Canadian Mennonite
Volume 11, No. 19
October 1, 2007


Pastoral Sabbaticals

Caring for your pastor

Why congregations need to consider providing regular sabbaticals for those who minister to them

By Karin Fehderau

Canadian Mennonite Correspondent

 

When Greg (a pseudonym) approached his church board members about taking a sabbatical, he was surprised by their response.

“No pastor at this church has ever taken one,” he recalled them saying. The board wasn’t sure where to start. Greg ended up guiding them through the process and, with his help, the board put in place a policy using Mennonite Church Canada guidelines, that gave him one month of sabbatical time per year served, with the understanding that he would work at least three years before using this time.

For his first break, the seasoned pastor decided to combine his holidays with the time-off the church was offering, thereby extending his leave to five-and-a-half months. “I just need a rest,” he explained to his parishioners. “I’m getting run down.” Although no one insisted, Greg decided to take a couple of university courses and, beyond that, to simply do nothing.

Greg plans to take the opportunity when it comes around again, but wonders how that, in over 70 years of being a congregation, this issue had never come up before.

Why they’re needed

The phone rings for the umpteenth time on his day off and, for no reason, the pastor snaps at his wife. Being on call 24/7 can make anyone irritable—and a pastor is no exception. What was supposed to be a day of rest can turn into a congregant’s birthday party or a funeral—using up a personal day and sometimes taking a heavy emotional toll.

Reasons for needing a break can be as different as the people who take them. Some want a break to pursue more education. Others want to travel and yet others do nothing more than simply rest.

Heidi Bartsch, the congregational health nurse at First Mennonite Church in Saskatoon, points to stress relief as the No. 1 reason pastors would need a sabbatical. “Stress can cause burnout. It affects physical health,” she says.

By its very nature, a sabbatical is a refreshing contrast, a chance to turn off the phone and shut out the needs of the many for an extended period of time. Rest and relaxation, a break from being with people all the time, and a need to rejuvenate, are all important reasons to take one, said the 20 or so church leaders at a recent Pastor’s Day in Osler, Sask.

“We pastors expect more of ourselves than Jesus did of himself,” said Gordon Allaby, pastor of the Osler Mennonite Church.

Allaby, who himself took three months off “with no plans,” set the stage for an honest look at why sabbaticals are important and how they happen before handing the floor over to several pastors who had recently returned from an overseas break.

The choices of what to do are as varied as the number of pastors who take them. One pastoral couple left on a six-week travel leave to England for visiting, sightseeing and spiritual renewal. Part of their trip included a 14-day walking pilgrimage, visiting churches and enjoying fellowship within an ecumenical community of fellow hikers.

Reading is often a favourite pastime of pastors on sabbatical. Garth Ewert Fisher, co-pastor of the Herschel Ebenfeld and Fiske Mennonite congregations, stopped in at a bookstore in Hay on Wye, Wales, during the pastoral sabbatical he took with his wife Claire.

As the only break in 30 years of ministry, Walter Jantzen, pastor of Horse Lake Mennonite, unexpectedly took a three-week trip to Germany in 1984 to visit relatives. “It was a gift from the church,” he said simply. “They sent us.” Jantzen and his wife Esther enjoyed the all-expenses-paid sabbatical as an expression of gratitude from their small congregation.

When Karen and Terry Martens Zimmerly took six months off over the winter of 1991-92, they custom-designed their leave according to gifts and personal interest. “Terry took counselling courses and I worked on two writing projects,” explained Karen, pastor of Grace Mennonite in Regina. After the sabbatical, her husband continued his studies and now has a part-time counselling practice.

Regardless of how the time was spent, however, all pastors seem to agree that a sabbatical is not something they deserve—as in an entitlement that comes with the job—but rather a gift from their church.

Letting go

Some congregations are nervous about saying bon voyage. Since a spiritual leader is such a powerful presence in people’s lives, there is often concern about who the replacement will be and how their worship experience might change.

“You’re not taking care of us,” was one comment heard by a rural pastor who was leaving the flock with lay leadership over the summer until a proper interim pastor could come in the fall.

Add to that the statistic that shows 75 per cent of church leaders who take a sabbatical leave their church within two years of returning, and a church family can be forgiven for looking worried.

“When I shared that with my board,” said Garth Ewert Fisher of Herschel (Sask.) Ebenfeld Mennonite, “they looked at each other and said, ‘Do we really want to do this?’”

Claire Ewert Fisher, co-pastor of the Fiske and Herschel Ebenfeld Mennonite churches in Saskatchewan with her husband Garth, visited the St. Columba cross on the Isle of Iona, Scotland, during a sabbatical the couple took to the British Isles.

Whether Grace Mennonite in Regina knew the statistic or not, its leaders made sure to have an understanding with their pastors before the two parties went their separate ways. “We took six months…with the agreement that we would return for a two-year period, so the church could benefit from our time of refreshment,” said Martens Zimmerly.

One small-town church tried a different approach. Instead of the congregation giving the pastor permission to leave, the pastor gave the people permission to take charge of church life through a hands-on plan. There was a commissioning service for the congregation so they could care for each other while the pastor was gone.

Church policy

Not all congregations make allowances for a pastor to have a paid leave. Some do, but the break doesn’t come soon enough for the pastor.

Having no policy does not mean a church is opposed to the idea, but has simply never been asked to arrange one for their pastor.

“I think all congregations should have sabbatical policies and all pastors should take them,” said Ray Friesen, pastor of Emmaus Mennonite in Wymark, Sask.

Jerry Buhler, MC Saskatchewan conference minister, explained there is a balance needed. “If not a policy, then at least an awareness of the value for both the pastor and congregation—and a willingness to arrange a sabbatical,” he said.

And a congregation doesn’t have to do it alone. Within the role of conference ministers is an opportunity for them to guide a church through the process—especially the practical aspects of taking a leave.

“This may include possible funding sources…and ways of replacing the pastor,” Buhler stated, suggesting that finding a replacement can be the shared responsibility of the church, conference and pastor.

Re-entry issues

Coming back is not always as easy as it sounds. During discussions around the topic, different leaders who had been on sabbatical spoke about their return.

“The [first] eight weeks were difficult,” admitted one pastor.

“I felt spiritually dead,” said another.

Dealing with emotional extremes was a common experience, even though each person reacted differently. Some pastors are eager to don the harness. Others need more time.

“I arranged for a slow stepping back in,” said Allaby. “I didn’t preach for two weeks.”

Reconnecting after being away takes time. Dealing with expectations again is also an adjustment. One pastor noticed that the congregation wanted to hand the workload back. Although unspoken, the idea was palpable: “Now that you’re back, you can pick up the slack.”

Pastors who had left also felt the need for a transition time when they stepped back into the role, by talking about what they did, what they learned and how it affected them. The church can sometimes be a listening ear in this case.

Realization that change had taken place on both sides during the separation was important to acknowledge. Different experiences equaled different learning opportunities.

One church’s experience

At Lethbridge (Alta.) Mennonite Church, there has been a planned-leave policy on the books for the last 10 years. The initial push behind the policy came from a retired pastor in the congregation.

Pastor Ruth Preston Schilk is now anticipating her second sabbatical. Jim Moyer is Lethbridge’s board vice-chair. He explained how the 80-member congregation is planning for her upcoming four-month absence by using in-house help. “Three members of our church will be speaking on a rotational basis,” he said, explaining, too, that deacons would be responsible for hospital visits.

“We asked two extra people to serve [as deacons] during that time,” said church chair Doug Wiebe. Since the church has several retired pastors and lay speakers in its midst, it was easy to find people to preach, said Wiebe.

Church council approved a different approach for Schilk’s first sabbatical. A youth pastor who was leading an MC Canada program at the church expressed an interest in getting more pastoral experience. When Schilk left, the youth pastor took over preaching duties in a part-time role. He eventually moved into full-time ministry.

Wiebe admits that passing a sabbatical policy does not guarantee acceptance of the concept. “There’s still a process to explain,” he said, adding that “it’s important to communicate clearly.”

Although the path leading to a planned leave is sometimes a rocky one to navigate, pastors usually affirm it was worth every bump along the way when they return refreshed and ready to shoulder the load once more.

“A pastor is never not a pastor,” said Wiebe. Which is why a sabbatical can be a good idea.

What’s your policy on sabbaticals?

One pastor’s experience in navigating the waters of pastoral negotiations

By Lorne Epp

When I began the process of discussing a working relationship with Tiefengrund Rosenort Mennonite Church, Laird, Sask., in 2000, one of my questions was, “What’s your policy on sabbaticals?” The answer was that they had never given a sabbatical and would deal with it if and when the time came. Being somewhat naïve about this pastor negotiation stuff, I simply accepted that, not knowing how to pursue it further.

And it wasn’t to re-appear again for a good number of years. The seed for my sabbatical process germinated in 2003 while on a two-week Mennonite heritage tour in Ukraine. Some of our time was spent in the former Mennonite colonies around Zaphorozye. Hilda, my wife, and I both have ancestral history there, so that was a highlight of our tour. A highlight within a highlight was our visit to the Mennonite Centre in Molochansk. We were drawn to the rural setting of this program and the hands-on individual approach and numerous smaller ways of assisting the community.

It was exciting news for us when, about a year later, we realized that the centre utilized short-term North American volunteer directors. We felt a real desire to pursue this opportunity.

We prayed about it, but we were so excited that at times we seemed ahead of the Spirit. We chose to contact the centre’s directors and see if we would be suitable for the position. Almost immediately they felt this would be a good match and asked when we would like to be at the centre. Now the Spirit really was working!

That same year, our summer travels took us back to Indiana, where we had lived for seven years in the ’90s. As was our custom, we visited with our friends, Patrick Preheim and Patty Friesen in Minneapolis, Minn.; at that time, they co-pastored Faith Mennonite Church there. Late-night conversation loosed our tongues and we shared our dream of going to Ukraine. They shared in our excitement.

Patty is Canadian and I knew their predisposition to pastor in Canada someday, so I laid out the fleece, inviting them to come to Canada for a few months and pastor my congregation, drive my truck, cut the grass and have the “Great Canadian Vacation.” There was definitely interest in this offer.

After vacation, it seemed time to approach the church. I wrote a letter of sabbatical proposal to the church deacons and executives. At a meeting a week later, although supportive, their main questions were:

• Who will fill your place? and,

• What are the financial implications?

By this time, I had been in conversation about this with Ken Bechtel (then MC Saskatchewan conference minister). Prior to the next church council meeting, I gave each member a copy of the proposal and Ken was invited to attend. With his help, we were able to start a framework to approach questions that would need to be agreed upon.

I sensed the council supported the concept enthusiastically. The concept was agreed upon in principle, but a decision needed to be made by the congregation. That happened later.

The Spirit wasn’t only present, the Spirit was moving things. Plans were falling into place. We could confirm our time with the Molochansk centre’s board and begin planning. Our sabbatical would be from Aug. 1 to Nov. 31, 2006.

It was decided that Patrick would come to Tiefengrund for August and October. Not only would there be a sabbatical, there would also be a type of pastoral exchange. For me, this was a huge relief. I felt it was important for some type of continuity while I was gone.

But what about the other two months? The Worship Committee initially felt it would pulpit supply on a weekly basis. But after sharing my concerns and a bit of name-dropping, committee members took the bait and asked Audrey Mireau Bechtel for September and Erwin Tiessen for November.

I asked to remain on full salary to maintain my benefits, but volunteered to donate part of my wages to the church over and above my tithe. The end effect on the church budget was negligible. So, everything was falling into place.

The last Sunday of July was set as sort of a farewell/commissioning service. Conference minister Jerry Buhler was invited and we hoped to have a special church family time. Patrick had arrived by then, and he was part of the service and had a chance to get to know a few more of the congregation.

But being away from your congregation, however attractive that sounds, makes you wonder:

• How will everything work?

• Who will check the mousetraps?

• Will the word be spoken? and,

• Who will wind the clock?

Of course, the answers had always involved “me.” I jokingly said numerous times, that I hoped my key would fit the office door when I returned.

And so we left for Ukraine and our new responsibilities.

Patrick left me completely alone. No calls on where this was or how that was done. Nor did I ask how this or that was going. Truth be said, communication between us and the church was minimal.

Early on, though, Hilda and I chose to keep a daily journal on a blog. Some of our congregation read it electronically, while others read printed postings at church every week. But there was almost no written response. It seemed that people got the information they needed about us and simply waited for the next week to hear more.

So, from my perspective, things went well for Tiefengrund and Patrick. Being younger and a bit more liberal, I was pleased to hear that he had moved into some areas that are difficult for me. Also, not knowing the background and history of the people and community, he was able to innocently trample through some people’s backyards.

We arrived home at 3 a.m. on Nov. 29, to find two feet of snow and the Christmas lights already up. This was one part of the sabbatical that I had planned badly. I went back to work immediately. After all, I was “indispensable.”

It took until the end of January, after the annual meetings, until I felt I had a grip on things.

Was the sabbatical worth it? Yes!

In anticipation of my sabbatical, I asked an experienced person what to watch out for on returning. He listed two:

• Depression; and,

• Expect to deal with the fact you will come back a changed person.

In conclusion, I return to the statement I was given when hired in 2000. “We’ll deal with it if and when it comes up.” A bit frustrating at the time and certainly not in line with conference guidelines. But for us, the right answer.

I didn’t feel I had earned a sabbatical—and I’m a bit uncomfortable when pastors feel they are owed a month of sabbatical for every year they work.

For Tiefengrund and me, the sabbatical was not a scheduled event. It happened because they were ready and I was ready. I’m thankful we were both ready at the same time.

Lorne Epp is pastor of Tiefengrund Mennonite Church, Laird, Sask.

Kinds of sabbaticals

1. Study Leave

Undertaken to work on a particular learning goal; it is not a vacation.

2. Rest and Spiritual Renewal Leave

Should be planned as part of every leave, but sometimes a leave should be taken for this purpose alone. Even Jesus needed to do this from time to time (see Luke 5:15-16).

3. Service Leave

Releases pastors when they have a particular expertise or interest that is needed for a time by another part of the church.

4. Special Assignment

Releases pastors for short periods—usually not more than one month—to work on a special assignment.

5. Pastoral Exchange

Usually an international or cross-cultural exchange in which pastors and their families trade homes and jobs while retaining their own salaries.

—MC Canada

For discussion

1. Do you know anyone who has been granted a sabbatical? Did the person do anything special with this time? Were there specific expectations? In what ways is a sabbatical different from a vacation?

2. Fehderau writes, “pastors seem to agree that a sabbatical is not something they deserve…but rather a gift from their church,” and Epp makes a similar comment. What is the difference between a gift and an entitlement? Should pastors expect sabbaticals?

3. Epp says that going back to work immediately was a bad plan. Why would it be difficult to fit back into pastoral ministry after a break? What alternatives might Epp have considered?

4. Does your congregation have a sabbatical policy? What are some other ways that congregations can help pastors deal with stressful situations?

—Canadian Mennonite


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