Thanks to a generous grant to Metro Baptist Church, Rev. Tiffany Triplett Henkel will be on sabbatical during summer 2023. The sabbatical is part of the National Clergy Renewal Program funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and administered by Christian Theological Seminary.
Pastor Tiffany’s specific sabbatical experience will include time for personal retreat, meditation and centering, as well as time for family travel and bonding. Rev. Henkel’s sabbatical will begin Thursday, June 22, and she will return to the office on Wednesday, September 27. Her first Sunday back in worship will be October 1 - World Communion Sunday. While away, Pastor Tiffany has made plans to be informed by Metro staff in the event of a death (to make personal contact), a pastoral care crisis, or an unanticipated leadership emergency, but will not be active in the regular pastoral care and leadership of the church for this period.
While Rev. Henkel is on sabbatical, the active ministries of Metro Baptist Church and Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries will continue under the leadership of Interim Associate Pastor Jana Dye and the faithful staff of Metro and RMM. Please reach out to Pastor Jana as you would Pastor Tiffany. As always, ongoing support will be provided by Metro’s lay leadership teams: Deacons, Trustees, Personnel Committee, and RMM Board. Additionally, Metro is blessed during this summer to have the regular prophetic voices of Rev. Kym McNair and Rev. Co’Relous Bryant as our Sunday preachers.
If you need assistance or support in the coming days, please contact Metro’s offices at mbc@mbcnyc.org or 212-594-4464 and you will be connected to the appropriate ministry team member.
Pastor Tiffany is grateful for this sabbatical opportunity and looks forward to returning to Metro this fall refueled and with fresh energy and vision for the ministry God has in store for us together.
A Benediction offered by Pastor Tiffany on June 19, 2023:
Until we meet again,
may rest find each of us,
may the sabbath before us renew and revive us
reminding us of the divinity of our humanity.
And may the rest we find
and the rest we offer
be resistance
to all the forces that are counter to God’s design
for us and all creation.
And most of all, may our holy rest remind us that we are enough.
Amen.