Assembly Expense

[one love]

get him back

I am trying. Believe me, I am trying. I am in contact regularly, still seek his counsel on matters, and he wants to move back to Hawaii within a few years. PLEASE, Lord!

It is a wonderful thing when a church member really reconizes things the pastor does and goes through. Some assume that the many trials are just there job and a pastor should be super spiritual and never be effected.
To have someone show so much care is a wonderful thing I pray he returns or others grab a hold of his spirit

[Dr. Ron]

Pastorables,

The whole idea of pastors not getting vacation time is the fault of the pastor. They buy into the idea that they are so indespensible to the church that they can't be gone.......someone will come in and steal their sheep while they are gone.

A good pastor will set his vacation time when he arrives at a new church and hold to it......

But then there are some who are so "tight fisted" and cheap, they WANT the GA to be their vacation........it's tax deductible .........

I know all the stories about this stuff..........been around a while......

NO church anywhere will ever not accept that the pastor should have a vacation........if they feel that way, they don't need a pastor.....they need a warden.

It is 200 stinkin 8. where are you folks.????

[Shellie]

Dr Ron wrote:

NO church anywhere will ever not accept that the pastor should have a vacation........if they feel that way, they don't need a pastor.....they need a warden.

It is 200 stinkin 8. where are you folks.????

Our church not only supports us having a vacation...they supply funds in order for us to have two a year.

Oh yea....the Assembly is not included in that time off or that funding. They give us separate funding and time off for the Assembly.

[Dr. Ron]

Way to go Shellie and Scooter........and that is the product of long term pastorate......not assembly edict.

See!!! I just love it when people are connected to the right place and make a commitment to be there .............Good for you all!

Now teach that at the IA!!!!!

[Shellie]

Dr. Ron wrote:

Now teach that at the IA!!!!!

I would, but do you know how hard it is to get on program?

[Paully_44]

Dr. Ron wrote:

Now teach that at the IA!!!!!

I would, but do you know how hard it is to get on program?

Wait, women can teach now???? my, how progressive we are.

dripping with sarcasm

[Pastor Bill]

There is no dollar amount large enough to cover the "fish bowl" of parsonage life in the average church. I did pastor one church who respected the parsonage as the pastor's home.

Thank you, PG.

I undestand what you all are saying, but I do have to brag that we are in a church that respects it as our home, yes we get people stopping by, but it's mostly friends who would drive down the road and see us if it were our own home. I do know that sometime we will want to buy a home and build the equity, and I hope to do that sometime soon (We are looking at losing the parsonage soon due to a widening of the road anyway).

[Pastor Bill]

My church has never denied me a vacation, or weekend off. Unfortunately my other Job and finances do limit it some, but I have been blessed the last 3 years to go to a conference for work that is hosted at Myrtle Beach and has doubled as a vacation for the family (with much of the expense covered by the college).

I think the biggest thing is just to let people know, often they just don't think about it. But let them know when you'll be gone, and build up good leaders other than just you and your family that can handle things while you are gone.

A former pastor/mentor once told me "Bill take care of your family, sometimes in ministry they are all you'll have standing with you" We MUST not neglect our families in order to minister, that's NOT what God intended.

[Kenya]

When my daughter in law's father died (he was an overseer) they were told at the funeral that they would have to vacate the parsonage in two weeks. This is not just COGOP.......this is everywhere.

Been there, done something very similar to that.....although we were told by the congregation that after Daddy died, mom could stay in the parsonage as long as she needed to....shortly after, we were told by the "powers that be" that we must decide on a new pastor soon (and the new pastor would need a place to live) so we moved mom out of the parsonage much sooner than she was probably ready to. But it wasn't really her home anyway. And it has worked out for the best in the end.

But I agree that parsonages are NOT a good idea at all....

[pastorables]

Pastorables,

The whole idea of pastors not getting vacation time is the fault of the pastor. They buy into the idea that they are so indespensible to the church that they can't be gone.......someone will come in and steal their sheep while they are gone.

I never felt that way, yet I never had a church encourage vacation time either. Some of the pastorates even had those who frowned upon being away for the Assembly.

Did you live in a glass house? or Did you attend the same organization as myself?

I can't disagree that I might could have created vacation time during the honeymoon phase. However, I do know that many pastors felt like they were walking around land mines in those days and proceeded with utmost caution, including myself.

Our pastor just recently returned from two weeks vacation. I preached one Wednesday night while he was away. He came back refreshed and renewed. I was proud to be a small part of his sabbatical.

pa