My response is for anybody thinking along those lines. Don’t leave your calling. I was a pastor, I left. The grass isn’t greener. I make more money, but I will never be complete until I return to some type of full time ministry.I needed a sabbatical, not a career change. Live and learn________________areyoureadyfortherapture.blogspot.com/
More than a few times, I have wanted to move on…NOT because I don’t love ministering, but because I felt that surely someone could come in and do a whole lot better job than I seemed to be doing.I do, however, try to take refuge in the fact that God, knowing all my shortcomings, was the One Who put me where I’m at. Further, it is just a sad fact that there are places that better men than me don’t have to consider…since they have so many seemingly better opportunities elsewhere.A Loran Livingston is not going to have to even consider a Jasper, Florida, because every major church in the denomination would be in a bidding war of sorts to get a man of that caliber. At the same time, I am delighted that God saw fit to let me come and pastor this 105-year-old church. I consider it about the finest gig in Florida in some ways. Besides, if pastoring here can just about mess me over, think how much worse it would be trying to hang with a much larger church.
My friend, I understand exactly what you are saying. Not ME, I quit and needed to quit, but my dad retired, and what he needed was a sabbatical not retirement. He was never happy with his decision after six weeks.I wish, I pray, that churches (even out general church) could some how HELP in a sabbatical for the ministers who need them. In my opinion one of the greatest short comings of a central government that cannot somehow connect and ASSIST a man of GOD who needs a few weeks to RECHARGE.I say that from EXPERIENCE in the business world. I can remember wanting to just quit and go as far back in the mountains as possible and live. I could afford that and in effect did. but three weeks I was itchy and in a month I was back in the building business full speed ahead.I have not experienced your situation my friend, but I think I know exactly how you feel. I believe a paid sabbatical in your case would have been a blessing to some church. JMHO! ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
OTCP, many of my friends who were my peers when I thought I was a preacher confided in me much later. (I left the ministry and re-entered the service and retired). When I would meet them at Camp Meeting or on the street woud say to me, I should have stayed in the Navy (Army or the Corps) and retired like you. These men were successful COG pastors all four men pastoring large congregations, full salary and benefits. They needed some time off, paid by the church. Each of those churches could have paid an interim pastor, BUT NO ONE IS THERE TO SPEAK FOR THE PASTOR. SOMEONE SHOULD TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK AT THE HEART OF A MAN WHO IS GIVING 110%, BUT IS ABOUT GIVE OUT.No difference in the small church pastor. A denomination our size should have the finances to assist, maybe not fully, tghe small preacher who loves his church but needs a break.I have met at least 20 retired COG preachers who would fill in for nothing or only a ‘love offering’. Sorry to go on and on, but this is a very important point,and idea. ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
Thank you for the kind post, I appreciate your heart. I wish I was close enough that we could have sit down and visit. If you visit the PNW, let me know! ________________areyoureadyfortherapture.blogspot.com/
My friend, I understand exactly what you are saying. Not ME, I quit and needed to quit, but my dad retired, and what he needed was a sabbatical not retirement. He was never happy with his decision after six weeks.I wish, I pray, that churches (even out general church) could some how HELP in a sabbatical for the ministers who need them. In my opinion one of the greatest short comings of a central government that cannot somehow connect and ASSIST a man of GOD who needs a few weeks to RECHARGE.I say that from EXPERIENCE in the business world. I can remember wanting to just quit and go as far back in the mountains as possible and live. I could afford that and in effect did. but three weeks I was itchy and in a month I was back in the building business full speed ahead.I have not experienced your situation my friend, but I think I know exactly how you feel. I believe a paid sabbatical in your case would have been a blessing to some church. JMHO! 8) I strongly support the idea of pastoral sabbaticals and wish we would do more to address the subject. Unless I am mistaken, there is nothing in our Minutes that acknowledges the concept of a sabbatical and certainly nothing that gives direction for how they are to be taken. Of all the things the General Assembly could address, I think this issue is critical. Sadly, sabbaticals are not part of our Church of God nomenclature.As a result, about the only times a COG pastor takes a sabbatical are when he has experienced a moral failure or mental breakdown. We can do better and should do better.Our denomination needs to adopt language that affirms the validity of pastoral sabbaticals. That would be a great first start. As it stands now, many church members deeply resent the idea, usually based on ignorance and jealously. I don’t get to take a 3 month paid vacation….Why should the preacher?. He should because his/her life is DEDICATED to giving and eventually people give out. There is no other occupation like pastoring……His/Her personal attention is demanded when life happens. The pastor can’t delegate responsibility when there is a death….at least not in most situations (small churches). Suppose Sis. Betty dies, when the Pastor is on his only vacation of the year. Pastor can’t say to the family, when he gets the news, I’m sorry, but we are at the beach for the week. I can’t do the funeral, even though she’s been a member for 40 years. But we’ll be praying for you all. Bro Jones will handle things till I get back.I suppose the pastor CAN stay at the beach in that situation…..But in a small church there are going to be real consequences. Why does the Pastor need a sabbatical? Because there are virtually no off days. There are few times when the pastor can say, Do no disturb.Lets start by including language that affirms the idea of sabbaticals in the Minutes. [/url________________
Hey my friend, It is on the outside, but I must convince the wife. I want to take one last swing around the USA. I love this country and seeing it is my thrill at my age. I will be 80 in a little over a year and although I am still healthy mama isn’t sure. LOL I would love to sit down and talk.Also Skinnybishop has a great point for the COG. It is a subject that needs to be addressed. We have all have known the pastor who would have been more effective with just a month off with NO RESPONSIBILITIES except his family.Anyway the best to you out in the PNW. God is Good! ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
How long was it before you realized all you needed was a sabbatical?I ask that because I have been away from pastoring for nearly 3 months now and I don’t want to return…yet. I had an opportunity presented to me and refused. Enjoying my liberty 😎 Hey DK. I think age has a lot to do with it. One may be safe to return before 50, but for some reason the opportunities drop off unless there is a great opportunity of planting a church. That is by no means FACT, just an observance. I have noticed it seems an impossibility for ministers in their mid 60’s early 70’s. The shame of that is we have some very good guys in their late 50’s and 60’s who would make great pastors________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
Sabbaticals in the COG will never be a reality. At least not for the pastor of the small-ish church. There were times when I desperately needed one, but finances would not allow. Our congregations are too small, not well-funded, and (at the risk of making a generalization) our people are terribly impatient. I am closer to retirement now than I’ve ever been. Thankfully I have made preparations for life after vocational ministry. I think this needs to be a part of new minister training. Preparing for the day when you no longer have a pulpit. So many of my peers are at the end or near the end of their ministry, and they are destitute. But to answer the original question, there’s no way I would trade pastoring for a real job. What other job would allow me to preach one day a week and golf and fish the rest of the time ?
How long was it before you realized all you needed was a sabbatical?I ask that because I have been away from pastoring for nearly 3 months now and I don’t want to return…yet. I had an opportunity presented to me and refused. Enjoying my liberty 😎 When I left, I sincerely thought that I never wanted to pastor again. I had been thinking about quitting for several years. I enjoyed the first 6 months away from pastoring, then I started missing it. At the one year mark, I was ready to start thinking about returning to it. A year of sabbatical would probably have been a good plan________________areyoureadyfortherapture.blogspot.com/
I am at a small church, but I find it refreshing to, every 4-6 weeks or so, have another minister come in. It may be a relatively new minister that I am happy to give opportunities to, it may be a retired minister, to whom I feel a very deep debt, or it may be an active minister. Any way I slice it, I get a breather.When feasible, I try to schedule these on long weekends. This gives me an additional bit of refreshment. And while I am usually at church when I am off, I will sometimes take advantage of the long weekend to go out of town with my family, etc. However, I only use people that I absolutely trust, and that I believe will be a blessing to the church.I try to plan ahead, but sometimes I find that a week has really come crashing down on me, etc. In those cases, I know some folks that I can reach out to who are johnnie-on-the-spot and will show up ready to roll with relatively little notice.
How long was it before you realized all you needed was a sabbatical?I ask that because I have been away from pastoring for nearly 3 months now and I don’t want to return…yet. I had an opportunity presented to me and refused. Enjoying my liberty 😎 When I left, I sincerely thought that I never wanted to pastor again. I had been thinking about quitting for several years. I enjoyed the first 6 months away from pastoring, then I started missing it. At the one year mark, I was ready to start thinking about returning to it. A year of sabbatical would probably have been a good plan.
My response is for anybody thinking along those lines. Don’t leave your calling. I was a pastor, I left. The grass isn’t greener. I make more money, but I will never be complete until I return to some type of full time ministry.I needed a sabbatical, not a career change. Live and learn________________areyoureadyfortherapture.blogspot.com/
Quite Wyatt…me, too
More than a few times, I have wanted to move on…NOT because I don’t love ministering, but because I felt that surely someone could come in and do a whole lot better job than I seemed to be doing.I do, however, try to take refuge in the fact that God, knowing all my shortcomings, was the One Who put me where I’m at. Further, it is just a sad fact that there are places that better men than me don’t have to consider…since they have so many seemingly better opportunities elsewhere.A Loran Livingston is not going to have to even consider a Jasper, Florida, because every major church in the denomination would be in a bidding war of sorts to get a man of that caliber. At the same time, I am delighted that God saw fit to let me come and pastor this 105-year-old church. I consider it about the finest gig in Florida in some ways. Besides, if pastoring here can just about mess me over, think how much worse it would be trying to hang with a much larger church.
My friend, I understand exactly what you are saying. Not ME, I quit and needed to quit, but my dad retired, and what he needed was a sabbatical not retirement. He was never happy with his decision after six weeks.I wish, I pray, that churches (even out general church) could some how HELP in a sabbatical for the ministers who need them. In my opinion one of the greatest short comings of a central government that cannot somehow connect and ASSIST a man of GOD who needs a few weeks to RECHARGE.I say that from EXPERIENCE in the business world. I can remember wanting to just quit and go as far back in the mountains as possible and live. I could afford that and in effect did. but three weeks I was itchy and in a month I was back in the building business full speed ahead.I have not experienced your situation my friend, but I think I know exactly how you feel. I believe a paid sabbatical in your case would have been a blessing to some church. JMHO! ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
OTCP, many of my friends who were my peers when I thought I was a preacher confided in me much later. (I left the ministry and re-entered the service and retired). When I would meet them at Camp Meeting or on the street woud say to me, I should have stayed in the Navy (Army or the Corps) and retired like you. These men were successful COG pastors all four men pastoring large congregations, full salary and benefits. They needed some time off, paid by the church. Each of those churches could have paid an interim pastor, BUT NO ONE IS THERE TO SPEAK FOR THE PASTOR. SOMEONE SHOULD TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK AT THE HEART OF A MAN WHO IS GIVING 110%, BUT IS ABOUT GIVE OUT.No difference in the small church pastor. A denomination our size should have the finances to assist, maybe not fully, tghe small preacher who loves his church but needs a break.I have met at least 20 retired COG preachers who would fill in for nothing or only a ‘love offering’. Sorry to go on and on, but this is a very important point,and idea. ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
Thank you for the kind post, I appreciate your heart. I wish I was close enough that we could have sit down and visit. If you visit the PNW, let me know! ________________areyoureadyfortherapture.blogspot.com/
My friend, I understand exactly what you are saying. Not ME, I quit and needed to quit, but my dad retired, and what he needed was a sabbatical not retirement. He was never happy with his decision after six weeks.I wish, I pray, that churches (even out general church) could some how HELP in a sabbatical for the ministers who need them. In my opinion one of the greatest short comings of a central government that cannot somehow connect and ASSIST a man of GOD who needs a few weeks to RECHARGE.I say that from EXPERIENCE in the business world. I can remember wanting to just quit and go as far back in the mountains as possible and live. I could afford that and in effect did. but three weeks I was itchy and in a month I was back in the building business full speed ahead.I have not experienced your situation my friend, but I think I know exactly how you feel. I believe a paid sabbatical in your case would have been a blessing to some church. JMHO! 8) I strongly support the idea of pastoral sabbaticals and wish we would do more to address the subject. Unless I am mistaken, there is nothing in our Minutes that acknowledges the concept of a sabbatical and certainly nothing that gives direction for how they are to be taken. Of all the things the General Assembly could address, I think this issue is critical. Sadly, sabbaticals are not part of our Church of God nomenclature.As a result, about the only times a COG pastor takes a sabbatical are when he has experienced a moral failure or mental breakdown. We can do better and should do better.Our denomination needs to adopt language that affirms the validity of pastoral sabbaticals. That would be a great first start. As it stands now, many church members deeply resent the idea, usually based on ignorance and jealously. I don’t get to take a 3 month paid vacation….Why should the preacher?. He should because his/her life is DEDICATED to giving and eventually people give out. There is no other occupation like pastoring……His/Her personal attention is demanded when life happens. The pastor can’t delegate responsibility when there is a death….at least not in most situations (small churches). Suppose Sis. Betty dies, when the Pastor is on his only vacation of the year. Pastor can’t say to the family, when he gets the news, I’m sorry, but we are at the beach for the week. I can’t do the funeral, even though she’s been a member for 40 years. But we’ll be praying for you all. Bro Jones will handle things till I get back.I suppose the pastor CAN stay at the beach in that situation…..But in a small church there are going to be real consequences. Why does the Pastor need a sabbatical? Because there are virtually no off days. There are few times when the pastor can say, Do no disturb.Lets start by including language that affirms the idea of sabbaticals in the Minutes. [/url________________
Hey my friend, It is on the outside, but I must convince the wife. I want to take one last swing around the USA. I love this country and seeing it is my thrill at my age. I will be 80 in a little over a year and although I am still healthy mama isn’t sure. LOL I would love to sit down and talk.Also Skinnybishop has a great point for the COG. It is a subject that needs to be addressed. We have all have known the pastor who would have been more effective with just a month off with NO RESPONSIBILITIES except his family.Anyway the best to you out in the PNW. God is Good! ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
How long was it before you realized all you needed was a sabbatical?
How long was it before you realized all you needed was a sabbatical?I ask that because I have been away from pastoring for nearly 3 months now and I don’t want to return…yet. I had an opportunity presented to me and refused. Enjoying my liberty 😎 Hey DK. I think age has a lot to do with it. One may be safe to return before 50, but for some reason the opportunities drop off unless there is a great opportunity of planting a church. That is by no means FACT, just an observance. I have noticed it seems an impossibility for ministers in their mid 60’s early 70’s. The shame of that is we have some very good guys in their late 50’s and 60’s who would make great pastors________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
Sabbaticals in the COG will never be a reality. At least not for the pastor of the small-ish church. There were times when I desperately needed one, but finances would not allow. Our congregations are too small, not well-funded, and (at the risk of making a generalization) our people are terribly impatient. I am closer to retirement now than I’ve ever been. Thankfully I have made preparations for life after vocational ministry. I think this needs to be a part of new minister training. Preparing for the day when you no longer have a pulpit. So many of my peers are at the end or near the end of their ministry, and they are destitute. But to answer the original question, there’s no way I would trade pastoring for a real job. What other job would allow me to preach one day a week and golf and fish the rest of the time ?
How long was it before you realized all you needed was a sabbatical?I ask that because I have been away from pastoring for nearly 3 months now and I don’t want to return…yet. I had an opportunity presented to me and refused. Enjoying my liberty 😎 When I left, I sincerely thought that I never wanted to pastor again. I had been thinking about quitting for several years. I enjoyed the first 6 months away from pastoring, then I started missing it. At the one year mark, I was ready to start thinking about returning to it. A year of sabbatical would probably have been a good plan________________areyoureadyfortherapture.blogspot.com/
I am at a small church, but I find it refreshing to, every 4-6 weeks or so, have another minister come in. It may be a relatively new minister that I am happy to give opportunities to, it may be a retired minister, to whom I feel a very deep debt, or it may be an active minister. Any way I slice it, I get a breather.When feasible, I try to schedule these on long weekends. This gives me an additional bit of refreshment. And while I am usually at church when I am off, I will sometimes take advantage of the long weekend to go out of town with my family, etc. However, I only use people that I absolutely trust, and that I believe will be a blessing to the church.I try to plan ahead, but sometimes I find that a week has really come crashing down on me, etc. In those cases, I know some folks that I can reach out to who are johnnie-on-the-spot and will show up ready to roll with relatively little notice.
Re: About a year
How long was it before you realized all you needed was a sabbatical?I ask that because I have been away from pastoring for nearly 3 months now and I don’t want to return…yet. I had an opportunity presented to me and refused. Enjoying my liberty 😎 When I left, I sincerely thought that I never wanted to pastor again. I had been thinking about quitting for several years. I enjoyed the first 6 months away from pastoring, then I started missing it. At the one year mark, I was ready to start thinking about returning to it. A year of sabbatical would probably have been a good plan.