Two years ago I spoke to a pastor about his church. After he shared
with me all the areas in which he had been involved and the ministries
he led, I asked him an innocent question: When do you take vacation? His
answer flabbergasted me. “I don’t,” he said.
I thought maybe he had misunderstood me, so I clarified. In the past
six years that you have served as pastor, when did you take a vacation?
“I haven’t,” he reiterated. I had heard him right the first time. This
pastor had deprived himself and his family for the past six years. I
anticipated burnout was not far away.
Unfortunately, I was right.
Why Some Pastors Get Little or No Vacation
I do think the pastor I encountered was an exception, but I have
spoken to more than one pastor who has skipped vacations for a year or
two or even three. Some of you may know of pastors who have excessive
vacations or who abuse the vacations given to them, but those pastors
are the exceptions.
Rare exceptions. Continue at Thom Rainer
