The question was simple: How are you caring for yourself right now—and how can we help make that happen? That question, first asked in the early days of the pandemic, gave birth to what is now the New England COSROW Sabbath Grant Program— a small but mighty initiative designed to offer clergy, seminary students, and caregivers the gift of rest.
“It started with a request in our COSROW budget,” recalls Rev. Dr. Sara Garrard (she/her), former chair of the New England Commission on the Status and Role of Women, and author of this program. “In that meeting we were sharing the burdens of parenting during such a hard time on top of being in ministry.” She continued, “We watched femme rights walk backwards 30 years because of domestic labor demands during the pandemic.” Dr. Garrard realized that while larger systemic change would take time, “the most immediate thing we could provide was money— real, tangible support for rest.”
The program began modestly with fifteen applications and a vision shaped by the Combahee River Collective statement, which affirmed that liberation for the most marginalized is liberation for all. That framework shaped everything about the Sabbath Grants. “It was important that we live into our values,” Garrard shared. “We prioritized Black, queer, femme, and disabled clergy,” and “We also are ensuring that we are prioritizing immigrant clergy,” she explains. “They are giving so much of their time and humanity to the church, and the most marginalized among us are having a bad experience and burning out, and this small thing we can do to disrupt that is really, really important to me,” Garrard shared.
From the start, simplicity was key. The application process asked only a few questions: What’s your role in ministry? What does Sabbath mean to you? What will you do with this grant? “If you can fill out a ten-minute form, you can apply,” says Rev. Virg Fryer (she/her), current COSROW co-chair, leader, and advocate. “It was designed to be accessible and permission-giving.” “For some people they can’t do these things [rest] if they don’t get the money; for others, they don’t give themselves permission to do these things. This is a platform for both— supporting those who need it and permission giving for those who need that.”
What clergy requested was telling: $40 for a date night, a single massage, a gym membership, international travel to see family, funding for pulpit supply while taking a short sabbatical, support for a retreat or a cultural event. “It was wild to see people underestimate the value of their bodies and rest,” Garrard says. “The freedom to not be laboring” shared Garrard, is something the church rarely talks about, but it’s holy work. “I want people to be able to rest and rest well,” Garrard concluded.
Over time, the program expanded. What began with three categories— seminary students, clergy, and caregivers— has grown to include justice group grants supporting collective rest and renewal for groups such as Korean clergywomen, Reconciling Ministry networks, racial justice events, and more. “The beauty of this program is that it’s very open,” Fryer says. “Ministry is hard, especially for those who don’t fit the mold of the young, male pastor with a family and thirty years of experience. We have queer clergy, trans clergy, neurodivergent clergy— people who don’t fit in a tiny box. This grant is one small way to say, ‘We see you. We give thanks for you. You deserve care.’”
Today, the New England COSROW Sabbath Grant Program represents a tiny percentage of the conference’s budget, yet its impact ripples far beyond its size. “It was the first step toward connection in a season that was so isolating,” Fryer reflects. “I remember what it was like when I was starting out, and I had more support. This program helps me connect with younger clergy who are finding their way.”
For GCSRW, initiatives like this embody the heart of our work. In New England, GCSRW’s principles have become practice, contextualized in a way that meets the real needs of clergy and communities. It is advocacy that looks like care, education that begins with listening, support that empowers rest, and accountability that honors the bodies and spirits of those serving in a variety of ministry contexts. The New England COSROW Sabbath Grant Program reminds us that equity work doesn’t have to start with sweeping legislation— it can begin with compassion, creativity, and a willingness to ask what people truly need.
To learn more about how your annual conference COSROW can empower contextual ministries like this, contact Kelli Hitchman-Craig, Director of Leadership Development and Community Engagement at GCSRW.