Actscelerate.com

How Much Rest Does A Pastor Really Need?

Member Posts: 46 **7/18/21 10:36 am**

I was raised as a PK in the Church of God. Our family took vacations â€” we would miss a Sunday or two during the summer & a Sunday during the Holidays. My dad retired from ministry in the 90â€™s. Since 2011, we have attended two non-denominational churches â€” one for almost eight years & this one now for going on three years. In both churches the pastors have taken extended sabbaticals during the summer & throughout the year, the pastor is present about eight months out of twelve.

I look back when my dad pastored & to the many friends pastoring today â€” they all take time off, but not to the extent of missing four months of Sundays each year.

Acts-celerater Posts: 787 **7/21/21 8:20 pm**

I had this conversation with someone from a Methodist church recently. He was telling me his pastor received a three month sabbatical. Wow.
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Acts Mod Posts: 25305 **7/22/21 7:39 am**

How many of our pastors are bivocational? This adds stress and pressure to the ones already present in the pastorate.
Camp meeting isn't vacation.
Working youth camp isn't vacation.

Sometimes even vacation isn't vacation.

Want to know the truth? Far too many of us have never learned to relax and deal with stress. The idea of sabbatical is a good idea on paper but in all honesty, it's just too impractical for the largest percentage of our pastors and churches.
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Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **7/22/21 8:54 am**

Most COG churches don't have the leadership infrastructure to support a month(s) long sabbatical. Most COG churches don't have the financial resources to fund such an endeavor either. To pay a pastor's salary and also financial remuneration for pulpit supply would put a major strain on our smaller churches.

Let's face another fact. We don't do well with leadership vacuums. Many of our churches are built around the charisma of the senior pastor. In addition to his preaching ministry, he does most of the "hands-on" ministry as well. I'm not saying this is biblical at all.

How did the children of Israel do while Moses was on sabbatical? Aaron and his friends got together and formed a golden calf committee.

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3147 **7/22/21 8:59 am**

Is it actually "vacation" or is he ministering in other venues? I attend a large church as well and yes my pastor takes off a number of times a year, but I know at least half of those are in leading seminars and such that he really enjoys doing. Just curious. My pastor (and our shared pastor for most of the 80s/90s if you are who I think you are), worked way too hard sometimes and having lived across the street from him for a while I know he didn't get 2 days a week off like most of us non-pastors. But they don't make them like that anymore I don't think, he (and your dad) was a tough old bird.

that said, if your pastor is really off 4 months out of the year, then that seems excessive, but maybe he works 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for 8 months ??

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **7/22/21 10:59 am**

Comments of RR and Da Sheik are spot on. I was raised as a PK. As a family we NEVER had a vacation where a motel or Hotel was used except for the General Assembly.
He treated 'His People' like family.
Dad considered Camp Meeting as a vacation and 'filling station' (his words). If dad had a fault it was putting the church above his family. Right or wrong, he still raised an over all well rounded family.
He would take us into the mountains and 'camp'. Meaning mom and dad slept in the car the kids outside on the ground in blankets. It was always mon/Tuesday or Thurs/Fri. LOL
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