Ministerial Sabbatical 2023

Q: How long will Rev. Paige be on sabbatical?

Rev. Paige will be on sabbatical for five m onths, from April 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023 .

Q: Is this Rev. Paige’s first sabbatical?

T his will be Rev. Paige’s third s abbatical at UUCC. Her previous sabbaticals were taken in 2010 and 2015 .

From April 1, 2023 – August 31, 2023, Reverend Paige Getty will be taking five months of sabbatical leave. A sabbatical is a period of time when Rev. Paige will step away from her usual responsibilities to UUCC and instead take time for rest and rejuvenation, study, and discernment.

In UU congregations, it is traditional for ministers to take sabbatical leave every 4 to 7 years. You may remember Rev. Paige’s previous sabbaticals in 2010 and 2015. Here is the section on sabbatical leave from Rev. Paige’s contract:

3.6. Sabbatical Leave

3.6.1. The Minister shall use sabbatical leave for study, education, writing, meditation, and other forms of professional and religious growth. Sabbatical leave accrues at the rate of one (1) month per year of service, with leave to be taken after four years but before seven years of service. No more than six (6) months of sabbatical leave may be used within any twelve-month period. The dates of the sabbatical plan must be approved by the Board of Trustees at least one year in advance.

3.6.2. The Congregation will continue full salary, housing allowance, and benefits during sabbatical leave. Professional expenses may be adjusted.

3.6.3. Every fiscal year, the Congregation will consider sequestering funds for use in funding the Congregation’s additional expenses during the Minister’s sabbatical. This sabbatical fund is the property of the Congregation.

3.6.4. In the event of the Minister’s resignation, termination, or retirement, unused sabbatical leave is not compensable.

3.6.5. The Minister agrees not to resign or retire from full-time service to the Congregation for a minimum of one year following the end of each sabbatical leave.

3.6.6. The Congregation agrees to take no action on ministerial tenure during a sabbatical leave.

In Rev. Paige’s absence, staff members and lay leaders will be stepping up to ensure that things run smoothly. Worship services, pastoral care, religious education programming, and all the activities of our community will continue as usual.

This is also an opportunity for the congregation to contemplate who we are and who we want to be in the world. One aspect of this will be our collective work on our Values, Mission, and Ends (see more information about this effort here).

Frequently Asked Questions

Sabbatical 2023 FAQs

What is a ministerial sabbatical?

Sabbatical leave is a time away from the day-to-day duties of being minister, to give time for study, education, writing, meditation, and other forms of professional, religious, spiritual, or personal growth. The minister will decide how the time is used. The ministerial sabbatical isn’t just for the minister alone. This period of time is an opportunity for the congregation to reflect and discern together, recognizing the work of the congregational community extends far beyond that of a single minister. Within the Unitarian Universalist tradition, sabbaticals are common for ministers and are often detailed in their employment contracts, as is for Rev. Paige. Check out Jodi Brown’s blogpost “Rev. Paige’s Upcoming Sabbatical” (January 27) to read what Rev. Paige’s contract says about sabbaticals.

How long will Rev. Paige be on sabbatical?

Rev. Paige will be on sabbatical for five months, from April 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023.

Who will be in charge during the sabbatical?

The Board of Trustees as always will continue to be the governing body of UUCC. Learn more about the Board of Trustees and UUCC’s governing practices here.
Rev. Paige serves as one-half of UUCC’s Executive Team. The other half of the Executive Team is Valerie Hsu, UUCC’s Executive Director. Valerie will be responsible for the duties of the Executive Team during Rev. Paige’s sabbatical.
Valerie is a part of the Sabbatical Committee, with Jodi Brown, Jill Christianson, John Harris and Kirstin Nelson.
UUCC will have a strong Worship Steering Committee and a team of lay Worship Associates led by Colette Gelwicks and Michael Adcock.
Pastoral care will be provided by the revitalized Karuna Team. The Sabbatical Committee is arranging for an on-call minister to be available to support Karuna on an as-needed basis.

What happens if Rev. Paige decides not to come back at the end of her sabbatical?

Rev. Paige’s contract states she will not leave UUCC for one year after the sabbatical. In fact, Rev. Paige has said she is not taking a sabbatical to look for another job; this is a time for family, relaxation, reflection, and renewal.

Is this Rev. Paige’s first sabbatical?

This will be Rev. Paige’s third sabbatical at UUCC. Her previous sabbaticals were taken in 2010 and 2015.

Who do I contact if I have more questions?

You can email the Sabbatical Committee at sabbatical@uucolumbia.net. Members of the committee are Jodi Brown, Jill Christianson, John Harris, and Kirstin Nelson, along with UUCC Executive Director Valerie Hsu.

Sabbatical Committee

Sabbatical Committee members are Jodi Brown, Jill Christianson, John Harris, and Kirstin Nelson, along with UUCC Executive Director Valerie Hsu.

The role of the committee is to teach the congregation about the purpose of sabbatical, to coordinate the beginning and end of Rev. Paige’s sabbatical, to support the ongoing work of the worship steering committee and pastoral care team in the minister’s absence, and to serve as resource to congregational leaders.

Check out these weekly blog posts from the Sabbatical Committee, staff, lay leaders, and Rev. Paige herself to learn about plans for the sabbatical, reflections on previous sabbaticals, and the benefits of sabbatical leave for both Rev. Paige and UUCC.