For too long, the role of a pastor's wife has been misunderstood. There is no biblical mandate or example for this. In order to understand the duties of a pastor, we should first ask, what is a pastor? The discussion at hand may prove less applicable to those serving in larger church settings. The wives were thrust into roles they did not want, nor were they qualified to 'lead' the ladies in the church. Answer: The practice of calling the wife of an elder of a local church “First Lady” (or “First Lady of the Church” or, for short, “Lady [first and/or last name]”) does not come from the Bible. General Duties and Responsibilities of a pastor’s wife: Maintain a daily, consistent prayer time with God. She will be expected to soothe the weary, protect the vulnerable, bind up the wounded, seek the lost and rescue the wandering. (Genesis 2:18)” For such men it can be a matter of loyalty to Christ not to teach. from Central Baptist Theological Seminary. One passage I particularly love is Exodus 17 where Israel battles the Amalekites. Likewise, the Proverbs 31 woman teaches principles about the potential effects that the pastor’s wife can have on her husband’s ministry. None of us is either worthy or capable of such an undertaking. Losing Religion, Finding Jesus: Moving Beyond Cultural Christianity with Matt Ferris, Theology Review of Raya and the Last Dragon, Find a House Church: A Conversation with John Stewart Hill, December 7, 1941 – ‘A Date Which Will Live in Infamy’, 2021: Nothing Will Separate Us from the Love of God, Let’s Talk Dementia: A Conversation with Carol Howell, Christmas to the Cross: A Christmas Eve Worship Service, Boxed Christianity: A Box of Our Preconceptions and Perceptions, What Worry Will Do (A Study on the Sermon on the Mount). Answer: The Bible does not address the involvement of the pastor’s wife in any ministry. by leschenne darmé rebuli a thesis submitted for the degree of master of theology at the south african theological seminary in 2008 supervisor: dr kevin gary smith . A pastor cannot do all he can do without his wife, so read why the pastor’s wife plays an essential role in the pastorate. New members will join the church with an assumed job description in mind. The thesis of the article is that the Scriptures do not in any way define or prescribe the role of the pastor's wife, so we must infer the framework for her ministry as the pastor's wife from what the Scriptures teach about her identify, role, and purpose as a woman, a wife, and a believer. Miller. I have been a pastor's wife for 14 years. It would be difficult to support a husband as a pastor and raise godly children if a woman is not herself a follower of Christ. To Care For Her Family. Pastors’ Wives Have Stressful Sunday Mornings. Many people are confused about who even qualifies to be a pastor according to the Bible. When I think about being a pastor’s wife, many different passages encourage and guide me. The second best thing you might ever do for your marriage is read Boundaries In Marriage, by Cloud and Townsend. He is to restore the fallen, to seek the lost, and to pursue the spiritual health of the assembly he serves. • When God called our husbands to pastor He called us too. Furthermore, since she’s married to the pastor, she will invariably draw extra attention. A Christian wife is responsible for caring for her family. Similarly, the household codes located in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 teach that she has a proper role in her household. He graduated from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College with a B.S. She is one flesh with the pastor. I exhort you to do this for the glory of Christ and for the health of his church. “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. This is the case for a large majority of pastors’ wives. Get free updates on articles, giveaways, and special events directly to your inbox. • I recall a 3:00am wake up about 15 years ago • God not only gave us hands and feet to help our spouse. A pastor’s wife is one of the hardest roles to occupy in a church. Instead, they may have individuals in the congregation perform the duties. The wife of a U.S. president is called the First Lady. Her relationship with her husband isn’t her only source of value, however: When we read 1 Corinthians 12 or Romans 12, we see that she has her own unique position as a valuable member of the body of Christ. You can read more about our Privacy Policy at theologymix.com/privacy-policy. degree in 1984 and his graduate degrees include a M.A. Nicholas Maricle is is pastor of Hessmer Baptist Chuch in Hessmer, Louisiana. To contemporize the metaphor, she will be expected to to function as the first lady or vice president of the assembly. You can follow him on Twitter @nick_maricle . Holy Week – Day 6: Good Friday – What’s Good About It. The Biblical role of being a pastor’s wife is understood from what the Scriptures teach about being a woman, a wife and mother, and a Christ-follower with God-given gifts. I exhort those who shepherd, or someday will shepherd, the flock of God to faithfully shepherd your wife by purposefully and biblically steering her ministry in the local church you serve. Many a pastor places upon his wife, or permits others to place upon her, ministry expectations that are not rooted in the wisdom of Scripture but are staked in the quicksand of human tradition and our cultural milieu. Thus, a pastor’s wife ought to be a role model to other women. He is to be a man—a “one-woman man.” He is to lead the flock of God, to protect it, to care for it, and to feed it. Unlike that of her husband, the Scriptures suggest no unique job description or peculiar function for the pastor’s wife within the assembly. Shepherding the flock of God can prove one of the most exciting, enriching, and satisfying duties a man can undertake on this side of heaven. Therefore, the pastor's wife is also expected to help manage her children and household in a godly manner. It is a life-work that exposes the man of God to a multiplicity of trials, deep disappointments, searing heartaches, and haunting questions from within and without. Even more than you do. Role of the Wife in the Bible "encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. I know that for my wife, she awakens the kids, and takes them through their morning routine, etc. The Role of the Pastor’s Wife: What does the Bible Teach? Thus, a pastor’s wife ought to be a role model to other women. But if this assumption proves right, you must be prepared to actively steer your wife’s ministry against the stream of expectations, perhaps less as a pastor and more as a husband who longs to honor God by loving his wife. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which … If you do not exercise honorable leadership in this matter, your wife’s ministry will undoubtedly be swept along by traditional expectations and that can lead to tragedy. In general, we can apply what the Bible says about being female to the pastor’s wife. Brothers, we are not sufficient for these things, and we know it. Pastors and church leaders often look meticulously at the lives of the men being considered for the work of the eldership, but fail to look carefully at their wives. Ron, those are all great and necessary to have as a pastor's wife. If this assumption proves wrong, happily discard your assumption and take your wife out for dinner! My Role As The Pastor's Wife (A Study Series): The Pastor's Wife Duties For A Biblical Perspective Paperback – August 3, 2010 by Dr. Joseph R. Rogers Sr. (Author) 2.0 out of 5 stars 1 rating 2.2. An ongoing educational process will prove necessary. ABSTRACT—This article sought to find out the roles that pastor’s wives play in their husbands’ ministry that have made them seem indispensable in the ministry. While all of this information is certainly applicable to the lady who is married to the pastor, it doesn’t really speak to her role as the pastor’s wife. But I submit that one of the most significant trials many pastor’s wives suffer is a needless trial for which her well meaning husband is ultimately responsible. Bookkeeper. All of this information applies to every married Christian woman regardless of whether she’s married to a preacher or not. But God is rich in mercy. I do not propose to shield her from her responsibilities nor to eliminate the painful experiences she is called to endure for the glory of God. Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash.com. Most pastor’s wives, whether they like it or not, are public figures within their church and community. In other words, when a woman wears a wedding ring that a preacher bought, what obligations does she have that other women don’t? This description will vary from church to church, but basically it is the notion that she is to serve as the assistant pastor to the women. in History from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and the M.Div. By accessing this site you agree to Theology Mix's terms of use. In fact, men who are not “able to teach” will be gifted by God to minister in other capacities. After … The majority of pastors around the world carry out their ministries in smaller churches. By extension, I also challenge those who are actively involved in a local church to embrace a biblical philosophy regarding the ministry of the pastor’s wife and to influence your assembly in that direction. She will be thrust into the role of chief analyst of both his sermons and his administrative innovations. She is one flesh with the pastor, yet she is not a pastor. She will be expected to function in some capacity as a teacher—to feed God’s Word to the ewes or to the lambs of the flock, and preferably to both. In pursuit of this goal, we ask the question: What is a pastor’s wife supposed to do? Often, I believe, a pastor's wife will need to help her husband to see what he may not be able to see when ministering to others. One wife ended her husband's ministry with her bitterness and discontent. Love One Another, Just as I have Loved You: The Duties of a Christian Wife. What does the Bible say about the nature of her work as the pastor’s wife? She is not responsible for the decisions her husband or the board of elders makes. and Th.M. Here we go: That’s it! For young husbands who will assume your first pastorate in the near future, I implore you to enter your post armed with the assumption that an unwritten job description awaits your wife at the door. On Sunday mornings, pastors’ wives essentially live like single moms. By Betty Miller. The pastor’s wife is certainly a rare species with a very peculiar calling. Support … I’d love to help, but I’m working starting early on Sunday mornings. But what specifically does God want his wife to do? A proud pastor is an oxymoron—or a moronic ox, if you will. As noted, the Bible clearly delineates what a pastor is to do and reveals the nature of his work—a work that distinguishes him from other men in the assembly. 2 Since the revelation regarding ecclesiology does not explicitly address her role in the church, I would suggest that we work from the base of biblical anthropology, inferring from that body of revelation what should be expected of her as a pastor’s wife. But does God’s Word similarly distinguish the role of the pastor’s wife from the function of other women in the assembly? We hate spam. He is her husband, but he is also her pastor. Pastors Bud & Betty Miller on Duties of a Christian Wife. Moses stood on a hill holding up the staff of God. You have the pastor’s wife to thank for encouraging him to stick it out another week! We use cookies and similar technology to get information about the users of our website so we can optimise your experience. THE DUTIES OF CHRISTIAN WIVES For a woman who is married, the greatest privilege God has given to her is to glorify Christ by faithfully fulfilling her role as a biblical wife. So, there were times when the pastor’s wife was not in church, but on duty at the local medical center caring for people in crisis. The Bible pointedly addresses the functional ministry of the pastor. The pastor’s wife will often keep her husband’s long hours, shoulder his pressures, feel his disappointments, and suffer his defeats—often as profoundly and as deeply as he does. How territorial is she? Actually, pastors did this for many centuries. And for most pastors, God also graciously provides a human helper—a woman—to walk at her husband’s side as his covenant helper in this grand mission to exercise stewardship of God’s flock. 104 Whether or not she is a pastor’s wife, every woman (and every man) is created to image her Creator in character and action. Since the Bible doesn’t place special requirements upon the pastor’s wife, we should be careful when we say that a woman must do x because she said “I do” to a preacher. And for most pastors, God also graciously provides a human helper—a woman—to walk at her husband’s side as his covenant helper in this grand mission to exercise stewardship of God’s flock. From this passage, we see that the pastor’s wife has the unique ability to make or break her husband’s ministry in a way that no other single person can. She is a member of the flock, yet uniquely susceptible to the pressures the shepherd of that flock endures. Your privacy is important to us! She is keeping the church on track financially; a responsibility that comes with much burden. Let us make no vain attempt to exempt her from the Refiner’s fire. Proverbs 31 makes … We can also help with our mind with suggestions and provide him with a woman’s perspective. However, make no mistakes about it, there are expectations: More than a few churches expect the pastor’s wife to be a well-dressed lady who always works with children, shows up every time the doors open, and probably plays the piano. What specifically is her divine calling in her unique role? Third, it is clear a pastor's wife should be a follower of Christ. For instance, he must be able to teach and he must faithfully feed God’s truth to the flock by means of biblical discourse. The pastor’s wife is not a conduit for the congregation to send messages, suggestions, or criticisms to the pastor. Biblical research will be conducted and will be presented in the Biblical view of the role of the pastor. Coordinator. Biblically speaking, a pastor’s wife’s primary role is to be the wife of the pastor. My Role As The Pastor's Wife: The Ministry Of The Pastor's Wife: From A Biblical Perspective Paperback – August 3, 2010 by Dr. Joseph R. Rogers Sr. (Author) 5.0 out of 5 stars 3 ratings Instead, we should allow her to use her God-given gifts to serve God according to God’s unique plan for her life. In other words, it depends upon the denomination, the individual church within a denomination, the church board, and the pastor and his wife to determine how active the pastor’s wife should be. She is one flesh with the pastor. But in smaller churches a fairly entrenched, if somewhat fuzzy, list of ministry expectations awaits the new pastor’s wife upon her arrival. What I want to consider is the biblical role of the pastor’s wife. Some churches extend this honor to the wives of pastors. She will be expected to serve as director of women’s ministries; that is, to guide and provide visionary leadership to the ewes of the flock, serving as ex-officio member of all women’s committees. Insofar as her husband leads the household in a godly manner, she should follow her husband’s lead as an equal member of a team. We will never share your information with anyone. Consequently, she shouldn’t be pressured into the stereotypical mold of the “good preacher’s wife.” God gave her unique abilities, her own personality, and a specific calling, and she shouldn’t be expected to hide in her husband’s shadow. These ladies don’t technically have a position: There’s no job description for being the pastor’s wife, and she doesn’t directly receive a paycheck. She benefits from his teaching and preaching like the other members of the congregation. And if their expectations are frustrated by your wife’s actual function in the assembly, tensions may arise and threaten the health of the church. Dan is married to Beth and the Lord has blessed them with four children: Ethan, Levi, Reed and Whitney. In truth, the Bible has very little to say about what a minister’s wife must do as the minister’s wife. Based on surveys sent to Southern Baptist pastors, This unwritten job description is generally assumed. When his arms were lifted, the Israelites prevailed, but when he grew weary and his arms … Continued studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Often churche… The obvious answer to the preceding questions is that the Bible says nothing at all! Thus, her gender is a God-given gift to her that should be respected and honored. The assumption that the pastor's wife will serve as 'First Lady' is responsible, IMO, for the significant problems in at least three churches that my husband and I have attended. God only knows how many days a few well-chosen words of encouragement from her lips are all that stand between her husband’s perseverance in the pastorate and his permanent resignation from the ministry. In this section, I will cover every passage in the Bible about what the pastor’s wife must do because she is the pastor’s wife. The purpose of this position is to support her husband in ministry, friendship, and partner with him to create a stable home atmosphere. First, how territorial is your wife? at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. For many centuries, people viewed the role of the pastor as a servant caregiver who does the following: People expect pastors to do this, and pastors also view their role in this way. I do not think pastor’s wives are to be pitied, nor is pity what most of them seek. If she’s obedient to God, neither is wrong. No one, of course, will articulate this expectation, for when it is stated so baldly it rings hollow in our biblically trained ears. At the same time, Nicholas is also working on his M.Div. I like I think this topic is very important, and I am so happy to see it being addressed here by someone as thoughtful as Bro. "Titus 2:4-5 "get married, bear children, keep house" 1 Timothy 5:14 Some churches have no pastor at all. At least nothing explicitly. And it just might be the best thing you ever do for your marriage. Often times, the pastor’s wife is in charge of multiple schedules. Her quest for her proper role in life and ministry must begin with an awareness that she is to resemble and represent the Lord in all she is and does. Finally, it seems reasonable to suggest that the pastor’s wife should be a role model. However, don’t be surprised by the answers you hear to this question either as some people are confused about what is a pastor. In this unique position she is exposed to peculiar pressures, and to not a few stray bullets. Specific Observations about the Pastor’s Wife. But around the 1970s and 1980s, a new understanding started to emerge. That’s every verse in the Bible about what the preacher’s wife must do because she is the preacher’s wife! And if he is worthy of the title, this means she is one flesh with a difficult man. Please click 'I Agree' to let us know you consent to this. In Titus 2:3-5, women are given some instructions regarding their husbands, children and homes. • As a Pastor’s wife we will encounter many stressful situations. The Biblical Role Of An Deacon Wife . Such trials are intended by the Great Shepherd to deepen her faith and character. Honoring your husband is one of the biggest responsibilities of a pastor wife. Yet many parishioners will default to the base-line expectation that the pastor’s wife should shepherd the women of the assembly. Yet shepherding the flock of God is not a particularly safe enterprise. For some, that will be the stereotypical pastor’s wife; for others, this approach could be lead to an unorthodox ministry. Yet it is fitting to recognize that her relationship to her husband places her in a uniquely vulnerable position—a reality that will concern those who genuinely love the church of Jesus Christ and long for its health. The criticism was immediate. Accordingly, her unwritten job description will ape that of her husband’s. Biblically speaking, a pastor’s wife’s main role is to be the wife of the pastor. He is nearing completion of D.Min. the biblical role of the pastor’s wife in the local church: a case study of churches in somerset west, western cape. Other men in the assembly may also teach God’s Word, but this is not a moral obligation. Though the Bible doesn’t explicitly say that she must hold herself to a high standard as the pastor’s wife, it does command believers to live holy lives. Jesus has sent the Comforter to aid us in our frailty—to counsel, encourage, strengthen and help us in the great cause to which we have been called. One thing I know that is of great importance (aside from what you listed) is to have the gift of discernment! Hey God, I Have a Question Series: What Was It Like to Watch Your Son Die? Acts 20:28 ESV / 102 helpful votes. For example, we can point to Genesis 1 and say that she bears the image of God; furthermore, we can reference Genesis 1:31 and say that being female is a very good thing. She may well be called upon to catch grammatical errors and to sniff out inconsistencies in his letters to the church, to befriend that woman in the assembly others prefer to avoid and to brainstorm solutions to problems no one else can solve. Please further understand that such leadership will prove necessary not only gave us hands and to. At the start of a pastorate but for its duration what Was like... 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