![]() And I think it traces back to the role the preacher and the pastor played in an African American church and community. Your Baptists, your COGIC, your different varieties of Pentecostal and AME and AME Zion. It is absolutely unheard of in predominantly African American traditions. WESLEY: Well, Ailsa, if I can put a little racial spin on it, it is very common practice in our Euro-Caucasian Christian denominations and even within the Catholic traditions to grant that time off. It's not a profession that always ends well, and I'm grateful to have a congregation that said, we want your story to end well.ĬHANG: Well, how common is it for clergy to take time off, to take sabbaticals like this? I can't tell you how many pastors leave ministry or even commit suicide or die in the pulpit. WESLEY: So the congregation was very open and accepting, and I think they saw the long-term benefit of giving breaks and rest as opposed to burning a pastor out. But strangely, the message resonated with so many members who wished they were in a position to take that kind of time off and rest as well. ![]() WESLEY: So, you know, I was afraid to share. What happens if they're all right without me? What if they find out, yeah, you know, we really don't need this guy? If I'm gone, what happens if the church doesn't survive without me? What happens if membership goes down? And let's be honest, what happens if people stop giving and then the budget's affected and then we've got to start laying off? I was the scared one, thinking to myself one of two things would happen. WESLEY: You know, I think they were more willing than I was. Well, how did your congregation react when you first said, hey, I need some time off? And I began to wonder, why is this becoming so hard when it was so natural? And why am I not enjoying it anymore? And that just began a journey of self-reflection of kind of realizing I don't feel as close to the God I talk about as I want to be.ĬHANG: Yeah. Shift the movements around and cross my fingers and pray that no one would hear something they already heard that sermon writing would start on Tuesday and by Saturday, I still had nothing on the page. ![]() I reached the point where, sadly, Ailsa, I was picking up old sermons and trying to find a way to give them new titles and. And in the sermonic field, as a pastor, there's a lot of creativity required of you. One was starting to lose that joy and that energy for something that I loved. There are a few signature moments that let me know something was a little bit off. WESLEY: Well, I think it began probably a year before announcing the sabbatical. And I asked him when and how he started to feel that distance. And when I spoke with him in December 2020, a year after he had announced his leave, he reflected on his 30 years of preaching and how he had started to feel distant from God and the congregation he served. And I need you to know, secondly, I feel very distant from God.ĬHANG: Reverend Wesley's sabbatical happen to coincide with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This ain't nothing but intermission, baby. ![]() A year earlier, Reverend Wesley had announced to his congregation that he was taking a leave of absence. He's a senior pastor of the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va. And today we're revisiting a conversation we first aired back in December 2020 with Reverend Howard John Wesley. Well, faith leaders are not exempt from this. At some point, we all need a break or a sabbatical - you know, some time to recharge our batteries and think about a different way to approach life. Additionally, you will also be able to share content with your friends via Twitter, Facebook and email.No profession is immune from burnout. This App will help believers and non-believers grow in their faith, and will provide easy access to life-changing audio and video sermons, upcoming events and relevant information about Alfred Street Baptist Church. You will be able to Watch LIVE services from Alfred Street Baptist Church, stay updated on Alfred Street Baptist Church Video Broadcasts. You will be able to stay connected with audio, video, devotionals, podcasts and a variety of resources from ASBC. Quick tabs make it easy to quickly find the passage you want to read. Podcasting, journaling, reading and listening to the Word of God will become so easy with the Alfred Street Baptist Church app. The Alfred Street Baptist Church app is the ultimate mobile church app. This all-new version is completely built from the ground up to provide you with the most relevant and up-to-date content from Alfred Street Baptist Church. The Official app of Alfred Street Baptist Church (ASBC). The ASBC app is designed to keep you in touch with Alfred Street Baptist Church
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