View Single Post
  #9 (permalink)  
Old 05-22-2008, 04:35 PM
sastark's Avatar
sastark sastark is offline.
Puritanboard Junior
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 1,397
Thanks: 183
Thanked 94 Times in 67 Posts
I am the son of a pastor's wife, so all my observations come from that point of view. But, here's my humble advice:

First, whatever congregation your husband is called to, make sure they understand they are calling him and not you. By the nature of his call, he is duty bound to perform certain tasks, be held responsible for needs to the congregation, etc. You are not. The congregation doesn't get a "two fer" sort of deal.

Having said that, expect to have some sort of leadership roll among the ladies of the church. Although you are not required to, ladies will view you as a sort of authority in the congregation and may ask for your advice/help. But, at the same time, do not lord it over the other women of the congregation, especially the older women. They can be learned from and have experience and wisdom you do not, even if they never were pastors' wives.

Expect to be looked down on by some. It won't be everyone, but there will be some who will hurt your feelings.

Don't be expected to be invited over whenever friends from church get together. I was constantly amazed, growing up as a pastor's kid, at how many social functions we didn't get invited to, simply because we were the Pastor's family.

As Rev. Pierce noted, there are few people that a pastor can unburden himself to. There are even fewer for a pastor's wife. You will, on some level, feel isolated.

I remember one book my mother had dealing with the issues of being married to a pastor. It was: Marriage to a Difficult Man: The Uncommon Union of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards. You can read a bit about it here.

I hope this helps. I really don't write negative things to discourage you, but perhaps to help prepare you for a life few women are called to. May the Lord bless you and your husband in this endeavor!
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to sastark For This Useful Post:
KenPierce (05-22-2008), Prudence and Passion (05-22-2008)