Page 25 - Pastoral Ministries -Student Textbook

Study Section 4: The Pastor’s Wife

4.1 Connect

Enshrouded in the mists of time is the legend of Mrs. Cranmer, the wife of the first Archbishop of
Canterbury. Henry the Eight had succeeded in breaking the iron rule of Rome, and the Church of
England, at last, was an entity in itself. The archbishop set a brave precedent in marrying. However,
the populace was not yet ready for such scandalous behavior. As a result, Mrs. Cranmer spent most
of her married life in hiding. It is said that when he desired for his wife to travel with him, she was
forced to journey in a wooden box with ventilating holes in it. In light of such a precedent, the
modern, harried pastor’s wife would agree that pastor’s wives have indeed come a long way!

The pastor’s wife can either make or break her husband’s ministry. She is an integral part of the ministry and
serves in her husband’s ministry almost as much as he does. Normally, she will have many duties assigned her
simply because she is the pastor’s wife. Let’s see what her qualifications are and what she can expect….

4.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to state the various roles of a pastor’s wife.

2. The student should be able to explain how a pastor’s wife is to maintain a proper relationship
with her husband.

3. The student should be able to state the various obligations that a pastor’s wife has to herself.

4. The student should be able to describe the three ways various pastor’s wives are involved in her husband’s
ministry.

4.3 The Pastor’s Wife

Encouraging words from a pastor’s wife….

My life as a pastor’s wife isn't all about what happens on Sunday,
running the women’s ministry, singing songs or helping people. What
about Monday through Saturday? What happens when the lights are
out, and the church doors are closed for the day? Believe it or not, life
happens. I was faced with the challenges that most marriages face, the task of
keeping up with five teenagers and the responsibility of household duties.

I often find it to be true that most people look at a pastor's wife and say, “Wow! Look
at her. She's got it all together. She's married to the man of God. She is so blessed.”
Indeed, I am blessed and yes, I am married to the pastor, but it is true to believe that everything goes as people
perceive them mainly from the outside. Sometimes fear and doubt got the best of me. I misunderstood my
husband more than once, I've missed important moments in the lives of my children, and sometimes I lack faith.
I'm an ordinary person with a not so ordinary role.

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