Temple Baptist Church
Sabbatical Policy
(approved by the Personnel Ministry Team November 8, 2021)
(revised by the Personnel Ministry Team May 10, 2022)
Purpose
The Personnel Ministry Team for Temple Baptist Church believes that rest is a vital
concept in the life of all Christians. Rest is both modeled and prescribed in Scripture as a means
for God’s people to maintain spiritual health and to experience spiritual renewal. If rest is
important for God’s people, it is all the more important for the undershepherds of God’s people -specifically, our pastoral and directorial staff here at TBC.
As a Ministry Team, we unanimously endorse the idea that the spiritual health of our
pastors is of utmost importance to the overall spiritual health of our church. We desire to be a
channel for God’s blessings to our staff, and we believe that a sabbatical rest for our leaders will
be a great blessing to them and, ultimately, a great benefit to our church body. It is for these
reasons that we propose to implement the Sabbatical Policy described below.
Sabbatical Eligibility
The TBC Sabbatical Policy will apply to all full-time Pastors. In addition, the policy would also apply to any full-time Directors and Coordinators who are responsible for age-graded ministry or are a part of the Strategic Leadership Team.
Sabbatical Length
Two continuous months of scheduled sabbatical rest will be given to senior-level pastors
and members of the Senior Leadership Team. Non-senior level pastors and age-graded ministry area directors and coordinators will be eligible for one month. To maintain a balanced rotation, all sabbatical periods should be scheduled during the calendar year of eligibility (increments of five years from start date of employment) unless otherwise approved by the TBC Senior Leadership Team and Personnel Ministry Team.
Sabbatical Compensation
While on sabbatical, employees will continue to receive full salary and benefits. No sick /
vacation / personal leave will be deducted during the sabbatical period. However, employees
may use vacation time directly before or after sabbatical leave in order to extend the sabbatical
period (with approval from Senior Leadership Team and Personnel Ministry Team).
Additionally, each staff-member will receive a sabbatical stipend equal to 5% of his/her salary but not to exceed a total of $5,000. When a staff-member accepts a sabbatical stipend, it will be viewed as a commitment to TBC of at least two more years of continued service. Should a pastor / director choose to leave TBC within two years of accepting a sabbatical stipend, she / he may be asked to repay the amount of the stipend to the church.
Sabbatical Expectations
For pastors and directors who are on sabbatical, the expectation of the TBC staff and
the Personnel Ministry Team will be that she/he rest from all work- or ministry-related
responsibilities. This means there will be two primary expectations for eligible employees:
- Each staff-member should arrange in advance for ministry responsibilities to be
covered by the staff-member(s) most qualified and able to do so. A written plan should be presented to the Senior Leadership Team showing the delegation of regular responsibilities during absence. - Other than emergency contact from his/her “fill-in,” or from a member of the Senior Leadership Team, a pastor/director will not be expected to field phone calls, emails, text messages, or any other forms of contact related to church or ministry business.
Timing
Due to the high number of pastors and directors with which TBC has been blessed, it will
be inevitable that multiple pastors/directors each year will be eligible for sabbatical. Staffmembers who are eligible for sabbatical during the same year are expected to work out a
schedule amongst themselves and with the aid and approval of the Senior Leadership Team
and the Personnel Ministry Team. Concurrent sabbaticals will be discouraged. In the event that
more than one sabbatical is requested at the same time, the Senior Leadership Team and
Personnel Ministry Team will consider how multiple sabbaticals will impact the health of the
church and decide on a case-by-case basis.
FAQs
- What is a sabbatical?
- The word “sabbatical” comes from the Hebrew word “Sabbath” which means “to close or rest”. Therefore, a ministry sabbatical as an agreed upon period of time in which the church allows a ministry leader to set aside their normal responsibilities so they can rest, reflect, and prepare themselves for the next season of ministry.
- Why does TBC give pastors and directors a sabbatical?
- The Personnel Ministry Team for Temple Baptist Church believes that rest is a vital concept in the life of all Christians. Rest is both modeled and prescribed in Scripture as a means for God’s people to maintain spiritual health and to experience spiritual renewal. If rest is
important for God’s people, it is all the more important for the undershepherds of God’s people -specifically, our pastoral and directorial staff here at TBC.
In November of 2021, the Personnel Ministry Team unanimously endorsed the idea that the spiritual health of our pastors is of utmost importance to the overall spiritual health of our church, and that a sabbatical rest for our leaders would be a great blessing to them and, ultimately, a great benefit to our church body.
- The Personnel Ministry Team for Temple Baptist Church believes that rest is a vital concept in the life of all Christians. Rest is both modeled and prescribed in Scripture as a means for God’s people to maintain spiritual health and to experience spiritual renewal. If rest is
- How long will pastor David been gone on Sabbatical?
- Pastor David will be taking his Sabbatical during June and July. This time frame will allow the Pastor David to take advantage of the summer school break and spend time with his family.
- Who will preaching while Pastor David is on Sabbatical?
- During the 8 Sunday’s Pastor David is gone, various members of our Pastoral Staff, along with Pastor Randy Turner, will be preaching messages that are based upon their favorite Psalm.