Our journey to restorative rest
Discover the heart behind Sovereign Sabbaticals, our unique approach to rest and renewal, and how we empower ministry leaders and caregivers to thrive.
Meet our founder, Dr. Shameka White
"I believe God invites us to rest. Not the kind of rest we earn after we have proven ourselves worthy, but the kind he offers freely, as a gift."
For over 15 years, I have walked alongside individuals and families through some of their hardest seasons. From social work to behavioral health, crisis intervention, and research, I observed a common thread: ministry leaders and helping professionals pouring out faithfully but rarely stopping to receive rest for themselves. This observation, paired with much prayer and seeking God's direction, became the heart of my dissertation at Regent University: The Integration of Sabbath Day Practices Among Ministry Leaders Experiencing Burnout.
What I found confirmed what I had long suspected. Rest is not a luxury or a reward. It is part of how God designed us to live and lead well. I know this not only from my research, but from my own life as a caregiver and social worker.
Our Unique Approach to True Sabbath
What began as research into ministry leader burnout grew into something wider. Sovereign Sabbaticals now exists for ministry leaders, missionaries, caregivers, and helping professionals of every kind—anyone who has spent themselves pouring into others and needs permission to receive rest for their own soul.
It is a space where evidence-informed practice and spiritual truth work together, thoughtfully and intentionally, so that every detail of the experience points you back toward stillness. Through the R.E.S.E.T.™ Retreat Experience, I have the honor of creating space for leaders and helpers to release what they are carrying, examine the expectations weighing them down, receive true Sabbath, build sustainable rhythms of wellness, and prepare to return home renewed.
Who benefits from Sovereign Sabbaticals?
Sovereign Sabbaticals is for Ministry Leaders, Missionaries, Caregivers, and Helping Professionals who have been faithfully carrying others. We extend a quiet invitation into Sabbath rest.
The spiritual foundation
The sacred invitation to Sabbath. Everything Sovereign Sabbaticals does flows from a belief that God is inviting his people to rest.
The credibility
Scholarship and research-informed care. With a Ph.D. in Counseling and Psychological Studies from Regent University, original doctoral research on burnout among ministry leaders, and future publications, every retreat and resource is informed by behavioral health research and grounded in biblical truth.
The experience
Hospitality, peace, welcome, and care. From the retreat environment to every interaction, from the first website visit to the final farewell, our experience is designed to communicate peace, welcome, and care.
"Sovereign Sabbaticals provided the profound rest and spiritual renewal I desperately needed. It was truly life-changing."
A ministry leader