The Sabbatical—a Passport to Good Health

A sabbatical is a period of rest with a purpose. The idea of a sabbatical has biblical origins. The very root of the word is the same as that of “Sabbath.” Throughout the Old Testament God instructs people to work six days and rest on the seventh. In Leviticus, God instructs people to allow the land to rest every seventh year—meaning no farming, no planting, no harvesting.

To help instructors renew their passion for their academic specialties, medieval colleges and universities began to grant professors a leave of absence every seven years. Most colleges and universities continue this practice today—giving teachers the opportunity to rest, expand their knowledge, write, travel to  places relevant to their area of study and to teach at other institutions.

Pastors find sabbaticals to be transformative experiences that strengthen and develop their ability to serve the congregation. The results of a well-planned “recreation” may include the following:

• spiritual renewal;
• rest;
• education; and
• gaining a new perspective.

What do pastors do on a sabbatical?

Pastors may pursue their special interests and feel refreshed by:

• visiting the Holy Land;
• visiting companion congregations throughout the world, while meeting and working with mission personnel;
• resting and achieving renewal of the body, mind and spirit; and
• writing—the sabbatical can be used as a time to finish a dissertation or compose articles for publication.

Who pays for the sabbatical?

A sabbatical isn’t cheap, but because a sabbatical helps your pastor to be more healthy, effective and knowledgeable—and therefore more valuable—it is well worth it for the congregation to pick up the tab. And don’t forget, the congregation needs to pay guest preachers while the pastor is away. Here are some ideas to help with the bottom line:

• Plan well in advance (several years), and put the sabbatical into the annual budget.
• Apply for a Lilly National Clergy Renewal Program Endowment, which distributes grants to churches to help them with pastor sabbaticals. For more information go to www.clergyrenewal.org.
• After educating the congregation on the need and purpose of the pastor’s sabbatical, take special offerings.

When should the pastor take a sabbatical?

Timing is everything. The length and timing of your pastor’s sabbatical are important issues to take into consideration.

In planning the time of a sabbatical, the seven-year tradition is a good place to start.

As to the length of the sabbatical, a good rule of thumb is to provide one month of sabbatical for every two years of service.

And don’t forget to plan for a period of re-entry. It will take the pastor a few weeks to get back into the routine.

Reprinted from Seeds for the Parish.