Sabbaticals Can Save Ministry Leaders and Ministries (Part 2) with Tracy Edwards
April 12, 2023
Last episode, Micki Ann and Rusty McKie introduced the topic of sabbaticals. In this episode, Micki Ann interviews pastor Tracy Edwards, who shares his story of working with his congregation to take a much-needed break from ministry.
In his seventeen years of pastoring, Tracy had never taken a sabbatical. It wasn’t until he was overwhelmed by the difficulty of leading a small congregation during the Covid crisis that he reached a breaking point. During a conversation with a counselor, Tracy was able to identify feeling dry and disconnected from God, problems which were affecting both his work in the church and his relationship with his family. With support and encouragement from his congregation and family, Tracy took a one-month sabbatical that culminated in a solo trip where the Lord spoke to the heart of the issue.
This is the second of three episodes about sabbaticals. Listen in to this episode to hear more about Tracy’s experience and why sabbaticals are critical for ministry leaders.
Jump Through the Conversation
[0:50] Explaining the extended focus on sabbaticals
[2:03] What is a sabbatical?
[4:06] Introducing Tracy Edwards
[9:23] The unique challenges of being a pastor
[11:37] Factors leading to Tracy’s sabbatical
[15:19] Turning point: General Assembly
Conversation with a counselor
Hose analogy
Circle exercise
Feeling “dry” and disconnected from the Lord
[18:49] The issue of pastors not being able to connect with each other
[20:59] The dry place and ministry
[23:03] Steps Tracy took for restoration
Connected with local counselor
Talked to leadership about sabbatical
Honesty with congregation
[27:31] How Tracy’s family was affected
[29:52] Details about sabbatical
Unplugging from work/church
10-day vacation with wife and daughter
Solo camping trip
[32:37] Pivotal moment alone with God
[37:31] Encouragement to take sabbaticals and following Jesus’s example
[42:46] Churches: pray for your pastor
[45:53] Practicals for those who aren’t able to take a sabbatical
[47:03] True vacation means skipping Sundays
A resource of the Chattanooga House of Prayer