Loading...St John’s Episcopal Church has received a grant of $37,000.00 to enable its minister, the Rev. Hal T. Hutchison, to participate in the 2012 National Clergy Renewal Program funded by the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. It is one of 147 congregations across the country that will support their ministers in the program, which allows pastors to step back from their busy lives and renew their spirits for the benefit of their ongoing ministries.
Now in its 13th year, the program invites Christian congregations and ministers to plan a period of intentional reflection and renewal. It gives ministers time to take a break from their daily obligations and gain the fresh perspective and renewed energy that a carefully considered “sabbath time” of travel, study, rest and prayer can provide.
Through this program, Christian congregations apply for grants of up to $50,000 to support a renewal program for their pastors. Working with their congregations, the ministers design their renewal programs to fit their own needs and aspirations. Pastors are encouraged to include their families in the renewal activities. Up to $15,000 of the grant may be used for the congregation to pay for interim pastoral leadership while the pastor is away, as well as for renewal activities within the congregation. 1,745 congregations have participated in the clergy renewal program since it began in 2000, including the 147 congregations in this round that received grants totaling nearly $6.5 million.
During the 3 month sabbatical (August, September, October) Fr. Hutchison will be traveling with his wife and sons for some valuable family renewal time in California and New England states and Bimini (B.I). He will also be studying religion, spirituality and music of the Appalachian region. During his absence the Rev. Harry Shaefer will be providing pastoral oversight and liturgical leadership. A special event on July 12-14 will precede his departure. Tom Riley from Virginia will lead the parish in a Faith Stories Weekend. Riley will return in October for a second session encouraging members to reflect on the Mission and ministry of St. John’s, and then again in January to blend sabbatical reflections of parish and rector.
“Time and time again we hear that these renewal experiences are transformative for pastors, their families and their congregations,” said N. Clay Robbins, the Endowment’s president and CEO. “We intend for this program to enable pastors to live for a while at a different pace and in a new environment, in Sabbath time and space. Many pastors and their families return with a rich store of shared memories, having had large blocks of unbroken time together, uninterrupted by the 24-hour-a-day routine of the ministry.
“The wealth of imagination unleashed by this program is truly wonderful to see,” he said. “We can think of no better way to honor these hardworking, faithful men and women than to help them experience personal growth and spiritual renewal in ways that they themselves design and find meaningful.”
