Lately, as I have led retreats and workshops with pastors and deacons across the country, I have conducted a straw poll asking, “How many of you have ever had a sabbatical?” I have been downright shocked by how many clergy have never had a sabbatical. It’s a very high number – at least 80%. I have found that most congregations don’t even have a sabbatical policy.
For those who do have a sabbatical policy, I’ve found the norm to be a three-month sabbatical every seven years. While that’s certainly a move in the right direction, I feel strongly that seven years is way too long. Typically, the vision and energy of the leader wanes tremendously somewhere between years three and five. If we wait seven years to have a sabbatical, we’ve already lost whatever momentum and fire that once existed which makes it exponentially more difficult to re-energize the congregation.
I’ve heard many reasons why congregations hesitate to provide sabbaticals for their clergy, most often related to finances or concerns about pulpit supply during their absence. But sabbaticals should be viewed as an investment in the leader’s renewal, which directly impacts the health and vitality of the congregation. A thriving church begins with a healthy leader.
“Sabbaticals are an investment in the leader’s renewal, which directly impacts the health and vitality of the congregation.“
My favorite negative response to the idea of a sabbatical is when a parishioner says, “I don’t get a sabbatical, why should you?” We can all see the narrow-minded selfishness in such a statement. But let’s be honest, we all hear it. So let’s do some math.
The average full-time clergy-person gets one day off a week and four weeks of annual vacation.
Four weeks of vacation per year is 28 days
One day off/week minus four weeks for vacation is 48 days
Total days off a year for clergy = 76 days
Now this assumes that no one has died or had a family crisis on your weekly day off, so it’s reasonable to say that the average clergy does not get 76 days off a year, but let’s go with that number.
The average employee gets two days off a week and two weeks of annual vacation.
Two weeks of vacation per year is 14 days
Two days off/week minus two weeks for vacation is 100 days
Total days off a year for an average employee is 114 days
So an average employee gets 38 days off (5 ½ weeks) more than clergy per year. Add into this the intensity of our work in the church as we walk with people through the ebbs and flows of life.
Let’s take this out further. Let’s assume that clergy receive a 13-week sabbatical every four years. Thirteen weeks is 91 days. Let’s add up the days off for clergy over four years.
76 days off/year multiplied by 4 = 304 + 91 days of sabbatical = 395 days off
Over four years the average employee without a sabbatical receives:
114 days off/year multiplied by 4 = 456 days off
Even with a 13-week sabbatical every four years, the average employee receives 61 more days off (nearly 9 weeks) than clergy.
“A thriving church begins with a healthy leader.“
Imagine knowing that every four years you will have an opportunity for renewal, investment in family, skill development, and visioning. How much value would that add to your leadership and the health and vitality of the congregation? If you don’t feel safe to speak with the leaders of your congregation about getting time for renewal, perhaps there is a colleague or synod leader who could advocate for you. What sorts of things are stopping you from addressing your congregational leaders about the importance of sabbatical and intentional time away?
God bless you!
