The word “sabbatical” has different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. It has one meaning in the academic community, another meaning in its biblical usage, and still another in many secular settings.
For the purpose of this article, I define sabbatical in simple terms. It simply means time off for rest and/or study. The time can be a few days, a few weeks or, on rare occasions, a few months. The pastor is given paid leave for rest, rejuvenation and, perhaps, deeper study. I would love to see churches of all sizes provide this requirement of their pastor, even if it’s only for a few days.
I have the opportunity to work with lay leaders and pastors. I have a pretty good view of both perspectives. And I am convinced that more lay leaders need to insist their pastors take regular breaks even beyond vacations. Allow me to provide five reasons for my rationale.
- A pastor has emotional highs and lows unlike most other vocations. In the course of a day, a pastor can deal with death, deep spiritual issues, great encouragement, petty criticisms, tragedies, illnesses, and celebrations of birth. The emotional roller coaster is draining. Your pastor needs a break—many times a break with no distractions.
- A pastor is on 24-hour call. Most pastors don’t have an “off” switch. They go to sleep with the knowledge they could be awakened by a phone call at anytime of the day. Vacations are rarely uninterrupted. It can be an exhausting vocation, and a sabbatical can be a welcome time to slow down.
- Pastors need time of uninterrupted study. It doesn’t usually happen in the study at church or home. There is always the crisis or need of the moment. Church members expect sermons that reflect much prayer and study. The pastor’s schedule often works against that ideal. The sabbatical can offer much needed, and uninterrupted, study time.
- Pastors who have sabbaticals have longer tenure at churches. Though my information is anecdotal, I do see the trend. And while I cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship, I feel confident that pastors who have sabbaticals are much more likely to stay at a church because they are less likely to experience burnout.
- Pastors who have sabbaticals view the time off as an affirmation from their churches. I have heard from many pastors who share with me a sentence similar to this one: “I know my church loves me because they give me a sabbatical.” Pastors need affirmation. Sabbaticals can accomplish that goal.
I estimate that only about five percent of churches offer sabbaticals. In almost every case where I am familiar, the relationship between pastor and congregation is very healthy. I do think at least one of the reasons is the sabbatical.
What is your view of sabbaticals for pastors? What would you add to my five reasons?
Posted on February 1, 2014
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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162 Comments
Great post Thom. It’s sad that many churches unknowingly will work their pastor into a place of burnout. The ministry is unlike the business world for at least three reasons. You mentioned the emotional roller coaster. It is also a unique blend of professional and personal life – they cannot be separated. Thirdly, it is a constant spiritual battle.
We sent our pastor on a four-week sabbatical and it was wonderful for him. Probably not long enough. He had to be honest with the deacons and share with them where he was emotionally and spiritually. I believe most churches love their pastor and would do this if they only understood the need. Pastors are always hesitant to ask.
A good book on this: “Leading on Empty” by Wayne Cordeiro. Our pastor had all the deacons read it , and he didn’t even need to ask. They told him to take a sabbatical. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0764207598
Good word Preston. Thanks.
Already in the remarks there seems to be a bit of reluctance to see the need for a sabbatical for pastors. It seems like the focus is on how it benefits the pastor. But I would think it would also benefit the church in several ways:
1) By getting to hear someone else preach for a while (more than a single Sunday) without going to a different church. Variety is a good thing.
2) It could be like an intentional interim within a pastor’s tenure if the church/pastor brought someone in to preach that could address areas that needed to be addressed in the church.
3) Absence may make the hearts of the people grow fonder and more appreciative of the pastor they have when he returns (It could, of course, go the other way too…a reason some pastors do not even take their allotted vacation).
4) It could reset the clock for a ‘pastoral restart’ allowing the pastor to more easily shift gears and refocus his preaching and ministry without changing churches….it could even lead to a new honeymoon.
5) It should return an energized and excited pastor back to the church grateful for the church’s generosity in allowing him the time off and excited again about the ministry possibilities ahead.
How can ANY of these things be anything but good for the pastor, his family, AND the church he serves?
Well said Allen.
Written into my call was a four week writing sabbatical every other year. Because of the way I group my vacation in the summer, in those years I’m generally out of the pulpit six straight Sundays. Not only am I able to get some emotional rest and good work done, but I come back fired up and ready to go for the new ministry year. Also, I take those writing weeks seriously: five days of eight hour writing days, which is its own kind of exhausting. But I feel like the church is paying me to write and extend its ministry outside our walls.
Dr. Rainer,
Would it be possible for Lifeway Research to look into your fourth point? Statistical verification would be powerful there. Thanks for this post!
Matt
I will consider it Matt. Those research projects are very expensive, so we have to be highly selective.
Maybe enlist the help of a Doctorate student in doing this as a research project??
*would await. So, if you read this and are not on a church staff, please propose this for your pastor! He needs it, would love it, but probably would never ask for a sabbatical.
After more than 20 years in ministry, my husband is only allowed 2 Sundays off a year. Of course, we save them until the end of the year, because we never know when we will need to miss for a sickness, family crisis, or to attend another church for a special event. A sabbatical truly would be a way for him to feel affirmed. But how do you ask for one? If I were share this link on my wall, I guarantee you that criticism
Thom… poor, poor choice of image depicting pastoral sabbaticals. A beach with a hammock? Really, Its not a VACATION ON THE BEACH, OR A VACATION AT ALL. The image defines the experience as leasure and falls into the trap of reinforcing the idea that many people have that pastors are lazy, privilidged, and lack either a real work ethic or commitment. I have served one chruch for over 25 years, have had four sabbaticals an in every case had people comment on “enjoying my vacation!”
But in every case I produced either a research piece on some issue important to our church’s life and ministry or some extended emphasis in preaching or ministry that would not have been possible without sabbatical. I don’t know that you sign off on the images used to present your material which is always excellent, but it set the content in absolutely the wrong mode. Please help both our ministers and our people get your messages right even through the graphics.
Cordially,
bruce
You are right Bruce. I will have the image changed shortly.
Thom, that criticism of your wording using “vacation” is a prime example of why as sabbatical is needed–relief from criticism! By the way, in typical pastoral fashion, you gave in. Keep the peace pastor! Lol ( btw I give in quite easily too 😉
I chuckled about the hammock and beach image :-). But isn’t that image precisely what evokes so much of the comments on this blog?
I wonder what would happen if all of us reading this blog were given free, unlimited use of a hammock on a tropical beach? My guess is most of us would last about an hour, maybe a day. Some real ‘slackers’ might last two days. But I’m persuaded that a sense of restlessness would come over once the novelty has worn off, and that urge to “do something”, “be productive” would start to take over any one of us, regardless of our gender, age, race, or vocation.
Which brings us back to original purpose of a sabbath – yes? (Genesis 2:2)
You are singing my song! I will complete 10 years at our current church in May! I would love a July sabbatical! I have thought about it for years! Week 1 – Rest, away! Week 2 – On campus at either SBTS or NOBTS for a week of reading, research, and some interaction with a willing professor! Week 3 – Rest Away with a bit of planning for preaching / visioning Week 4 – Some physical challenge (wrapped in some fun). Probably won’t happen – but it would be awesome!
Pastors have tough jobs for sure, but no tougher than those of us responsible for hundreds under our care in the business world. Why should a church pay for the lack of productivity while their pastor is off on sabbatical? That seems to be poor stewardship of the Lord’s money.
The point of the article was that a sabbatical would be productive. If the pastor is able to experience spiritual renewal, gain a fresh vision, and recharge his batteries for another extended time at his current church then both the pastor and the church benefit from time away.
Also, you made a comparison to the business world. Successful businesses know how to give their employees and executives the right amount of time off so they do not burn out as well. Even owners of companies need to know how to practice this for themselves. The principle of rest is found in the first chapter of the Bible.
I agree 100%. We pastor people who have to go to work day after day, month after month. They have to be there at 8:00 in the morning and can’t leave until 5:00. If they are late or leave early, they often have to take leave to make up for it. They get a week’s vacation, maybe two, often. Nobody is paying for them to take three or six months off, but they are expected to pay the salary of a preacher who can show up for work at any time of the day , come home early, have “family day” during the week, etc. I became bi-vocational about ten years before full retirement and it was an eye opener. If preachers want to do something different for a while, let them take some months off and go into the secular work place. They will rest their minds from the horrible stresses of ministry, learn something about how the real world operates, and become more compassionate about the things their parishioners have to go through every week, every month, without someone’s coming yup to them and saying, “Here, you poor thing. Take some time off at my expense.”
“Learn how the real world works?” Many if not most pastors have worked secular jobs before ministry and some work secular jobs during ministry. To be quite honest, that phrase is offensive to those of us who know how the real world works.
Perhaps the real world could come with us at 3 in the morning to tell a mom that her child has been killed in a car accident. Perhaps the real world could answer an 11 pm phone call with someone complaining about his name being left out of a bulletin.
I understand your point that we all have a role to fill. We all have our job stresses. But trust me, the average pastor understands how the real world works, and lives in it.
Thom my voice text butchered that last post. Could u fix the obvious grammer errors so I don’t appear to be as dumb as dirt? Lol
Got most of it. The spacing is still problematic
That phrase, “how the real world works” used to rile me up, also, when I was in the vocational ministry. I didn’t like it. And I am not saying that pastors don’t have some pressures which are unique to them. I was in the military and then in business before I went to seminary, also. I am not inexperienced. I am just saying that I think often time preachers – Presbyterian, at least – are well taken care of by their congregations, and they tend to take that for granted. To ask for time off on top of it is asking a little much, at least some of the time.
Thew phrase doesn’t rile me up, but quite frankly it minimizes my life experience–and again quite frankly minimizes what I do in my ministry. Again many if not most of us pastor types had or have “real’ jobs and fully understand how the ‘real world lives”.
As a side note–not directly to your comments , Mr Hayes, but helpful none then less, let me share that while Ive been in pastoral ministry for close to 20 years , Ive never had a sabbatical, never been offered one and to be honest have never asked for one . To be brutally honest I’m not sure what to do on a sabbatical anyway. 🙂
But here’s the thing, in my never to be humble opinion (although I’m trying) –if the deacons in a given church would live up to their call and their charge, then the need for sabbaticals would be greatly reduced. If Deacons would “Deac ” we pastors would have ample time to “.. give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” as was ORIGINALLY INTENDED according to Acts 6 where we see the Deacon ministry being created.
Add to that this— if members would live up to their call as Christians as outlined in both the Bible and the Church Covenant, again the pastor would be afforded what he needed in the way of time to fulfill the most important part of his call, which is proclamation of the Word of God. Its the “foolishness of Preaching” which causes men to believe–not administration, not hospital visitation, not settling goofy and ridiculous arguments, not making sure the bus has gas in it.
Now that’s not to say the pastor shouldn’t have other functions. And for the record, I do all the things I listed and more–and most pastors do as well. And to be fair there are some lazy pastors who aren’t worth a flip in the pastorate or in the secular world of work.
Ultimately Sabbaticals are fine–and helpful I’m sure. But in my mind they would be far less needed if those in the NT local church would find their role and fill it.
Amen Brother Johnson! Some are quick to judge when they have never walked in the shoes of a Pastor. Many of us work secular jobs as well as pastoring. Pastors are also human. While I have never taken a sabbatical or know of any clergy who have taken one, if it’s available don’t judge those who do. Give the Pastor a break. Many are doing the best that they can with what they have to work with.
Amen!!! I am a pastor’s wife and I assure you my husband’s job is never ending. There is no “regular 8-5” time for him. Our family has had to do many things without him due to someone else’s family needing him more at that time. He is the most sacrificing man I know of his time of his thoughts and his prayers. These men are not JESUS or GOD. Time and energy are not on their side. They do not get to go home and forget the rest of their day. It is constant in their thoughts and prayers. My husband is completely drained and we are at a church that will never “offer” a sabbatical. In our 16 years of serving in the ministry as a Pastor we have never had a church to offer a sabbatical. He would have to ask for one. And he won’t. He will never. Because he would fear what the church would say. So, here I am in a place of worry, which is a sin, that my husband will end up being one who is depressed in such a way that there is no way for him to recover. He needs rest… It is not all study and prep for sermons for a man who is a Pastor. There are quarrels to worry about and pray over and try to figure out how to best deal with while not taking sides. There are deaths and sicknesses and the list would go on and on. There are many things to occupy his mind that drags him down. The burdens of others for one. It becomes so heavy. I won’t lie, I don’t know how to help my husband. I don’t know how to encourage him when I feel so defeated myself. Someone, please tell me how to help him. How can I get our church to offer something of this nature for him? I don’t want to be the wife of a Pastor who commits suicide. I’ve read one too many stories of that outcome.
Praise the Lord!
I found that comment untruthful , because many pastors worked they way up to the position of Pastor or Overseer. Most pastors have worked somewhere in there life time and know full well how the real world work! I myself own a business thats very depending of my time etc. However as a Pastor I can be called upon at any given moment just this past Thursday I got a call at 1:30am to take someone to the hospital I stayed there until after 5am and than took them to find the prescription they needed. When I got home I had to get ready to take my wife to work since her car is in shop for service.
In the past there been times I just got in the bed after a long day and the phone rings for help, I worked in the business world as well as retail for many years it is totally stressful working in retail and time consuming but a person has to make a living each day.
I use to take a 3 break and go to a hotel and rest and pray to recharge. One time I went I sleep almost two days I was so worn out. It does not matter how many days a week a pastor preaches at his or her church the real work begins long before the message and after the message is given. Most people only think the Pastor just look good in a suit or dress but what they don’t see is the hours talking to youth trying to keep them on the right track , wives crying in there arms because of a cheating husband etc. OR the death of a love one.
The funny thing about this is this year I lost many close friends and dear relatives who passed away not far a part. In the mist of that I still had to hold up my head an encourage the other family members and than a follow up on how the children or spouse was doing after.
So taking those sabbatical times can really benefit the pastor and those around them in the long run.
I hear you Jim, but there is not a lack of productivity while a pastor is on sabbatical. I have never had one either, but can see how much productivity is accomplished by offering a pastor a sabbatical. His personal productivity as well as the church’s. It’s not that he is on vacation, which is how it is viewed by many.
Jim,
I guess calling it “the Lord’s money” is convenient when you’re trying to be stingy with it. Hope that you have enough of “the Lord’s money” left over when your pastor burns out and you have to replace him. I’m sure you’re a blessing to him though, being that you have real world experience. I’m sure he thanks God every day for people in his church like you! It’s okay though, because I guess you tithe a lot so you are untitled to a terribly harmful opinion.
I’m not stingy at all, but I do think it is a misnomer that pastors jobs are harder than secular work. In the secular world there is no such thing as a paid sabbatical – I think you are being way too sensitive. Think about it from a layperson’s point of view. It is not unusual for some to work a secular job, work overtime, tend to the house, and prepare and teach a weekly bible class or host and care for a smal group ….. Can we gave a paid sabbatical too?
Jim,
I can appreciate your not wanting pastor’s jobs to be considered harder than others. Everyone’s situation is different and each of us face unique challenges in any setting (ministry, business, politics, govt., etc.). My wife worked at a major DC law firm as a financial analyst for seven years. The firm is huge (about 1,000 partners), and it is as corporate and secular as it gets. One of their firm-wide policies is a paid, two-month sabbatical for EVERYONE employed by the firm on their 10th year. To say that paid sabbaticals don’t exist in the secular world is not accurate. They may not exist in YOUR world, but they do exist and they are beneficial not only to the company but to the worker. If you are in a position where you oversee hundreds of people perhaps you should use your influence to institute a sabbatical for yourself and other executives in your company. But don’t cheat your pastor because you haven’t led you company to take care of its executives.
I can’t help but woneder how important sabaticals would be if they were unpaid and self-funded?
I was a cop for thirty years and never had a paid sabatical and, knowing a good deal about both jobs, I can assure you a police officer’s job is every bit as stressful as a pastor’s since we deal with many of the same issues.
There were officers who would take some unpaid leave to re-focus. I did it myself after five years working deep undercover in the vice and narcotics division. I can promise you that it was quite stressful and twenty four hours a day work dealing with some really undesireable people.
I truly needed the four months I took off to redirect my tainted perception of human beings. But, since there was no paid sabatical available, I drew no salary during my time off, but I came back to work with a renewed energy to serve people in need.
Sabaticals are a topic of discussion at my church right now. My stance is that I do believe they offer a chance to clear your mind and find new focus and energy. However, our pastorial staff are already well paid (about sisteen percent higher than the average church of our size) and receive three to four weeks vacation (depenent on length of service) fifteen paid sick days (including family sick days) plus fourteen conference/continuing education days (including mileage and expenses).
And now they are asking for a paid three month sabatical! Keep in mind that we still have to pay for pulpit supply and/or and interim while the staff member is gone.
I again ask . . . how many would still want a three month sabatical if it were unpaid?
My guess is they would find a way to trudge on.
Jim Hoffman–You said, “In the secular world there is no such thing as a paid sabbatical.” I’m doing a little bit of research on sabbaticals and here is a list Below of at least 77 corporations who offer sabbaticals of various types for their employees. I think they’re useful and helpful for anyone and everyone. It’s a “Win-Win” for everyone. There are unpaid sabbaticals, fully-paid sabbaticals, partially-paid sabbaticals, and other types. This can (and does) work in the secular world and this can (and should) work in the church world as well. I think that we’d have healthier churches if pastors could take a sabbatical. I think that healthy churches are rare because healthy ministers are rare, and at least one reason that healthy ministers are rare is because of unhealthy structures that exist within the church creating a “lack-of’health” within the minister…a sabbatical is one solution that would assist this problem.
https://fairygodboss.com/career-topics/sabbaticals-77-companies-that-offer-them-and-why-they-re-good-for-employees-and-employers
There are several positions in the “real-world” that have sabbaticals. University professors and physicians, just to name a couple. In fact, it’s often times expected that they will take a sabbatical to do intense research and writing that will contribute to their respective communities. Most professional jobs extend time away from work to take continuing education courses and attend conferences. A sabbatical taken by a pastor is still work-time. This is time for a pastor to focus on a specific discipline or need. It’s a time used to gain perspective on the vision for the church at which he serves.
The idea that a pastor is lying on a couch at home while on a sabbatical is simply naive.
It disappoints me to think that certain individuals have such a low view of their pastor. A person who complains that they don’t get adequate time off is probably struggling with correct prioritization in their life. It also sounds like they believe others have to live by the same restrictions that have been placed on themselves.
We are to consider the needs of others before our own.
Jim I have done both secular work and Pastoring. I’ve currently been a Pastor for 15 years and while I’m only one example I can say with confidence that they are NOT the same. I was going to go on a long explanation as to why they are different, but it just hit me that I would be wasting my time. If scripture and common sense alone doesn’t point out the clear differences then I don’t see how my anecdotal evidence is going to sway you.
Scott,, that’s not fair. Please show me the scriptures that tell me the job of Pastor is harder than running a business. I am not arguing that mine is harder, but I don’t think a Pastor is harder than mine. Obviously depending on the circumstances one may be harder than the other, but surely not in all cases. I am open to learning – what scriptures should I be looking at? Fair question, is it not?
Jim,
I do not want to be argumentative but here is one difference. A Pastor is leading into eternal consequences while as a business leader the gains and losses are not directly eternal.
I agree with Jim Terry. My husband is retired from law enforcement and police have a lot of stress!
I would like to bring to the table a unique perspective that The Lord has graciously allowed me to experience. I am an Executive Pastor in a church that has recognized the wisdom of awarding a sabbatical to its pastors on a scheduled basis. The first after seven years of pastoral service in this church. Our Sr Pastor was awarded his first sabbitcal shortly after I was called to this church in 2006. He was awarded 6 weeks of leave and at the time had served this church for just under 20 years as it’s Sr Pastor. It was a delight to see what it did to his spirit, vision, energy and joy.
Iam presently planning my own sabbatical to focus on areas if renewal and vision that my wife and I have. We will take our leave on the mission field at a frequent short-term partnership location only this time we are going to “stop and smell the roses” together.
I said my perspective is unique and it is. I entered ministry while taking a sabbatical leave from my business career where I had become the President & CEO of a public company. The sabbatical leave turned into a time of reflection, renewal and reassessment of the future and the contribution I was be enabled by The Lord to make. It was a turning point for the usefulness of my life I the service of the Kingdom.
Being a pastor is more stressful than the experience of my business career on several critical levels. As a CEO I could demand performance. As a pastor I can demand nothing. As a CEO I had share holders who expected a return. As a CEO I have members who think I serve only them. As. CEO patterns of development were forecasted. As. pastor very little fits a forecast. I could go on and on.
The key is a pastor needs a sabbatical to find the patterns that develop in his life, in his family, in his church, and the context into which he leads.
Hi, Jim. I am moved by your observation regarding the rigors of the pastor’s work in juxtaposition to the rigors of the business world. Speaking as someone who has been in bivocational ministry (I have served simultaneously as a lead pastor and as a store manager for a leading retail electronics purveyor), I can testify to how difficult it is to come home from a double shift to turn right around and visit someone who has just been taken to the emergency room, and then to return home and get called to a home at 2 a.m. to pray with the family of someone who has just passed away,only to get back to the store for 8 a.m. for another full day. I did this routine (although in ministry there is no such thing as routine),for 5 years, taking vacation time when my work schedule allowed. I can appreciate your vantage, and thank you for your candor and openness in this dialog. I appreciate also the “walk a mile in my shoes” tenor of these posts, and I look forward to further insight and discussion of this topic with you and our fellow travelers. Blessings on you today.
Your phrase “Lack of productivity” shows that you do not understand the nature of pastoral work or of a sabbatical. The primary work of pastoral ministry is prayer and the ministry of the word. A sabbatical for pastors is an extended time of prayer and study so that the ministry of the word can be more powerful and effective. If anything, it is an INCREASE in productivity, not a lack of it.
In the business world it would be like being sent away for a few weeks of training. That person isn’t being unproductive. They are working hard (often harder than they would work normally). They are also increasing their productivity when they return.
The problem is, that pastors have to self-direct their training. Or more accurately, it is the Holy Spirit who is directing their sabbatical (when done correctly). So, it looks like a vacation to the uninformed. Instead a sabbatical, is an intense time of one-on-one with God. Think of it like the time in the wilderness like Moses, Jesus, and Paul had before their ministries began.
Also, It should be noted that while the job of a pastor has many of the same stresses as other jobs (all are sacred if done onto the Lord). There are additional spiritual stresses that are unique to this calling. Every pastor (and pastor’s family) is under constant spiritual attack in ways that the average person does not experience. I have counseled several pastors who were overwhelmed by the weight of spiritual attack they experienced. These were men who were successful in business and academics BEFORE they became pastors. They weren’t ready for the intensity of the emotional and spiritual stress they experienced.
Pastoral sabbaticals are a gift a church give to itself, because they recharge a pastor’s soul and help him to walk closer with God.
“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” – Hebrews 13:17
As we are considering a change of church policy to offer sabbatical leave to our current pastor, and any in the future, this reply from Sean has helped immensely! I am trying to do my research and encourage others in leadership to as well. While I personally feel that a sabbatical would be beneficial to the pastor and our congregation, we have others who disagree. Some of the points made here may help leaders and church members who are viewing this time as time away from the church, when really it is time for the Pastor to be with the Lord that can benefit the church upon his return (and for years to come) if planned thoughtfully. Thank You!
Absolutely disagree. There are some similarities in organizations but no way can you equate a business world environment to being a 24/7 servant in a church. Do 1500 business leaders depart each month? Pastors give their hearts and souls to their ministries and not many profit financially as in a growing “business.” And this analogy fails to consider the spiritual warfare involved in any ministry. Leaders are constantly under attack, many times from their own sheep. Walk a mile in a pastor’s shoes and your view will be dramatically altered,
this is the second or third mystical comment identifying the special “spiritual warfare” or “working for eternal perspectives”. I’m a bit confused as I read around other commenters sneakiness and then these. Spiritual warfare isn’t reserved for those in the pastorate. Pastors are teaching the congregants for ‘works of ministry’. Seems we are all in the same boat. This isn’t intended to be pro or con sabbatical, I’m just trying to learn, but some of the comments here seem to make me think, ‘you guys need to get over yourselves’.
As for the article, I’m having a difficult time with the purposes outlined. Very subjective and mushy. Not sure that I could base a decision for sabbatical on that…
on both accounts mentioned above, i may be too pragmatic, but I’m trying to learn.
I spent 20 years as a military officer, then owned a consulting practice for a few years, then became the Associate pastor of a church of several hundred before planting my present church of about 100 in a very small town. I can say without hesitation, that caring for the flock of God, even a flock as small as the one here, is FAR more mentally, spiritually and emotionally strenuous and exhausting than anything I did in the past, including commanding an Air Force squadron of 300 at a base that was closing during the European drawdown and 1st Gulf War aftermath. Jesus, who only ministered for 3 1/2 years, found it necessary to regularly withdraw for a time. With cell phones, email, text messages etc, and the expectation that one be instantly available, I’ve found it almost impossible to withdraw in that fashion. So, I’m taking a two month Sabbatical later this summer. Frankly, I am at a point where I take an extended time away or resign.
Are you on call 24/7? Do you get dozens of calls a week, all hours of the night to deal with the issues of all those people at work? Pastoring goes far beyond the relationships you have at work even though you do take some of that home with you. Pastor’s are 24/7 and called on for every hurt, heart ache, marital situation, death, illness, etc etc etc that goes on. VERY different than a job, pastoring isn’t a job, it’s a calling. Most wouldn’t make it if it were a job. There’s SO much behind the scenes that people don’t see that they do. I know because my husband is S pastor and I had NO clue before what it would be like.
Exactly. A three month Sabbatical for a pastor is non sensical. In the business world, that would be considered absurd. And some of us had very difficult and erratic jobs, just like the Pastor does. Dealing with the public, and church people can be a real challenge. But this is too much. Who wants to hear a lay person (who was not trained to preach) every Sabbath for three months. The GC tells us who will be our next Pastor (they decide, not the members) and then tell us that the Pastor gets up to 3 months off during the year. Sounds a bit over the top to me. What a job!!!!!!!! And as an aside, even when the Pastor is in…….we don’t hear Last Day messages, so what’s the scoop?
I agree , if a pastor only has to preach ,only 2hours a week . Why do they need a sabattical 3times or more a year.I have problems u derstanding this ,no i am not a pastor ,But i am a ch i ldcare cook ,I am responisble for 165 children daily with all kinds of allergies a, religous preferences. daily . 5 days a week No i may not be on call ,i havr to put up stock 3times a week an do orders 3 times a. Week . I dont understand why sabbatticals is.When I am out i miss sometimes very important information .Maybe I am missing something
Good question. However, there is no comparison. I have been in pastoral ministry for over twenty years. However, a few years ago I took a break from that career, due to burnout.
I managed a health clinic and had: 3 doctors under my care, 13 staff, and 3 thousand patients. I also oversaw close to a 2 million dollar budget. It was a piece of cake comapred to pastoral ministry. Other managers were stressed to no end, but for me, I could leave work at the door and still develop this medical practice, which flourished under my lead.
I have never written anything on this site, but after reading this comment stating that a Pastor’s “job” is no tougher than those responsible for hundreds under the care of people in the business world, I just had to respond…
So here we go.
As a former business owner having to shut down the business due to fulltime Pastoring (I have been Pastoring a church for 7 and a half years and taken on a second campus a year ago), I can assure you there are MANY differences.
First, in business, many owners and top line employees get 2-4 weeks paid vacation, several sick days, and, if emergencies arise there are leaves of absences and emergency days. What about a Pastor? Most of us get between no vacation and 2 weeks vacation, usually nothing is paid for (unless you’re pastoring one of those LARGE churches), and still there may be calls, emergencies, death, etc that can cause a Pastor to have to cancel whatever is going on to tend to the emergency needs of others. Let’s not forget to mention, we don’t get sick days and things of that nature. If I wake up Sunday and don’t feel too well, I “can” ask other ministers to step up and let the Lord use them; but it isn’t a guaranteed thing.
Second, typical hours for someone who runs a business will be moderated. Owners and top-line employees know how to shut off a phone and have quiet time/family time so long as they desire to have that balance in their lives. Kids graduating, they will be there. Special event coming up, they can schedule off. I couldn’t begin to tell you the things that I have had to let go (and have been happy to do so!) due to ministry duties/obligations including leaving this past Thanksgiving Dinnertime with Family to go to the Hospital when a call came in. Not only are we “working the services” (which is all some people think we do), but most of us spend 20-30 hours involved in the lives of other people, outreaches, etc. On top of that, those of us who are sincere about the call, we don’t google our content, but we seek the Lord for what he would have us to bring to the table. That means I am spending 5-9 hours preparing a message and I am usually preaching 2-4 of the services each week. This doesn’t include additional work at the churches, handling any situations that arise, making content for social media, etc. Many pastors like myself are engaged in the duties of ministry 60-80 hours per week.
Third, let’s look at payrates. A CEO over a typical business of 100 people will make between 300k and 1.3M per year according to the Salary website. Even a chief of staff makes at least $164,000 per year. If a CEO or Chief of Staff worked 60 hours per week, every week, that would average $53 per hour for the lowest paid Chief of Staff and $96 per hour for the lowest paid CEO (that’s without vacation, Holiday pay off, and any other bonuses as well).
A Senior Pastor of larger churches averages $70k per year. That is 76% less than a Chief of Staff with, typically, more hours and without bonuses, etc that a Chief of Staff and CEO would have.
Some Pastors such as myself get NO Salary and will either receive a love offering from time to time, love gifts from people personally, gas receipts paid, and/or parsonages provided.
* So I have yet to understand how a Pastor does not have a job that is tougher and/or more demanding for those in the “business world” that have people under their care. Why should businesses pay bonuses, holiday pay, vacation pay, sick leave, etc when that is a lack of productivity? That sounds like poor business to me.
Which brings me to my fourth point…. If a business leader fails to lead his/her people in the right way, the business may suffer (or even fail) and could cause something as drastic as the closure of that business and the loss of investments. However, if a Pastor fails at handling what is expected of him, the person they mishandle may end up in Hell…along with the Pastor. There is a far greater weight in ministry than there ever could be in business. Before I started Pastoring, I didn’t have that load on my shoulders. I told people about JESUS, I went to Church, I give tithes/offering, I was involved in church functions; but the weight and responsibility of ministry was NOT upon me. The business, whether it was up or down, didn’t cause me to lose sleep or to cry out with urgency in prayer over a customer that had walked away. The business never caused me to miss out on special moments, holiday get togethers, family time, or anything like that. As a Pastor it is expected by the people for us to be there…even at 3 in the morning if they are in need. The weight, the burden, the responsibility is FAR GREATER than leading a temporal business.
So as far as a sabbatical goes, a ‘secular view’ version of a Sabbatical is NOT Biblical. However, RESTING IS…and time away is a healthy thing! I personally try to set aside every Monday (as much as possible, but still available when needed, which can be quite often at times) as a day of REST. However, I believe that, sometime during the first half of a year there should be at least 1-2 weeks given to a Pastor to get away, rest, recharge the batteries…along with another 1-2 weeks during the last half of the year to do the same. 4 weeks out of a year sounds like a lot… but the hours add up, the pressure can take a toll, and we can push out of obligation rather than desire if we find ourselves in a place of burnout.
It is GOOD STEWARDSHIP to give the Pastor a BREAK for those few weeks every year and try to be mindful of a DAY SET ASIDE for RESTING each week where he is contacted only if necessary.
Pastors have tough jobs for sure, but no tougher than those of us responsible for hundreds under our care in the business world. Why should a church pay for the lack of productivity while their pastor is off on sabbatical? That seems to be poor stewardship of the Lord’s money.
Really!
I have seen a Minister who was granted some time off from preaching duties during the summer. He said it helped him and I would not argue against that. However, this church did not have Sunday night church and the minister did not have to do much for Wednesday night so he really only to have one sermon per week, not 2-3 like some have to do.
Most pastors will tell you, it’s not sermon study and preparation they want or need a break from. It’s everything else, particularly dealing with people and putting out fires. Whether a pastor prepared for 1 or 3 sermons a week isn’t going to make as much a difference in his energy level as what happens during the 75%+ of the rest of his time.
If it is only one sermon the. Easy enough you preach!
Works for me!!! When do I leave??? Seriously, speaking for bi-vocational pastors, I’m thankful I have “vacation days” with my secular job that allows me to take time off to spiritually re-fuel when needed.
I have never had one. Would not mind having one. Interested in seeing what others have to say about it.
Thanks Allen. I am interested as well. The readers at this blog are very well informed. Certainly you are.
I would really like to see the age demographic of the pastors looking for sabaticals. I think it would be very interesting
Yes Lord, few realize that the work of the ministry continues well through the week and can be quite consuming. I too would not mind having one and am dancing at the thought.
I hear the mention regarding ‘productivity’. The harvest of souls is the only productivity that we the clergy should be concerned with. Should we be developing our flocks (truly the Lord’s), their ‘right relationship’ with Jesus will remain. If the Pastor going for a few weeks derails the church, perhaps Jesus wasn’t the Cover to begin with and merely the bait.
If it be Jesus, and not a person a couple of things should persist:
Worship of Jesus
A credible ministry team who can do praise/worship, deliver a message, encourage and inspire and even correct should it be necessary but most of all pray.
After all, it is not anyone person who is the Head but Christ radiating.
I have passed this one trick for 21 years and have never had a sabbatical this is the first year that the church consider giving me one sabbatical and has never had a
It seems to me that a pastor answers the call from God to teach His people. The foundation is their faith, their education & study, but their inspiration & guidance comes from the Holy Spirit & conversations with God through prayer & solitude & renewal. I would think the sabbatical invaluable for that purpose. It is a win, win for the pastor & congregation.