Going On Sabbatical

I am so grateful that The Table Church values sabbath and rest. We believe that people are not commodities. Humans are not merely resources. Because of this, built into both Pastor Tonetta and I’s job agreement is the gift—and expectation—of a sabbatical.

A ministry sabbatical is a planned period that allows a leader to step away from their usual responsibilities for a time of rest and restoration. I have had the joy of serving as your pastor since March 2020. I'll be honest—the past three years have been challenging—jumping into leading The Table with a pandemic and all. Then we had a significant turnover of staff. And then a merger. And then losing the GALA Theatre. It’s been a lot! And while there’s no other church I would have done this all with, I’m also grateful for a break.

My job agreement allows me to accrue four weeks of sabbatical per year, with a maximum accrual of up to twelve weeks. So this summer, I’ll be taking those twelve weeks from June 13 to September 11.

In preparation, I have started handing off my responsibilities and duties to ministry leaders. Pastor Tonetta will serve as the primary pastoral lead for The Table. I'm abundantly confident that The Table is in more-than-capable hands with Pastor Tonetta, as well as Miche, the directors, and the elders. I'm deeply grateful to be part of a church that honors my limitations and grants the gift of rest.

For myself, I'll be focusing most of my time and attention on Emily, Audrey, and Wesley. Though, of course, I've also got one or two reading and writing projects in mind. Time to finally start learning elvish.

Please consider how you can tangibly support Pastor Tonetta, Miche, the ministry directors, and the whole of The Table Church with your time as I step away for the summer.