Reasons a pastor would take a 3 month break

[coadie]

Originally Posted by pelathais

In some ways a pastor's job is something like an academic position. Sabbaticals are routine in academia. Also, it may be that he has family to care for, an elderly parent or a special needs child... maybe he's giving someone else a "break" from their chores while he takes a break from his?

Some of my fellow profs way back took a break from sabbaticals and occasionally worked.

John Wesley the early leader of the Holiness Movement did 15 sermons a week.

From this point forward Wesley would travel approximately 8,000 miles each year on horseback preaching an average of over 15 sermons a week (42,000 total in his life), almost until the day he died. It is estimated that he covered over 250,000 miles, almost all of it on horseback, during his life of preaching.

No car, no A/C and no lawn mower for chores back home.
I do think 20,000 miles a year for deer hunting and bass fishing trips is excessive for full time ministry.

[CC1]

Originally Posted by nahkoe

And not attend his church during this time either?

Can anyone think of anything?

I've visited a church 2 weeks in a row. The first week, the pastor wasn't there. Ok, he's out of town. No big deal. But tonight, he was there before service and I met him. But then not there for service, and the guy who preached mentioned that the pastor has been taking a break all summer.

??????

Saints.

[Revelationist]

Originally Posted by nahkoe

And not attend his church during this time either?

Can anyone think of anything?

I've visited a church 2 weeks in a row. The first week, the pastor wasn't there. Ok, he's out of town. No big deal. But tonight, he was there before service and I met him. But then not there for service, and the guy who preached mentioned that the pastor has been taking a break all summer.

??????

When a saint doesn't show up all summer, he's backslide... I'm sorry, a pastor is suppose the be the example... why not just close the church down for the summer if that's the example that he's setting...

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Revelationist

When a saint doesn't show up all summer, he's backslide... I'm sorry, a pastor is suppose the be the example... why not just close the church down for the summer if that's the example that he's setting...

I wonder if the Pastor will be paying tithes while he is gone?

Hmmm...I wonder if this is a paid vacation for the pastor?

[Margies3]

You know, I have really mixed feelings on this.........

Our pastor took a 6 week sabbatical 3 years ago and I had mixed feelings at that time as well.

I know that pastoring is a hard job with lots of stress. I do understand that. But on the other hand, Walt's job as a civil engineer is a hard job as well. AND after he finishes there, he comes home and in the evenings and on weekends, his VOLUNTEER position is as Assistant Fire Chief in our town. Talk about a high stress position!! But has he ever been offered a paid sabbatical? nope. never. He gets 3 weeks paid vacation per year. Our pastor gets 4 weeks. So even then, he's ahead of the game.

The real kicker for me the year that our pastor took his sabbatical was that it was scheduled to begin the day after Walt's aneurysm ruptured. Understand that ours is not a large church. Maybe 120 on a good Sunday. The church people were at the hospital constantly. They were a wonderful support system.

But our pastor came to me privately and said, "I have decided that I am not going to cancel or postpone my sabbatical. If Walt doesn't make it, give me a call and I will come out of it to preach his funeral. Otherwise, I will see you in 6 weeks." I told him bluntly that if Walt didn't make it, I would be having someone else preach his funeral. I didn't even plan to call and let him know. My feeling was that if he didn't care enough to be there to be the support that we needed to get him through, then I would find that support somewhere else. And it was at that point that I lost almost all of the respect that I had ever had for the man as a minister. I'm sorry. Maybe that sounds hard-nose. But if a shepherd doesn't care anymore than that for his sheep in his care, then he doesn't care very much at all, does he?

[Sherri]

Originally Posted by Margies3

You know, I have really mixed feelings on this.........

Our pastor took a 6 week sabbatical 3 years ago and I had mixed feelings at that time as well.

I know that pastoring is a hard job with lots of stress. I do understand that. But on the other hand, Walt's job as a civil engineer is a hard job as well. AND after he finishes there, he comes home and in the evenings and on weekends, his VOLUNTEER position is as Assistant Fire Chief in our town. Talk about a high stress position!! But has he ever been offered a paid sabbatical? nope. never. He gets 3 weeks paid vacation per year. Our pastor gets 4 weeks. So even then, he's ahead of the game.

The real kicker for me the year that our pastor took his sabbatical was that it was scheduled to begin the day after Walt's aneurysm ruptured. Understand that ours is not a large church. Maybe 120 on a good Sunday. The church people were at the hospital constantly. They were a wonderful support system.

But our pastor came to me privately and said, "I have decided that I am not going to cancel or postpone my sabbatical. If Walt doesn't make it, give me a call and I will come out of it to preach his funeral. Otherwise, I will see you in 6 weeks." I told him bluntly that if Walt didn't make it, I would be having someone else preach his funeral. I didn't even plan to call and let him know. My feeling was that if he didn't care enough to be there to be the support that we needed to get him through, then I would find that support somewhere else. And it was at that point that I lost almost all of the respect that I had ever had for the man as a minister. I'm sorry. Maybe that sounds hard-nose. But if a shepherd doesn't care anymore than that for his sheep in his care, then he doesn't care very much at all, does he?

Margie, that's not the heart of a true shepherd. I'm sorry that you went through this time without your man of God there.

[Praxeas]

My first pastor never took a vacation...to him campmeeting was a vacation or GCs...I think one time too he was given money to go on a vacation and he used the money instead for the church.

The church was his life.

[Revelationist]

Originally Posted by Margies3

I know that pastoring is a hard job with lots of stress. I do understand that. But on the other hand, Walt's job as a civil engineer is a hard job as well.

I say, the pastor that thinks his job is the hardest needs to go get a real job in Construction and see what the real world is like...

[U376977]

Originally Posted by Margies3

You know, I have really mixed feelings on this.........

Our pastor took a 6 week sabbatical 3 years ago and I had mixed feelings at that time as well.

I know that pastoring is a hard job with lots of stress. I do understand that. But on the other hand, Walt's job as a civil engineer is a hard job as well. AND after he finishes there, he comes home and in the evenings and on weekends, his VOLUNTEER position is as Assistant Fire Chief in our town. Talk about a high stress position!! But has he ever been offered a paid sabbatical? nope. never. He gets 3 weeks paid vacation per year. Our pastor gets 4 weeks. So even then, he's ahead of the game.

The real kicker for me the year that our pastor took his sabbatical was that it was scheduled to begin the day after Walt's aneurysm ruptured. Understand that ours is not a large church. Maybe 120 on a good Sunday. The church people were at the hospital constantly. They were a wonderful support system.

But our pastor came to me privately and said, "I have decided that I am not going to cancel or postpone my sabbatical. If Walt doesn't make it, give me a call and I will come out of it to preach his funeral. Otherwise, I will see you in 6 weeks." I told him bluntly that if Walt didn't make it, I would be having someone else preach his funeral. I didn't even plan to call and let him know. My feeling was that if he didn't care enough to be there to be the support that we needed to get him through, then I would find that support somewhere else. And it was at that point that I lost almost all of the respect that I had ever had for the man as a minister. I'm sorry. Maybe that sounds hard-nose. But if a shepherd doesn't care anymore than that for his sheep in his care, then he doesn't care very much at all, does he?

Margie, You must really have the HG! I would have just as bluntly told him what he could kiss and he would not be my pastor anymore, period.

When my mom had a heart by-pass X6 and two weeks later a massive stroke. I called my BF and told him I really needed him, called 3 times. No return call! Another friend who did call, let me know that he had talked with my first friend, se he definately knew. I wrote him off as a friend and he just recently sent me a friend request 16 years later on FB, I accepted and sent him an email. No responce until there was a virus on FB where it looked like a porn video was on my pg. He sent me an email saying "I hope you are not messed up." !! Some people have the nerve! That will be my last communication with him, period.

[Revelationist]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

I wonder if the Pastor will be paying tithes while he is gone?

Hmmm...I wonder if this is a paid vacation for the pastor?

When I've seen this type of behavour from a pastor, he's looking for aother church, or backslide... Usually looking for another church, but keeping his options open...