One Together In Ministry Group: Three Lilly Sabbatical Grants:
Perspectives from Kent Harrop, Gregg Sneller, and Jeff Savage
While reading through a professional journal, my eyes lit upon an ad for the National Clergy Renewal Program, funded by the Lilly Endowment. The year was 1999, and I was in the midst of my fifth year as pastor of First Baptist Church, McMinnville, Oregon. My church by-laws allow for a sabbatical during the seventh year for the purpose of professional and personal renewal. So with the sabbatical nearly two years off, I began preparation for what I hoped would be a time apart to renew and reflect.
I went on line and discovered a lengthy application needed to be filled out by the summer of 2000. Part of the application required my congregation to affirm both the importance of the sabbatical, as well as the content of the sabbatical itself. Two years seemed none too soon to begin the process of preparation! I was applying for what would be the first national offering of the National Clergy Renewal Program.
The vision for the Renewal Program states: “This program is for pastors who are serious about parish ministry and who can - in conversation and discernment with their congregations - envision this program as a means of renewing a long-term commitment to that congregation and to ordained ministry.” The promotional material spoke to me: "We would say to pastors, 'Don't go from one draining activity to another. Allow time for freedom of exploration, for the primary, essential, and restorative work of discovery, reading, and prayer.' We would say to congregations, 'see this as the extraordinary thing it is. The renewal program speaks the language of grace.'”
My own congregation had set aside a modest amount of $5000 for my sabbatical. A quick review of the cost of flights and conferences told me this amount would be quickly gone. I was excited by the National Clergy Renewal Program's offer to fund up to $30,000 the dream of an applicant. (This amount has since been raised significantly.)
It should be noted that one of the particularly progressive aspects of the Renewal Program is that the program encourages pastors to propose fun activities for the entire family – times during which we can simply relax and be with our loved ones. This program component acknowledges the stress and strain of daily ministry upon the entire family unit - spouse and kids alike - and that all of us need and deserve time apart for renewal. With the hope my sabbatical would be fully funded, and with the desire the sabbatical would renew me for the next seven years in ministry, I set to work with leaders of my congregation.
Once I received the application packet, I sat down with members of my governing board and received their support for the sabbatical. What particularly excited my board was the proposal that the sabbatical be for both me and for the congregation. I was inspired by an idea from my friend and longtime ABC pastor, Walt Pulliam, who, during a sabbatical in the 1970s, had approached his sabbatical as an opportunity for the congregation he served to also be on sabbatical. Walt proposed a “theologian in residence” to be with the congregation while he was away. In this way, both Walt and the congregation would be on a parallel path of renewal and reflection.
Inspired by Walt's model and with the support of my congregation, we prayerfully crafted our 'dream sabbatical'. For my part, I cooked up a dream list that to my mind didn't seem to have any coherent theme, other than a list of fun and stimulating opportunities for me and my family (my spouse, Tricia, and our two daughters, then age 7 and 10).
To my great surprise, the Lilly Endowment approved my “wish list!” That list included airfare and conference cost for my family to Oberlin College in Ohio for the summer camp of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America. We also went on a family trip to Costa Rica for one month. Highlights of that trip included traveling for a week with faculty of Central Seminary and American Baptist Seminary of the West as we learned about theological education in that country. Then we rented a jeep and traveled for remaining weeks as a family throughout the country (our kids still talk about our adventures). In addition, I attended conferences on preaching, an interfaith conference, and another conference on theology of the environment. I also spent eight days on a Zen Kayaking retreat in southeastern Alaska. We camped on islands and kayaked with humpback whales. I attended half of these events with my family, and spent the remaining half alone. When we weren't traveling, we simply relaxed at home.
The total cost of my portion of the sabbatical was $20,200 in 2001. For the first time in our lives, we didn't travel on the cheap. The Lilly Endowment allowed our family to stay at nice hotels and even paid for my kids to go on a river rafting trip in Costa Rica while I was hobnobbing with theologians.
For the congregation’s portion of the sabbatical, we were very fortunate to have Dr. Rod Romney, recently retired pastor of FBC Seattle, come and serve as “sabbatical pastor.” Rod provided a new voice and encouraged the congregation to listen for the Spirit in new ways. Rod's ministry revolved around Sunday worship and a mid week all church discussion. Both were very well attended, and both inspired the church to reflect upon where they'd been, how God was at work in the present, and where and how they sensed the Spirit to be leading. In addition, the entire congregation was given a wonderful book by Wayne Muller entitled, “Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight In Our Busy Lives.” (New York: Bantam/Dell Publishing, 2000) This book provided a theological context for the all church sabbatical, as well as practical ways of incorporating Sabbath into daily life. The book also served as a common discussion point when we reconnected after the sabbatical. All of this was funded by the Lilly Endowment.
At the end of four months, I had changed, and the congregation had changed. It should be noted there is a risk with a sabbatical. A sabbatical initiates a process of change that continues long after a congregation and pastor are reunited. It is a process of change that has a life of its own. It is an act of faith to intentionally open up to such change. As with a married couple apart for any length of time, it takes time to find a renewed sense of rhythm. Indeed, if the time apart has included significant change, then it will move you into the future in new and unanticipated ways. The good news is that God is surely in the mix!
I'm very grateful for the sabbatical time. It was a time full of grace. Today, as I approach my 14th year in McMinnville, I'm preparing with the congregation for our next sabbatical in 2008.
God cares about the hearts of pastors. Many years ago, an area minister said to me, “Without a life of prayer, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay in the ministry.” I did not get it because in the ministry in which God placed me, I was serving the church well and doing all the stuff needed to keep the machine well oiled. When on sabbatical, I was wandering around Prague and discovered I was unaware of the tough times riddling the Church’s history. Jan Hus gave up his life because he believed you and I should be able to partake of the Elements at the Lord’s Supper, and that we have the right to hear words of scripture in our native tongue. After spending time in Prague, my journey continued, and I learned what had taken place in Greece and how many in the Greek Orthodox tradition gave up their lives for Christ. Going back even further in Church history: during my visit to the Bema in Corinth, as well as other places where Paul had sojourned, I saw ancient prisons and relived much of which is recorded in the Book of Acts. Over and over again, God spoke to me about the fact that God enters our time and wants to touch our hearts.
The journey of ministry is filled with many potholes. We may not face persecution as did the early Church, but we do face apathy, complacency, and indifference, all of which can spread like a cancer in a pastor’s life. During my sabbatical, I learned a connection with others was critical for continued growth in Christ. I thank God for the process begun on sabbatical and which has continued since 2002. God has allowed me to be in a process at the Center for Excellence in Congregational Leadership. During the past three years, it has become absolutely vital to continue to work on personal and spiritual transformation in my life. As I continue to read, to learn how to experience grace in all of life, and to move beyond “past tapes” of what it means to be a Christian, God is shaping my heart.
An important component in that journey has been going to the monastery for days of reflection, thus allowing the creative work of the Spirit to continue sprouting up in my life. Another critical component has been meeting together with trusted friends who have challenged and encouraged me to continue growing with Christ. As I have contemplated a ministry change, these dear friends have been able to reflect back to me the ways in which they see me gifted, as well as to identify the times when they have sensed the Spirit really calling me forth.
Four of us have been on sabbatical in the past several years. One is in process. As we reenter our ministries, there are vital questions we can ask and ways in which we can support one another. The new calling in my life may be seen as a “downward mobility” move in the world’s eyes, but in God’s eyes, it’s the greatest adventure of my life. With the support of a Together in Ministry group and a renewed sense of calling through the Spirit, I fully expect God to continue the process of growth and transformation in my life. Now, thanks to a seed planted many years ago, one of the greatest joys in the life of this pastor is to be able to pray for others, to pray through a day, and be more aware of the presence of God in all situations.
“As I reflect on the sabbatical in light of transformation, I find that these have been days of being put in my place . . . and paying attention.”
Journal entry, September 18, 2006
The people of First Baptist Church and I have been sharing life together as pastor and people since May 1988. What’s more, we have every intention of extending our ministry together to 20 years and beyond with intentionality and vision, God willing. In order to accomplish this aim, I began to recognize in my sixteenth year a need to gain fresh perspective and regain a sense of place. It was time to lay the groundwork for a sabbatical . . .
When I learned that two members of my Together in Ministry group (Kent Harrop and Gregg Sneller) had received funding for their own sabbaticals, and that these experiences were to focus on rest and renewal, I was all ears. I had taken sabbatical time in the past (a benefit of staying in one place for some time), but such time had primarily centered on my Doctor of Ministry studies. This time around, however, a renewal time of reflection and transformation for the congregation, my family, and me was just what we believed we needed, so we began stepping through the grant application process.
In 2005 I became the third member of my TIM group to receive a clergy renewal grant from the Lilly Endowment! As the third recipient, I cannot overemphasize the contribution of my TIM group, and of Kent and Gregg specifically, in that successful venture. Our congregational process was strengthened by paying attention to the models of our sibling churches, and I personally benefited greatly by Gregg’s and Kent’s combined experience. Our sabbatical leave was greatly enhanced by their application tips, travel savvy, cautionary tales, and encouraging words. This is, in fact, one of those “being put in my place” lessons, for I found myself more than happy to be in third place behind these two!
So. . . . What about this sabbatical time? In terms of the congregation, we built upon Kent’s concept of “theologian in residence,” by utilizing grant funds to bring in gifted leaders for one month at a time. Over the course of the three-month period, this allowed the First Baptist family to be blessed and stretched by Adalia and Ray Schellinger, Brad Berglund, Barbara Galbraith, and Christine Roush. It was a rich and transforming time for all involved! What’s more, they did quite well without me (put in my place again)!
For my family’s part, we approached the time in three phases: decompression, exploration, and reflection. The first revolved around a 10-day family scuba-diving trip in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. The island and the waters surrounding it offered a phenomenal setting for enjoying God’s creativity and allowed us to begin the sabbatical far removed in every way from the ongoing demands of ministry and the familiar routine of daily life. It was a great way to prepare for the second phase, which involved travel to France and the British Isles. While sojourning there, we lived the experience of the Taizé Community in France and visited other communities recognized as playing a sacred and key role in the ministry of transformation.
The third phase was one of reflection; this, following my son’s departure for college and preceding our return to the First Baptist family. For this phase, Janet and I traveled to Saint Benedict’s Monastery Retreat House in Snowmass, Colorado, to devote the week to paying attention through prayer, silence, and listening, while reflecting on what had been and what would, by God’s grace, come to pass. In this way, we sought to allow the Spirit to prepare us for a purposeful reentry into congregational life.
As I write this article, my sabbatical is six months past, and even now my reflections on that amazing respite put me in my place. The wonders we’ve seen! The hospitality we’ve received! The generosity of the Lilly Endowment! The support of our church family! And the contribution of my Together in Ministry group. It is truly grace upon grace . . .
Even now, I am still blessed to be in third place, for, as both Kent and Gregg cautioned far in advance, it has been difficult to transition back into congregational life and find that renewed sense of rhythm. The truth is that Janet, Christopher, and I returned with more than pictures to show and stories to tell; we also re-entered life together with new insights and renewed convictions about living together in Christ and the congregation did as well! As a result, we still are getting reacquainted as we prepare to enter our 20th year together! What a gift, then, once again, it is to be part of a group of colleagues that includes folks who have “been there” and are therefore able to lead others along the way!
So, now . . . Perhaps we can be a resource to you as you seek to gain fresh perspective and regain a sense of place.