New vacation policy for clergy approved
By Rev. Duane Coates
On Saturday, June 6, the Annual Conference approved a new vacation policy for clergy. This policy makes it possible for clergy to seek more vacation time, in consultation with their Pastor-Parish Relations Committees. Since the policy took effect at the close of the Annual Conference session, some clergy might be able to benefit from more vacation yet this year.
Photo: Rev. Jenny Hallenbeck, chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry speaks about changes to the vacation policy at the 22nd session of the Dakotas Annual Conference in Fargo, North Dakota. Photo by Erin Rose Photography.
The proposal to change the 20-year-old policy came from the Conference Board of Ministry. In highlighting the change during her report to the Annual Conference session on Friday, June 5, the Rev. Jenny Hallenbeck, chair of the Conference Board of Ministry, said that while hard work by clergy is absolutely vital to ministry, clergy also need to organize their time so that they can be filled with God’s joy.
She said that is why the board is recommending that all pastors have at least four Sundays of vacation and all full-time pastors, regardless of experience, have four full weeks of vacation. Part-time pastors would still receive at least four Sundays off, but the minimum number of weekdays off would vary proportionally.
“Please make it as easy as possible for your pastor to take this time off in vacation,” Hallenbeck said. “If you make it easy for them to do that, it will be more possible for your pastor to work as hard and as well as possible when they are working.”
