Sabbatical Information

*Update: Due to COVID-19, the sabbatical has been postponed until May 2021. While some of my plans have changed, I am still looking forward to four P's: Pray, Perform, Produce, and Play. I have a couple of creative projects planned, some travel, and Holy Rest. Thank you to our vestry for allowing me to reschedule, and to the Lilly Endowment for extending the grant timeline for everyone who's sabbatical has been postponed. 

Sabbatical Information from the Sabbatical Committee

Rector's Sabbatical
Beginning in March, or actually just after Ash Wednesday (Feb 27) our Rector James Derkits will be taking a sabbatical, which is intentional time away from Parish Ministry for study, rejuvenation, and reflection. He will be away all of March, April, May, and June. His first Sunday back will be July 5. During that time, he will have little contact with the parish except for pastoral emergencies. Rob Alcorn has stepped up to lead the Sabbatical Committee (Del Welborn was the Chairperson, but moved to Mississippi to care for her father.) Other members of the committee are Ivette Sullivan and Suzanna Reeder. Sue Miles, our current Sr. Warden serves on the committee ex officio, and as vestry liaison. (All members have served as Bishop's Warden or Sr. Warden at Trinity by the Sea.) 

Why a Sabbatical? 

The nature of parish ministry and the vocational habits of most clergy are such that their work is unending. At the end of the day, most clergy go home with a long list of things still to do in their heads. They carry with them the pastoral concerns of people in their hearts and minds. With electronic devices, priests are rarely disconnected and days off frequently become 'catch up' days or are filled with funerals, weddings, or other events. Because of the sheer volume of work, a priest's ministry consists of an ongoing series of emotional highs and lows. In a single day, the priest may prepare a Bible study, meet with a grieving family, pray with a dying parishioner, deal with a plumbing problem, listen to criticism about his/her work, do pre-marital counseling, give rent support to a family in need, and take part in a budget meeting. While this is all part of the calling to the priesthood, it still can be emotionally draining and mentally exhausting at times.

While our church has returned to a more normal pace in recent months the two years following Hurricane Harvey brought extra stress to our whole church and community, so it is timely regarding the storm as well.

Sabbaticals are also a time of renewal for the parish. It is an opportunity to hear other clergy preach and teach, and a time for church members to step into the life and leadership of ministry. Clergy from our diocese who take sabbatical often report that they return to a congregation that is healthier and stronger.

How was this planned?

According to the diocese of West Texas clergy sabbatical policy, full-time parish clergy become eligible for a sabbatical when they have served at least seven years in ordained ministry and have served at least five years in the congregation granting the sabbatical. James has served at Trinity by the Sea since July 2012 (over seven years) and has been ordained since 2006. James and the vestry consulted the bishop and the vestry decided to grant the sabbatical.

The sabbatical committee and James applied for a grant which required thoughtful planning for how he would spend his time away (see below for details.) That, conversation with clergy who have recently taken sabbaticals (including Bishop Reed), conversation with the vestry, and the Credo Conference (clergy wellness) in November helped him intentionally plan his sabbatical time. 

What will James be doing? 

Theme for this sabbatical time is "Create in me a clean heart" taken from Psalm 51. We prayed that daily in the year following Hurricane Harvey, and it has a special Camp Allen connection for James. He also uses the words of that Psalm while preparing the altar for Eucharist. His sabbatical time can be categorized in four ways: Pray, Produce, Perform, Play.

Pray: James will meet at the beginning of his sabbatical with his mentor Pittman McGehee in Austin. McGehee is an Episcopal priest and Jungian analyst, and worked with James to start a church in Houston. They will meet daily for a week of spiritual direction and analysis. This will give James direction for his spiritual work during sabbatical and beyond. James also plans to engage in his prayerful practices including running, culminating in a 30 mile trail run in Utah, late May.

Perform: He will start the sabbatical by taking his concert (recently recorded in our church sanctuary) on tour. "Love One Another" is made up of songs of Jesus' Incarnation, Teachings, Passion, and Resurrection. He is playing in Gulfport, MS; And in Texas: Silsbee, Houston, Austin, San Marcos, Camp Capers (Comfort), Corpus Christi, and McAllen.

Produce: James has already recorded "Love One Another" so that he can share the CD during the tour. He hopes to produce two other music albums as well as a book idea he has been working on.

Play: James and his family love to surf. Most of their travel will involve surf destinations including Mexico, Spain, and France. He also plans to use the free weekends to take Eli camping as often as possible.

Finances:

The diocese supplies some funds to support clergy on sabbatical.
We were awarded the Lilly Foundation grant (mentioned above as helping us plan the time away)  to cover most of the travel and recording expenses.
The Lilly grant also has funds to cover supply clergy costs for the church.

Who will cover Sunday services? 
James has contacted a number of clergy to cover Sunday and Tuesday worship. Included in that group are: The Rev. Doug Schwert, The Rev. Janne Osborn, The Rev. Don Owens, The Rev. Bruce Wilson, Archdeacon Mike Besson, and The Rev. Murray Powell. Doug served as our vicar before James arrived, and Janne served in the late 90's. 

How can I help? 

Come to church, and lean into this time of renewal. Come hear the voices of these clergy James has invited to come be with us. Ask our vestry, wardens, or sabbatical committee how you might help out while James is away. Pray for James, and for the ongoing renewal of Trinity by the Sea in this sabbatical season.

Final Notes (for now)
James and his family have found Port Aransas and Trinity by the Sea to be a good fit for them, and feel very much at home here. After the Credo conference, he reported gaining even more clarity about staying at Trinity by the Sea. The vestry and congregation also see our pastoral relationship as a good fit. Since the Hurricane, James said to the vestry, "I want to lead us through this time of recovery, then stay around and enjoy what we rebuild together." (Many "major disaster event clergy" burn out and leave the church they served through the event.) Part of why he is taking this sabbatical is for his own health, and to support the longevity of his tenure at Trinity by the Sea.