52 Sundays a year

1. Our pastor will preach roughly 26 times in our pulpit this year. That is the number of appointments he has at our church...2 each month.

2. If he needs to miss, he has someone fill in for him. There is no set number of times we "allow" him to miss one of his set appointments, although he is almost always there. That is the reason he has 2 Sundays "off", even though he holds an appointment at another church on 1 of those Sundays. When he wants to travel, etc he uses one of those weekends. When he travels on one of our weekends, he comes back for Sunday.

3. No; we set appointments for the year at the first business meeting of the year.

4. No

5. None; which is rare for me.

 

I get two weeks R&R per year, but I have yet to take them. I have taken a couple of Wednesdays off, but that was for my secular employment - business trip. It was no vacation!

As to special speakers and special programs, I think they can be very important. When these things come up though, I don't consider myself to be "out of the pulpit" for that week. The service is still my responsibility, and I cannot absolve myself of those duties simply because we have a special or a guest preacher.

 

I don't have a requirement. I don't miss many Sunday's however. I can miss up to four Sundays a year, though if I wanted to miss more, it wouldn't be an issue. In six and 1/2 years, I have missed fewer Sundays than you can count on two hands. In fact, I can remember virtually all of them. That hasn't necessarily been good, but I hate to be gone especially on Sunday.

We have special speakers infrequently for several reasons. The major one is I like to preach and when people come, I want them to know what we are actually like. Special speakers don't do that. If we have them, it is typically on Sunday nights.

 

Interesting responses.

Would you mind sharing how large your churches are on Sunday Morning?

 

1. What is the minimum number of Sundays a pastor should preach in his church pulpit per year.

Excuse absenses:
2a. Vaction..............._____ per year
2b. Sick.................._____ per year
2c. Special speaker.......______per year
2d. Specials...........______per year
(Easter, youth, ect)
2e. Other.................______per year

3. Are there provisions in your church constitution? No
4. Do you need approval of a board, ect? No

The philosphy that I have held to is that the ministry is just that a ministry, not a job. My church understands that there are times when I need time off and I take it. I don't abuse this priviledge. I have been here for almost 10 years. A few years, I did not take any vacation. However, the last couple years, I have taken 4 weeks (mostly due to health). The # of times a pastor is away depenedent upon a host of factors, such as size of the church and whether he has someone to preach for him.

 

Our church runs in the 90's most of the time.

 

At the church I'm a member of,
the pastor has 4 weeks annual leave (industry standard in Aus) which the diaconate insist he take, he NEEDS the break just like any other worker.
Sick leave is 'as needed', never had a pastor that's abused it although have had several that have been almost forced to take some sick leave.
When we have special speakers it is normally as part of the church program and the pastor has a significant part in the service anyway, so not a 'day off'

Regards
Bob

 

On a regular Sunday, about 30 people. About normal size for a Primitive Baptist Church.

 

Including sick leave and vacation my wife gets four weeks after one year at her secular job. Should pastors get less?

 

Vacations----3/year----although I do not take every one of the Sundays off---I do take three weeks---maybe a Monday-Saturday and back home to preach on Sunday!!

Sick----I have never been sick on Sunday---although-----ummmmmmm-----year before last during week long revival at my church---I came down with a stomach virus ( those things)---and I was not---was not----WAS NOT---able to attend---and I'm the pastor!!!!

Special speaker----2/year

Specials---3/year

Out of 156 occasions(Sun morn--nite--and Wednesday--yes, I do preach on Wednesday nite)---I probably engage 146 of those!!

Give or take a few times