Sabbaticals for our ministers

Barry Gritters makes a pastoral case for sabbatical leave in Reformed churches, arguing that overworked ministers become ineffective servants despite their best intentions. Through a detailed breakdown of ministerial responsibilities, he demonstrates that pastors routinely work 70+ hours weekly and advocates for church consistories to implement rest policies that would allow ministers to recover and serve more faithfully. This practical article addresses the intersection of church polity and ministerial wellbeing in the context of the PRCA and sister Reformed denominations.