The secret ministry of pastors wives and all that comes. The pastors wife pan 2 the pastors relationships 6. Pastor, remember your wife is the most vulnerable person. Or a woman whos functioned as pastors wife may shift into the ministry partner role. The pastor s wife pan 2 the pastor s relationships 6. As the lifestyle of the ministers wife is changing, a harmonious knitting together of at least three roles is essential. The pastors wife as a helpmeet christian assemblies. We are to make sure the pastor has everything he needs to lead his congregation.
Introductory comments s hepherding the flock of god can prove one of the most exciting, enriching, and satisfying duties a man can undertake on this side of heaven. In this paper,we present a churchbased educational intervention, project sisters in the spirit sis. Tucker adds that the pastors wife is viewed as a woman who has a unique role to fill and faces frustrations that are unique to her relationship and vocationtucker, 1988, p. She heard his first sermon and possibly may be there when he preaches his last. Ministry magazine the changing role of the pastors wife. Yet, shepherding the flock of god is not a particularly safe enterprise. Even a modest season of reflection on verses 27 reveals the vital role the pastors wife must fulfill.
Pdf the role of the pastors wife in ministry josiah b. More than a few churches expect the pastors wife to be a welldressed lady who always works with children, shows up every time the doors open, and probably plays the piano. There is some debate about what exactly a pastors wifes roles and responsibilities within a ministry should be. Today, i want to talk about our duties as pastors wives. If the church advertised for a pastor that is who they employ.
The pastors wife book encouraging and supporting the. Help for pastors wives 6 steps to more confidence in. The job description of the pastor s wife pastor dan miller, thm eden baptist church, savage, mn. Clergy spouse study wespath benefits and investments. Strengthened by grace for a life of love by gloria furman crossway.
As wives, our role in our husbands ministry is very important. The stability of the pastors home is a necessary requirement for his ongoing ministry and she is obviously a major contributor to that stability. The one consistency through all arguments is the idea of achieving. The purpose of this guide is to facilitate personal growth and mentoring for pastors wives. Surprisingly, a few people noted their displeasure with the fact that they were expected specifically. Part of my discussion will also include the comments and observations of a small sampling of pastors wives that i have interviewed for this thesis. I am fully aware that in some churches the pastor is a woman. Pastors wife the role of the pastors wife the role of the.
Although this study showed that his job continues to set limits on her lifestyle, this study also found that. She meant that because it is my god given role, i need to have grace and dignity, and dont rush myself to give someone an answer. In the end, pastors wives must know their spiritual and natural gifts so they can figure out how to best serve the body. Hard to pin down what role a pastors wife plays the roles for first ladies of the church and senior pastors wives are as different as the people who occupy them. All pastors wives have expectations and probably misgivings about her duties in her role. Questionnaire data from 105 pastors wives from the wisconsin conference of the united church of christ were utilized. As a wife we help a man qualify not only are there specific qualifications for the wife. He may challenge or encourage his flock to draw closer and dedicate ones life to the lord. The role of a pastors wife should be no different from that of any other mans wife unless she and her husband were employed as a couple with specific roles in the church. To be a helpmeet is to avail yourself to him always. As a pastors wife, i would not be employed by the church, but would utilize my godgiven gifts to volunteer in different areas of ministry. The pastors wife is expected to sup port her husbands ministry and be a homemaker. Equipping pastors spouses for their role in ministry. The pastors wife duties for a biblical perspective 9781453735701.
The pastors wife will often keep her husbands long hours, shoulder his pressures, feel his disappointments, and suffer his defeatsoften as profoundly and as deeply as he does. Just as it is important for any man to have a help mate, it is doubly important for a female pastor to have that. See all 4 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. A seasoned and godly pastors wife who is my mentor told me that it is ok to wear a proverbial pastors wife suit. There are no clearcut roles for the pastors wife in the. Help for pastors wives 6 steps to more confidence in your role jessica cooper the professor of purpose. On sunday mornings, pastors wives essentially live like single moms. Thepastorswife 5 werenottightenedonintime,burstfromhisgaiters, anddiditinremoteplaceslikerailwaycarriages. Role of a pastors husband a pastors calling is a marvelous calling but at times, can be very challenging, lonely, exciting, frustrating, and yet very satisfying. The role of the pastors wife personal challenges and suggestions on how to handle it all the bible does not specifically state what the role of the pastors wife should be but we do know from john 15.
For too long, the role of a pastors wife has been misunderstood. No one in the church family is more vulnerable than the pastors wife. I know that for my wife, she awakens the kids, and takes them through their morning routine, etc. If the wife is happy to take on duties the church have received a bonus.
She will be thrust into the role of chief analyst of both his sermons and his administrative innovations. What i want to consider is the biblical role of the pastors wife. She may well be called upon to catch grammatical errors. The researcher has combined both the empirical and the library method of research. And more specifically, how grace shapes those duties. What is the pastors wifes responsibility to the church. The bible does not address the involvement of the pastors wife in any ministry. In this encouraging and often humorous book, gloria furman offers pastors wives a breath of fresh air, reminding readers that christ stands ready to help regardless of the circumstance whether its latenight counseling sessions, unrealistic expectations about how they spend their time, or. The job description of the pastors wife pastor dan miller, thm eden baptist church, savage, mn. I feel the role of a pastors wife is that of an assistant. The wife s role may shift from one to another as outlined below, but the pastoral couple needs to talk about this change and be clear as to their expectations of one another.
A wife of a pastor, when her children are grown, may become more invested in her husbands ministry and become pastors wife. Not specifically, but a look at the qualifications of elders or pastors in 1 timothy 3 and titus 1 offers some insight into this important role. In her book, she suggests that the role of being a clergy wife is more successful when training is available. From a biblical perspective paperback august 3, 2010.
The roles that a pastor s wife performs in church will depen d on the type of church, expectations of me mbers, and her personality. Todays generation of pastors wives fill a different role than the dressedup, casseroletoting caricature that came before them, but they still feel the pressures of being married to ministry. Her opinion and criticism are of great value, and any wise husband will take heed to his wifes constructive comments. Thank you to all who contributed ideas from your experience and wisdom. Well, my role as a pastors wife is basically the same as any other wife in the church to honor and support my husband. This is the case for a large majority of pastors wives. Job description for first ladies of the church and senior. Id love to help, but im working starting early on sunday mornings. The pastors wife and her church role nate holdridge.
By joyce thomas recently, i came across a book entitled the identification of essential components for equipping pastors wives for ministry by tara rawlsjenkins, a pastors wife. The pastors wife is the only church member who has stayed with him from the very beginning. She is the key figure in the life of the pastor and plays the biggest role in his success or failure. Likewise the 65 year old grandmother pastors wife will have a different ministry than the 40 year old mother with a mentally disabled child.