Sabbatical Crisis?

On September 12, 2022, I read an article by Thom Rainer entitled, “Is There a Sabbatical Crisis in Church Today?” After I read the article, I submitted a reply. Since several people have inquired about my 2022 pastoral sabbatical leave, I would like to share my submission (Before reading my reply, I recommend that you read Rainer’s article at https://churchanswers.com/blog/is-there-a-sabbatical-crisis-in-churches-today/). 

My Reply To “Is There A Sabbatical Crisis in Church Today?”

I’ve been in pastoral ministry for the past 25 years. I started taking a one-month sabbatical leave in September 2014. Therefore, the blog post caught my attention, and I read it with heightened interest. I couldn’t wait to read what I hoped might be confirmation of my current approach to sabbatical leave.

My sabbatical leave hinges on Jesus’ sagacious directions to the disciples when He told them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31, NASB). In my first sabbatical journal reflection, I stated the following: “By taking a sabbatical leave, I can get away from the pressure, problems, pain, and praise of ministry as well as the people to whom I minister.”

In 2019, my approach to sabbatical leaves changed significantly. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when September arrived, I didn’t take a sabbatical leave because our church was closed, and we were struggling to transition to an effective Livestream service. Thankfully, we made the transition. However, during that time, there was no way that I could be away from the church for a whole month. When the time came for my 2020 sabbatical leave, I didn’t go away for a month. Instead, I found moments for rest, recovery, and reflection. As I approached my present 2022 sabbatical leave, again, I sensed a need to be present as much as possible because of the recent changes to our church ministry caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. I expressed my uneasiness with taking a whole month’s sabbatical leave to our leaders, and we agreed an adjustment was necessary.

Here is my response to several of the hypotheses presented in “Is There A Sabbatical Crisis in Church Today?”

“Hypothesis #1: It’s the Covid effect”—This is true in my pastoral ministry context. Our church is going through a revitalization process to recover from the adverse effects of Covid-19. We are working through a process that we developed called “Reconnecting, Connecting, and Staying Connected To Your Local Church.” I don’t envision being away from the church during the revitalization process. Why?

“Hypothesis #4: Church doesn’t work like it did in the past.” We had conditioned our church that pastoral sabbatical leave is not a vacation for the pastor. On the contrary, it is an opportunity for the pastor to address soul-care and self-care to promote pastoral ministry sustainability. Before the pandemic, I could take a month-long sabbatical leave because we had ministry personnel that could cover my time away. However, at the present time our associate minister has a family, is in graduate school, and has a full-time job. Additionally, some of our previous church leaders have not returned to the church, and some new leaders need training to prepare them for my absence.

Additionally, our church is gaining positive momentum in recovering from the pandemic. Thus, the leaders celebrated this decision when I shared my desire to jettison my past sabbatical leave practices. The leaders stated, “Pastor, we agree that your absence would stop the present momentum of recovery and the exponential growth we have experienced following the return to in-person worship.” Many ministries and teams are adjusting to doing ministry on the back side of the pandemic. This effort requires my skill and knowledge of strategic planning and change management to keep the momentum moving forward and prevent stagnation or regression.

“Hypothesis #3: Culture is crazy”—This is true in my context as well. I have witnessed a significant cultural change since I started pastoring in 1996. I would like to believe that the Covid-19 pandemic initiated another cultural change. The pandemic opened the door for many of our members to become content with being away from the church, pastoral leadership, and other members who can help promote accountability to biblical standards in a “less Christian” culture. Once our church reopened, many people who promised they would return to church have yet to return (many of them may never return). Thus, if there was any time that I need to be present among the sheep, it is now. My presence helps to ensure that people become and remain faithful during times when pressure and temptation to turn away from God and biblical standards can become overwhelming.

“Hypothesis #2: The worship center is empty”— This is also true in my context. As our church continues to work through the process of going from only media staff, ensemble members, and musicians to a full congregation on Sunday mornings and ministries gathering throughout the week, the last person who needs to be viewed as away from the church when people are coming back to church is this pastor. Many people coming to church have not interacted with a pastor for at least two years. Thus, I am committed to being present during a time when people desire pastoral leadership for spiritual guidance, encouragement, biblical teaching and preaching, and pastoral counseling.

Even though I will not take a month-long sabbatical, I will continue to find moments to rest, recover, and reflect as I focus on self-care and soul-care. Hopefully, I can take a few trips with my wife, enjoy my grandkids, and get in a few rounds of golf. Each pastor and church is different. Thus, I offer the following general salient points.

First, seek God’s guidance in taking a sabbatical, and be open to God’s wisdom speaking into your life. Second, seek input from other leaders, and be open to God’s wisdom speaking through those who are genuine spiritual leaders. Third, do your best to create a culture of soul-care and self-care, and hopefully, the membership and community will value moments of rest, recovery, and reflection for pastors. Fourth, keep your schedule flexible during this season. At times, you will find extra time for soul-care and self-care; at other times, ministry needs may limit opportunities for sabbatical pauses. Fifth, do your best to train other leaders to do what you don’t need to do, so you can focus on the things that only you need to do. This goal can free up more rest, recovery, and reflection time.