On Sabbaticals for Pastors

Josh Espinosa has a post directing us to the Ordained Servant , where there is a discussion of rest and Sabbaticals for ministers of the Gospel. Interestingly, most churches do not give their ministers Sabbaticals. David VanDrunen explains:

Sabbaticals are a foreign idea to most people who are not professors, and thus many congregations and sessions may never have thought about granting a sabbatical to their pastor. This present article is designed to encourage congregations and sessions to do just that. Sabbaticals can be a healthy and productive means for ministers to become better students of God’s Word and thus to become better pastors. By permitting a pastor time for focused study and learning, sabbaticals can benefit not only the pastor himself, but more importantly the congregation that he serves and the broader church.