When I was Clergy, I used to get every other Feb 29 off.

Our minister is full time.

I think each week is different as far as how many actual hours he is at the church.  One of his regular days off is Monday, so he is in the office for some time Tuesday to Friday.  The hours are as different as how the various people in our congregation react to it.  Some people understand that not all of his duties take place at the church.  Some people would rather he be out in the community and amongst the people more.  Some people get upset that he isn't at the church everyday from 9 to 5.  I think this is an age-old issue of contention in most churches.

No, he doesn't.  Again, same as above - this bothers some in our congregation more than others, and some aren't bothered by it at all.

Our minister is full time.  She generally takes Friday/Saturday as days off, as this works best for her own family.   We do our best to help her honour a 40 hour work week - to take care of her own health & have a decent work/life balance.   That being said, there is a lot of flexibility in how those hours are put in - some meetings/events/appointments/pastoral care emergencies  in the evenings for example.   She comes in to the church for a while most days, but doesn't have 'set' hours.  We support her working for home on things like sermon prep, so she can have some uninterrupted time. 

As beloved mentions above - lots of people support this flexibility of presence; others don't - more old school attitude about 'place' where work occurs. 

Our ministers are both full time and both generally take Fridays and Saturdays off. On days when they have meetings in the evening, they will either come in late - or take time off at some other point in the week. They don't have any set office hours. People in our congregation seem to be generally in favour of this flexibility - I've never heard any complaints.

Lucky you! You get one day off every 8 years!   

Our two ministers are full time plus we have a 15 hour pastoral minister. He works as he wishes.

The other two share coverage of hours. Meetings....... The senior minister takes Monday off, generally so does the youth minister.

I am pretty sure they organize their time in the blocks set out as a guideline. But in general, if you go to the church during the week you will find at least one of them at the church.

As a board we are concerned that our senior minister does not take enough time for himself.

When I was full time and then retired supply, I took fridays off, had regular office hours in the mornings, except thursday which was sermon writing days. The church I go to now has two ministers and they both have regular office hours.  This helps in a urban situation when others have office hours  Of course one can make appointments at other times and that is listed in the information in the church web site.

Our minister abruptly went on long-term medical leave this year and then decided to retire instead of returning.  Until our Search Committee finds a new minister to call, we have a part-time supply minister (who is ordained in the Mennonite church but has background in the UCC).  She preaches two Sundays per month in our church, one weekday service at a seniors' residence, performs pastoral care (for hospital patients, shut-ins, etc.), and has office hours one day per week.  Everything else is done by laity - including four LLWLs and several retired clergy (for communion, baptisms, weddings).

Generally I believe that our two ministers (one full time, one half time) each work a 40 hour week.  They keep some regular hours, but much of their time is as needed.   Many meetings take place on evenings.  Both are expected to work at least part of the day Sunday. 

Seeler - I'm guessing that your half time minister doesn't work a 40 hour week!

Unfortunately somegal, although I've never followed her around I'm guessing it would be near 40 hours, at least some weeks.  We've let her know that we don't expect it.  That volunteers can help, and some things might just have to be left undone, but it seems she loves her calling, she sees the need.   

I know when we have had JNACs and have talked about going to half time ministry personnel we have been told by presbytery representatives that we would  have to be careful to make sure if we went with part time that we weren't expecting more than that from our minister, as in a lot of cases half-time ministry personnel in a one-minister charge can tend to work much, much more to meet the demands on them, and that in some cases the congregations expect as much of half-time as they do of full-time - not intentionally, but just to meet the needs of the people.

If you have a part-time minister, and they have two funerals, a Sunday service, a board meeting, and anything else of urgency in a given week, they are going to be working way more than 20 hours.

Thankfully we have been able to maintain full time ministry . . . but as our congregation dwindles, and financial resources diminish, I don't know what will happen in the years ahead.  But I do know that if we go to half-time, that the people in our congregation would have to do more ministry within the church and community than we do with a full time person.

I honestly thought that was a typo Seeler. I'm glad that she enjoys her work so much. 

I am glad that she enjoys her woRk also but it does no favours to the 1'2 time person who follows her.. If she is trying to stick to 20 hours a week, the congregation's expectation may be more because of the former1/2 time person. The church does no one any favours to let this happen ,imo

I honestly think we are trying for a balance.

There are times it cannot be helped. I had a week that went just as planned. I was on target. Then it was a traffic accident, a new young widow with kids... then another death that was more expected...then a parent with a missing child... a 30 hr week turned into 67. It happens. But from love of it, being a workaholic, not having an identity apart from minister.... anything that makes you something nobody after can measure up to is not fair to the next minister OR the congregation.

Sometimes weeks like that happen, it's true SG. In that case, I would hope that your M & P committee would encourage you to take those 37 hours off at another time.

Yes, I agree, somegal - even if it can't be hour off for every extra hour worked, I hope they at least give a day, two, or three . . . for rest and rejuventation.

SG - what a week!

Agreed Beloved - and it can happen over the course of a few weeks or months, not necessarily all at once.