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Sabbatical

The Rev. Dr. Carl Gregg began serving as our minister in July 2012, so this summer marks his 7th anniversary with UUCF. In UU congregations, there is a tradition of the minister being away for sabbatical leave every seventh year. However, in recent decades, the recommended best practice has evolved toward ministers taking shorter, more frequent sabbaticals. This pattern helps decrease both burnout in long-term ministries and the disruption to congregations from ministers being on extended leave.

Following that advice, Rev. Carl is taking his contracted sabbatical leave in two parts:

  • Sabbatical, part 1 (of 2) began on Monday, June 11, 2018 and end on Labor Day, September 3, 2018.
  • Sabbatical, part 2 (of 2) will begin on Saturday, June 8, 2019 and end on Friday, August 30, 2019.

Looking to the future, Rev. Carl anticipates taking approximately three months of sabbatical every 3-4 years (instead of six months every seven years). So he may take 3-months of sabbatical again in summers 2024 and 2026.

What is a sabbatical?

Sabbatical is an ancient practice relating to a period of rest, usually after six years. The root word literally means "ceasing." And the longer time of sabbatical rest in a seventh year mirrors the practice of a weekly sabbath each seventh day.

Why is sabbatical important?

"A Duke University study in 2007 found that 85 percent of seminary graduates leave ministry within five years, and only one in 10 retire as a pastor" (The Washington Post). To help avoid burnout, the practice of sabbatical provides in an intentional time of renewal, rejuvenation, and learning to help make longer-term ministry healthier and more sustainable for both the minister and congregation.

What are the minister's sabbatical plans?

This extended leave will provide space of rest, renewal, and discernment. In particular, Rev. Carl plans to deepen his spiritual practices of meditation and yoga.

Sundays Services

We are fortunate to have a deep bench of qualified, experienced members of UUCF who can preach while Rev. Carl is away. Our equally deep bench of excellent musicians means that we anticipate having high quality Sunday Services while Rev. Carl is away.

Pastoral Care

During Rev. Carl's sabbatical, the UUCF Board of Trustees has contracted with Bob Clegg to serve as the Pastoral Care Coordinator, which includes being on call for pastoral care emergencies. (If a member of the congregation becomes gravely ill or dies, Rev. Carl anticipates being available with the exception of two 10-day periods when he will be out of town.)

Other Concerns

We are also fortunate to have highly qualified and experienced staff and lay leaders. For details on whom to contact in various areas, visit frederickuu.org/who.

Contacting Rev. Carl during sabbatical

Because the sabbatical is designed to be a complete break from ministerial responsibilities, there should be no need to contact Rev. Carl while he is on leave. (If he posts on social media, you are welcome to interact there, as you would if you ran into him in the grocery store, etc. However, please refrain from sharing about anything related to UUCF while he is on sabbatical.) If an occasion arises requiring Rev. Carl's attention, please first get in touch with one of the following people, who will in turn contact Rev. Carl as needed:

  • Karen Reilly, UUCF's Office Administrator:
  • Bob Clegg, UUCF's Sabbatical Pastoral Care Coordinator:


(The short link to this page is frederickuu.org/sabbatical.)