Transcript
Ben Fallon: Today's question comes from a pastor who has been in ministry for more than thirty-five years, and he's currently working on a thesis project focusing on “The care of Pastors and how the benefits from a sabbatical leave could help them remain in ministry.” So, Paul, “What are your thoughts on pastors taking sabbaticals? How long should a sabbatical be? How frequently should sabbatical leave be offered?” And then, “Did you ever take a sabbatical? What did you do during it, and how did it refresh you and your family?” So, if you can speak, not only to pastors, but also to churches and elders as they consider offering sabbaticals to their pastors.
Paul Tripp: Well, as I often do, I want to frame this question and my answer with a passage that speaks, maybe more directly than we would think, to this topic. It's 1 Timothy 5:17 and 18.
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
Now this is written by Paul to Timothy, and Paul's giving him counsel on how the church is to be organized. You could entitle 1 & 2 Timothy, “Order in the Church,” because that's what it's about. And his advice to Timothy is both direct and practical, and it's wonderful that this practical material has been recorded and preserved for us by our Lord. These verses, that I read, address how the pastors of Christ's church should be viewed and treated.
So, although this passage doesn't directly address sabbaticals, it surely is helpful in addressing the way we think about and provide for those who lead Christ’s Church. I have been a pastor, I was a pastor for many years, and I know the weight of that work. I know the amount of time that it consumes. I know the emotional and spiritual warfare that it involves. I know the physical and mental exhaustion that happens. And so, I think that offering a pastor sabbatical is well within the spirit of the passage that I just read.
So, what should a sabbatical be like? Well, it offers a pastor a time to eat a little bit of the grain. Instead of being the one teaching, he gets to go someplace and be taught. I mean, the first time I went on sabbatical, and I sat as a recipient of teaching, I was in tears the whole service because it'd been so long since I had been in that position. He gets to rest instead of leading. He gets to pastor his family instead of the whole church.
Now, I want to give you my own experience here, and this is not biblical wisdom, hopefully, this is some PT wisdom. I think six months is a wonderful period of time. You get just a couple months; you barely get away from ministry and get untangled from ministry and you're back again. And so, I think six months every several years is a wonderful, wonderful thing. I love it when a pastor comes back renewed and excited again. And I love it when he's missed the people that he serves and works with and can't wait to get back into the saddle. I think that's a beautiful thing.
Now, I think what you need to do is part of your calling of a pastor, part of whatever contract you sign with him should include a well-designed sabbatical plan. Have a plan that can kick in when the appropriate number of years goes on. Obviously, a pastor's full pay and benefits continue during the sabbatical.
Now, I want to say one final thing. The sabbatical is also really good for the church because absence sometimes does make the heart grow fonder, and they learn to appreciate the work that this man has done in his absence. It also helps other leaders in the church to emerge, gives them a place to exercise their gifts. And as I said, helps the church to grow in gratitude while their pastor is away.
So, although the Bible doesn't speak to sabbaticals directly, it surely speaks to sabbaticals in principle and the way a pastor should be respected and cared for. And I think there are a lot of pastors out there who have been in the work too long, and they need to be given the ability to eat a little bit of grain for a while.
BF: Thank you, Paul, and I'd like to recommend two resources that we have for pastors. While they don't specifically mention sabbaticals, we pray that Paul's books, Dangerous Calling, and, Lead, will be helpful for pastors remaining in ministry. You can learn more about these books at paultripp.com/collections/dangerous-calling and paultripp.com/collections/lead. Now, if you're a pastor, of course we highly recommend these to you. But even if you're just a church member who wants to support your pastor and his family and the unique struggles and temptations that come with being in ministry, these books are for you as well.
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