Exchanges allow both congregations an opportunity to experience the ministry from a person of another culture while giving the pastor's family a chance to experience another part of the church. The leave must be long enough to achieve its goal. Often that is three months or more. Experience indicates that after a leave of a year it may be difficult to re-connect and the pastor or congregation may soon want a permanent change. It is wise for a congregation to expect a leave to happen on a regular basis.
Some leaves are self-supporting.
An exchange leave, for example, involves few financial changes for the congregation and modest expenses for the pastor's family. It may be necessary for a Canadian congregation to pay some travel costs for a pastor's family from a less wealthy part of the world to come to Canada. A service leave or special assignment may be paid for by the receiving agency or institution, or the pastor's salary and other expenses could be paid by the congregation as a way of sharing in the larger mission of the church. A study leave or a leave for rest and spiritual renewal does not offer similar possibilities for funding. Typically for a leave of less than three months the congregation continues to pay the full salary.