How Is It With Your Rest?

I had a unique “vacation” recently.

I married into a wonderful family from Tennessee, and each year they gather for an old Methodist tradition: campmeeting. My wife’s family traces their roots back to an ancestor who was converted by Francis Asbury and began hosting campmeetings in 1826 just outside Brownsville, Tennessee. (Next year will mark the 200th anniversary!)

Campmeeting is a week filled with family milestones and deep spiritual rhythms. We baptize new babies, celebrate recent weddings, and remember those who have joined the church triumphant. We worship twice a day, and it’s often a time of renewal for me.

This year was different.

Instead of simply receiving, I was invited to pour out. I served as the preacher for the week—twice a day, every day. I believe it was the first time a family member (even an “in-law” like me!) had been asked to fill that role. It was an incredible blessing… and also deeply exhausting. For this introvert, it was not quite the restful week I’d anticipated.

This experience reminded me of something I heard often during my preparation for ministry: pastors aren’t always great at resting. I’ve found that to be true. Leading a church can make it hard to unplug—we feel the constant pull to be available, responsive, and always doing more. And boundaries? Well, they’re not always clearly kept, by us or by others.

That’s why we have to be intentional about building in rest—both vacation time and a regular sabbath rhythm. While vacations are valuable, the most meaningful practice for me is my weekly Sabbath. Every Friday, I set aside time to be in God’s presence. I try to stay off email and slow down on checking my phone. Instead, I read, listen to a podcast, nap, shoot some hoops, or go for a bike ride. When I’m faithful to this rhythm, I notice I’m more grounded and need fewer extended getaways to feel refreshed.

I want to encourage every pastor and church in our conference to develop a shared plan for pastoral rest. Talk about it. Write it down. Clarify vacation days and Sabbath expectations. Communicate the plan with the congregation and support one another in honoring it.

Currently, the Book of Doctrines and Discipline of the Global Methodist Church doesn’t offer specific guidance on this topic, so it’s up to each local church to decide. It might be helpful for our conference to offer a recommendation or model policy. If you have ideas or input, I’d love to hear them. Email me your suggestions, and the Cabinet and Leadership Council can begin working toward a shared recommendation.

In the meantime, here’s a sample policy from another conference that could serve as a conversation starter. It’s not official for us—just a helpful starting point:

Sample Recommendation:

While vacation policies should be set by the local congregation and negotiated between the clergy and the PPR, the Annual Conference values rest and refreshment for all clergy.

Recommended Minimum:

– 4 weeks of vacation, including 4 Sundays

– 1 week annually for Sabbatical/Continuing Education

– 1–3 months of Sabbatical every 4 years

Let’s care well for one another by encouraging rhythms of rest. Pastors, we have the opportunity to model Sabbath living and remind our congregations that God's design—to rest one day in seven—is not a burden but a gift.

Exodus 20:11

“For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

Let’s be intentional about rest—because a rested leader is a more faithful, fruitful one.