built into the terms of call that the congregation and minister agree upon at the end of a pastor search process.
Sabbaticals are important because they renew ministers’ energy and enthusiasm for ministry and guard against burnout. Pastors tend to work long hours, including many nights and weekends. They carry the weight of their congregants’ individual and collective pastoral care and spiritual growth needs. These concerns are difficult to set aside, even when ministers are not in the office. A stretch of time away, then, allows pastors to unwind in ways that a few short days off do not.
The concept of a sabbatical might be new to your church, either because previous ministers did not take one or because it’s been a while since a pastor has been at your church long enough to be granted one. Sabbaticals sometimes, not always, take place over the summer, so that makes this a good time to ensure everyone is on the same page about what is happening.
Here, then, is what your congregation needs to know:
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