Every occupation or vocation comes with it's own unique dynamics. Those unique dynamics affect things like work schedule, pay scale, educational requirements, benefits, work/life balance, stress level and more.

The vocation of the Pastorate also carries with it some of it's own unique dynamics. Pastors are expected to function as educators, counselors, organizational leaders, staff and project managers and in many churches building maintenance and contractors. It's not uncommon to see a Pastor that has a PHD in Theology leading a church through a building expansion campaign, explaining Hebrew and providing counseling all in one week. Pastoring is a job that has varied requirements and it's own share of opportunities and challenges.

One of the unique elements of vocations that are people-oriented, having an educational proponent and considered high-stress, is that of the occasional sabbatical. In many vocations a sabbatical is not common practice, but in pastoral ministry sabbaticals are a professional expectation...theoretically. In reality, only 15% of pastors ever have the opportunity to take a sabbatical.

In pastoral ministry, a sabbatical is an extended break away from ministry in the local church for the sake of rest, refreshment, professional development and spiritual formation. Sabbaticals in ministry often take place approximately every 7 years.

Why do so few pastors take sabbaticals? There may be several reasons, but one of the most common is that a sabbatical is simply never offered by the church. Most pastors would find it inappropriate to demand a sabbatical. Further, the nature of rotating leadership in churches, coupled with other dynamics of the average church, make the provision of a sabbatical an after-thought.

Let's look at some common issues that prevent churches from offering Sabbaticals:

Rotating Leadership - Many churches function with some sort of governance authority, whether it be a Governing Board, Board of Elders or some other structure that has some sort of transience. Whether the rotation in leadership is organic or institutional (think term limits for board members), many church leaders do not sit in leadership roles long enough to think in these terms.

There is also a great deal of transience among pastors. With the average pastoral tenure being only 4 years, many pastors simply don't stay in one place long enough to be offered a sabbatical. While it's certainly possible for a church to take service at prior ministries into consideration when determining whether to offer a sabbatical, it's not something that most pastors should expect.

One way to address this issue would be to offer 1 week of sabbatical for every year of service at the current ministry. For instance, if a pastor has been in ministry for 15 years, serving the last 5 years at their current ministry, a fair compromise may be to offer a 5 week sabbatical and then plan for a longer sabbatical in the future.

Church Size - The average church in the United States is 75 adults. This number probably implies several things in many churches; 1) There's not a lot of other staff, 2) There's not an excess amount of money.

When there is a limited amount of qualified leaders and financial resources available it can be hard for a church to believe that they could survive with their pastor on sabbatical. Who would preach? Who will lead the leaders? Who will unclog the toilets? What if giving and attendance decline? What if someone dies?

For pastors of small churches the development of leaders and the simplification of the church structure are of paramount importance. Sabbaticals aside, with a good leadership development culture and a simple approach to ministry, pastoring a local congregation can be a real joy.

To put it bluntly, pastors have to lead their churches to a point where the congregation could still thrive even if the pastor were on a sabbatical. If a pastor creates a situation where they are considered indispensable they can expect to live with the pressure and stress of being indispensable.

Culture - It's simple to understand, but complex to navigate - some cultures simply do not have a paradigm for something like a sabbatical. The entire idea may feel foreign to some. This is true of cultures across the world and cultures across the state. Some will question why the pastor should get a sabbatical while others don't get a sabbatical in their own profession.

If this issue should arise, it's important to explain that a sabbatical is not an extended vacation. It's a time for a pastor to become a better pastor. It's a form of professional development. Pastors can address this issue by presenting a clear development plan that would be executed while on sabbatical. A plan like this should include books to be read, churches to visit, conferences to attend and ministers to interview, etc.

A well executed sabbatical can be a life-changing, ministry-altering experience for a pastor. It can prevent burnout, refresh vision, provide objectivity and increase ownership of the church by laypeople.

If a pastor benefits from a sabbatical, by default the congregation will also benefit. Churches that wish to retain and develop their pastoral leadership should begin to make arrangements to provide their pastors with some sort of sabbatical in the future, even if it's limited. Most pastors will appreciate the gesture, even if it's small.