Indianapolis, Ind. – With the help of the Lilly Endowment, pastors across the country will be going on archaeological digs in the Holy Land, writing plays and poetry and even kayaking as part of their sabbaticals for “clergy renewal.”
The Lilly Endowment has announced that it will issue $2.7 million in grants to 118 pastors who applied for its 2000 National Clergy Renewal Program. The Indianapolis-based foundation selected them from hundreds of applications it received since January from congregations seeking a period of “intentional reflection and renewal” for their pastors to replenish their energy for ministry by stepping back from their busy schedules.
The maximum amount for individual grants is $30,000 with a s much as $10,000 of that figure going to congregations to help pay for pastoral assistance during the absence of the clergy member.
“We seek to honor the high calling of pastors who do a good job of serving their congregations and also to provide opportunities for them to strengthen and renew themselves for their important and difficult work,” said Craig Dykstra, vice president for religion at the Lilly Endowment. “Congregations are not always easy places, and it is good for pastors to have the time to step back and take time to get re-energized and rejuvenated.”
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