Sabbatical Support Shepherd

Caring for the pastor so the church can flourish.

Sabbatical Support Shepherd walks alongside pastors as they step back — and stands with churches as they step forward — ensuring no one walks through this season alone.

Pastor, you were never meant to pour from an empty well.

You give so much to your congregation. You have celebrated countless milestones, walked through difficult times of grief, carried heavy burdens with tenderness and love. From the beginning of creation, God himself has ordained periods of rest for his people, and deep down you know that you need personal rest and renewal.

The hesitation you feel is real. The questions are legitimate. What will happen to my church while I'm away? Can they afford this? Can I afford this — emotionally, spiritually, financially? These are not signs of weakness. They are signs of how deeply you care.

That's exactly why Sabbatical Support Shepherd exists.

We connect you with an experienced, trusted local pastor who will walk alongside your congregation during your sabbatical — not as a replacement, but as a steady, faithful presence. Someone who understands church culture, who leads with integrity, and who is committed to returning your church to you even healthier than when you left.

When you step away with a Sabbatical Support Shepherd, you receive:

  • A carefully matched support pastor — vetted, experienced, and genuinely invested in your congregation's wellbeing

  • A structured transition process that prepares your church leadership before you go

  • Regular check-ins and a clear communication framework so you can rest without worry

  • A partner who protects your vision, your relationships, and your return

You have given so much. This is your permission to receive.

The leaders who last are the leaders who rest. Sabbatical is not a luxury — it is an act of stewardship over the calling God has placed on your life.

GDAB can help offset your church’s financial cost of this Sabbatical and create connections so you can have peace of mind while you rest and recharge. Ask our Associational Missionary about scholarships that are available to help your church and pastor afford this sabbatical.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 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.

Exodus 20:8-11

Think about what your pastor carries. The Sunday morning messages prepared in the quiet of the week. The hospital visits, the counseling sessions, the moments of doubt they helped someone else walk through. The prayers offered on your behalf — long after the last light in the building went out.

Pastoral burnout is not a distant statistic. It is one of the greatest challenges facing the church today. And the most powerful thing a congregation can do — one of the most Christlike things — is to give their pastor the gift of genuine rest.

A sabbatical is not a goodbye. It is an investment.

An investment in the longevity of your pastor's ministry. In the health of your church's future. In the kind of leadership that can only come from a place of renewed vision and restored spirit.

We know the questions your congregation may be asking:

Who will lead us? Will things change? What if we need someone and our pastor isn't there?

These are faithful, caring questions — and they deserve faithful, caring answers.

Sabbatical Support Shepherd provides your church with:

  • A trusted, experienced local pastor who will serve your congregation with consistency and care during the sabbatical period

  • Transparent communication tools to keep your congregation informed and connected

  • Resources to help your church community understand and embrace this season as one of growth — not loss

  • A smooth, supported transition when your pastor returns, so the church emerges stronger on both sides

This is a season to show your pastor what they have always shown you: that they are not alone.

The churches that champion their pastors' rest are the churches that thrive for generations. When your shepherd is restored, the whole flock flourishes.

Be the church that makes rest possible.

“Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength. . . . It is wisdom to take occasional furlough.”

– Charles Spurgeon, “The Minister’s Fainting Fits”

Church, Your Pastor Gives Everything. Now It's Your Turn.

GDAB offsets your church’s financial cost of this Sabbatical and creates connections so you can have peace of mind while you rest and recharge. Ask our Associational Missionary about scholarships that are available to help your church and pastor afford this sabbatical.

Sabbatical Support Shepherds are available for a 1-3 month sabbatical

  1. Plan the details of this season with your leadership team, including an expectation of a targeted range of weekly hours worked.

  2. Preach Sunday AM, and work with other preachers in your congregation to share the load.

  3. Lead your weekly Bible study (for example, Wednesday PM)

  4. Be on call to talk through ministry needs with staff and other church leaders, to help them maintain missional momentum during your sabbatical.

  5. Support church leaders by offering crisis counseling (urgent pastoral care) to all church members.

  6. Handle select tasks that benefit the health of the church, that the Sabbatical Support Shepherd is gifted/equipped to do.

  7. Work with the Lead Pastor and his wife on developing and implementing a healthy sabbatical plan.

The Sabbatical Support shepherd covenants with your pastors and church

  1. Support the plans that you put in place

  2. Submit to the authority and serve in alignment with the church leaders during your absence 

  3. Minister consistently with the Baptist, Faith and Message, 2000

The Sabbatical Support Shepherd maintains personal health and well-being by:

  1. Strengthening relational connection with his home church by remaining involved in his existing Life Group

  2. Checking in with his pastors monthly

  3. Scheduling breaks in between SSS assignments

Who are these guys?

Each SSS has a trustworthy track record of 10+ years in pastoral ministry, is endorsed/commissioned by their pastors and home church in the GDAB, and trained and vetted by our GDAB Missionary. 

If your church needs services in a language other than English, please reach out to our Associational Missionary to explore possibilities.

Dave Hill

My name is Dave Hill, I retired after nearly 40 years in ministry. My last pastorate was with Northside BC in Springfield and lasted nearly 25 years. My wife and I are still members there.

We have two children, a daughter and a son and 5 grandchildren. 

I have served in nearly every office of the Association as well as many with the SCBO. I have also served several times in the Southern Baptist Convention, including being a Trustee at Gateway Seminary, and I chaired the National Committee on Nominations.

I have a passion for preaching and am a pretty good administrator. 

I love the local church and feel strongly that every pastor should take a sabbatical on a regular basis (Something I never did to my detriment)

I would love to work with your church’s leadership to allow your pastor some much needed time away and feel we could work together well for the health of the church. 

Harry Burchell

My name is Harry Burchell, and I've followed Jesus Christ for most of my life. I'm currently a member of Dayton Avenue Baptist Church where I attend with my wife and three kids.

I studied for ministry in college and in seminary and have served as a pastor or pulpit supply for over 2 decades, equipping congregations through preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and music ministry.

The opportunity to serve as a Sabbatical Support Shepherd continues that ministry of equipping churches as they equip their pastors with time for renewal and growth. My heart is for the body of Christ, and I'm thrilled when I get to meet, worship, and serve alongside new parts of the Church. 

Stephen Haines

I was born September 22, 1946 to Frederick and Barbara Haines in Vermont, Illinois. My dad was the descendent  of Midwest farmers, but became a Marine pilot and career officer. I grew up all over the U.S. as he was transferred from one base to another.

The Lord saved me in the winter of 1971 while I was stationed in Bad Kreuznach, Germany. I was baptized in Jerusalem Baptist Church, Fairfax, Virginia, shortly after getting out of the Army in 1972.

I received my B.A. from American University, Washington, D.C. in 1969. I graduated from SWBTS in Fort Worth, Texas, with an MDiv in 1977. I met and married  Marilyn Work while preparing for the entrance exam for the doctoral program at SWBTS in 1979. I graduated with a PhD in church history in 1984. I was also a church planter and seminary professor with the IMB from 1984-2016. I am a strong proponent of the practice of sabbatical, having experience doing so during my time with the IMB.

We are members of Two Rivers Community Church. I still preach regularly in several local churches, as need arises.