Sabbaticals can help combat burnout, depression for pastors, ministry workers
By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org
The conference center at Linden Valley provides a great place for pastors and staff members to break away from the noise and spend time with the Lord.
— Photo by Kazeray Campbell.
FRANKLIN — For Pete Tackett, the importance of taking a day off is as clear as the stubble on his face.
Tackett, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Johnson City, admits that he often finds himself caught up in the treadmill-style work patterns that so many pastors and staff members encounter. But he said one of the keys to escaping the cycle is to set boundaries — and stick to them.
“My definition of a true Sabbath is a day when I get to decide whether I have to shave or not,” said Tackett. “That might seem like a funny thing to say, but in the church world, when you are always on the clock, it’s necessary to have a day where you say, ‘I’m going to be free to decide what I want to do.’ ” [Read more…]
