February 27, 2025
Dear Trinity Family,
I am writing to let you know that Rev. Ben Lyon will be on sabbatical this year from May 26 until August 25. After seven years of service as a pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church since his last sabbatical, we believe this break will greatly benefit Ben and his family.
The pastoral sabbatical is part of Trinity’s practice and has been a tradition of the church for hundreds of years. The extended time off is an opportunity for rest, reflection, and restoration, often lasting from two months to one year. While the sabbatical principle is rooted in Genesis 2:2-3 in which God rested (literally, “ceased” from His labor) on the seventh day, the concept is described in several other places in Scripture as well. In Leviticus 25, for example, the Lord commands Israel to cease from working the fields in the seventh year. Given Trinity’s practice and biblical examples, we believe this is an appropriate time for a sabbatical.
The daily role of a pastor includes many emotional, spiritual, and relational challenges, often accompanied by pain, suffering, and difficulty. We are thankful to have an associate pastor who engages with you at this relational level. But there is no doubt that such pastoring exacts a cost, a burden that Ben has carried through nearly 15 years of ministry at Trinity. Our church hopes to counter this “cost” with well-timed sabbaticals. Our goal is that Ben and Breann view this time away as an encouragement to them and an act of care from the Session and the church.
While Ben takes this sabbatical, Jack, Clay, the elders, and our excellent staff will cover many of the various aspects of his daily responsibilities. Concerning the music ministry, Calvin Smith was hired as an intern in part to provide leadership over this important ministry during Ben’s time away. Additionally, Clay’s transition into church planting this summer is going to be a gradual one. He will still be heavily involved in pastoral duties throughout the summer in order to help us during Ben’s sabbatical. We believe these measures will ensure effective ministry continuity. Furthermore, we believe this illuminates the truth that the church is bigger than any one person or pastor as its sustenance derives from Christ alone and that this break will be a great benefit to Ben and his family as well as to our church in the years to come.
We hope you find this decision to grant Ben a sabbatical to be wise, well-deserved, and well-timed. As you may have questions not fully addressed here, we encourage your feedback. Please do not hesitate to reach out to any of the elders with any questions or concerns you may have.
Warmly,
