Rethinking Sabbaticals: Healthy Rest or Unhealthy Absence for Pastors?
How should we extend this policy for pastors?
The first two parts of this series on sabbaticals, mini sabbaticals, and legacy breaks are found here, and here. You probably need to read these first.
This article returns to the issue of sabbaticals in the general case. (And recall, I generally work with larger churches with good teaching/preaching teams.)
800 words – 3 minutes reading time
Some churches have a solid sabbatical policy that covers the pastors that serve them. This is in recognition of the unique weight they carry as a leader.
There is also a valid school of thought that a church should not offer this arrangement.
Those churches in this model would generally:
Grant more vacation and paid time off during any given year and encourage or require the pastor(s) to use that time.
Have liberal study leave seasons during any given year as well.
I would occasionally grant some time for special occasions or travel to do research for the church.
Would gift the pastor time to complete a special degree that they felt would benefit the pastor’s ministry future.
These churches would have the mindset that sabbatical seasons are not conducive to their church’s overall health because they feel the leader must be on the field almost all the time.
Some pastors indeed granted a sabbatical season use that season to evaluate their current ministry role and placement and then depart. Some churches require pastors to stay a specific time after a sabbatical and not leave, but this could be counterproductive if a leader has purposed in their heart to leave.
Some lay leaders also push back by stating they get no sabbatical from their work, so why should the pastor? That is a valid concern. But rarely is the lay leader in such a demanding mental and emotional role as a pastor.
At the same time, I have seen churches with a “no sabbaticals” stance (often due to a pastor who abused the policy in former years), grant an extended leave due to cancer or other serious illness diagnosis to address these concerns.
My question is typically: If you granted it for physical reasons, why not for other reasons?
Those that do encourage sabbaticals recognize the following:
They can prevent burnout. As pastoral ministry is demanding and stressful with being on call for a congregation’s spiritual needs and recognizing the pressure of leadership, a sabbatical gives time to focus on their well-being.
They can be times of refreshing. A good plan to explore a new interest, research, or relax from the grind allows some to return with renewed energy and enthusiasm.
It allows a reset as well. Many lead pastors going into this season reset some reporting assignments and responsibilities. Upon return, the system often gets tweaked and adjusted as well to mark a new season of leadership.
It allows others to step up in leadership – Some churches see emerging leaders differently during these seasons.
Some of the great pastors of prior centuries took significant time away from leading their churches and ministries due to exhaustion, including D.L. Moody and Charles Spurgeon. In the current era, I am familiar with dozens of pastors who have quietly done the same and continued to see great fruit later in their ministry.
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My suggestions for boards in considering sabbaticals for pastoral staff:
A reward for sustained service over time.
Suggested but not mandatory. Negotiate the timelines. Seasons of life issues happen. I have seen some “you must take it between years 7 and 9” sorts of policies. I see the logic in that the church can plan and save to that end. But also, it is hard when other family commitments may be entailed.
Require a plan and later reporting. The plan must show the purpose and intended aims for learning and rest. When the pastor returns, they also need to give an account of their sabbatical.
In the next issue, I will outline a few thoughts after reading a recent Harvard Business Review article that talks about sabbaticals from a corporate perspective.
The Lilly Endowment has helped pastors and churches of all sizes with the funding of a season of renewal. (I don’t think they use sabbatical anymore.) There are two programs, one for churches in Indiana and one for other states. You can learn more about that here. They go fast, so you must watch for the application process opening.
How long should these be?
Some are based on the length of service. The longer the pastor has served the church full-time, the longer the sabbatical.
I have seen some as brief as 4-5 weeks vs. some that are a full year.
The most typical number I see is three months. The second most typical is six months. The third most typical is somewhere in between. This is not a scientific study, only my observations.
We have one more article on Sabbaticals to come. I know this hasn’t been our most popular series, but I think the issue is worth some extended thought.
Next week will come from our friend Jim Sheppard! Look forward to that.