There’s more ministry for ministers today than ever before—but how do you find it? Here’s a start.
We know it’s only a beginning. There are far too many counselors, retreats, and vacation getaways for us to list here. Please remember that we’re a journal, not a certification board. You’ll want to inquire about theological orientation, counseling approach, cost, and other issues before deciding which resource best meets your need.
In the lives of married millennials, having kids changes everything, according to Lasting, a marriage health app that so far has over 125,000 respondents to its marital health survey. Couples without children tend to report being more satisfied with their marriages than couples with children. In response to statements like “My partner is a great listener,” only 30 percent of people with kids agreed, while 45 percent of people without kids agreed.
The company’s dataset may be the largest marriage survey sample size ever gathered. Most users are between the ages of 20 and 35 or in their first 15 years of marriage (80 percent of users were married after 2010). Regardless of their parenthood status, men and women overall reported significant differences: Nearly 67 percent of women disagreed with the statement “My partner is a good listener” while only 51 percent of men disagreed.
The data gathered, while interesting on its own, contributes to the app’s function as a marriage counseling product. When users first log in, Lasting walks them through a 27-question marriage assessment survey. Based on the results, the app identifies a couple’s weaknesses and then gives tailored recommendations derived from decades of scientific studies on marital health. There are 18 topics total (called “series”) broken up into smaller sessions. Each session begins with a podcast or TED Talk–style lesson, and each series is filled with exercises to practice what you learned.
Steven DziedzicWhile its users aren’t all Christians, the app creator Steven Dziedzic wants his content to pass the “gospel test” as well as the “science test.” Dziedzic—whose first start-up was acquired by The Knot and The Bump—was previously in charge of The Knot’s mobile app. “I was working 60 hours a week helping 80 percent of the engaged couples in the country plan their wedding,” he said, “which means I was spending 60 hours a week helping couples find DJs and bands and florals, but I wasn’t doing a single thing for their relationship.”
“I was just starting to see that, in the consumer ethos of millennials and Gen Xers, marriage isn’t what it used to be. I heard phrases like, ‘Is she going to make me happy?’ I felt like we needed to come out with an app that communicated what marriage stands for and what it truly is.”
For Dziedzic, the most surprising data result is how marriage changes once you have kids. (That concern is now personal to him since he’s expecting his first child this month.) “Parents have a very rocky time,” Dziedzic said.
Eventually, the app will offer a module created specifically to encourage parents. Dziedzic also hopes the app reaches people who might not go to counselors, either because of the discomfort of sharing with a therapist or the cost of paying for one. “I’m not negating the power of therapy,” he said. “We just want to make a simpler way for you to achieve the same ends.”
CT spoke recently with Dziedzic to learn more about his personal faith, his vision for Lasting, and the lessons he’s learned from the app.
How does your faith inform your work?
There’s an organization called Praxis Labs that specifically chooses faith-based founders. It’s their belief that companies influence our culture—especially ideas inside of corporate structures that spread quickly and capture consumers. Think of Instagram, Snapchat.
I went through their program this year, and it helped me think really critically about how faith plays into Lasting. Praxis likes to say that a lot of companies start with “What’s a good business idea?” and then they’ll create a company, and once the company has success, they’ll say, “Oh, how can we be more ethical? How can we involve our faith more in this thing that already exists?” Praxis starts with the question “How does God want the world to be? How did God design this world? How can we join with God in a company?”
In my case, I’m asking: “What does God want marriage to be? How can a product actually drive people more into that reality?” That’s how I try to embed my faith into this company every single day.
Is the app reaching Christians?
I’ve wanted to share the app with the church because I’m a Christian, but I designed it for all marriages. Surprisingly, it’s been harder to get Christians to download it than non-Christians. I don’t know that for a fact, because we don’t capture religious data in the app, but here’s an anecdote: We have a few Instagram ads. There were a flurry of comments to the effect of, “Oh, my gosh, a marriage app. Why don’t you just read the Bible?” or “Oh, my gosh, why don’t you just get Tim Keller’s book, The Meaning of Marriage?” No one can hear me, but I’m screaming, “If you only knew what I want to help you with. This is just as much for you as it is for anyone else. I love Tim Keller’s book, and I love the Bible, but I also love this app.”
For a lot of Christians, they can’t separate—and they shouldn’t separate—their faith from their marriage. It’s a foundational component, and I love that. But for some Christians, if something isn’t approved by the church—I’m using church in the capital C sense—they’re really hesitant to engage it. In some ways, all we really need to reach the Christian audience is for respected Christian authorities to give it a nod of approval.
Psychology can sometimes be a tension point in the church.
Yes, for some, there’s a hesitancy to accept science. I just want to tell people that if God created the world, then of course, science will point back to him. It’s just the way intelligent design works. That’s the beauty of this app. Literally, so much of this scientific research points directly to Scripture. It’s amazing the way it works.
What have you learned from this data?
There are competing things in our lives, whether it’s media or advertising you see—mobile phones distract couples way more than we actually thought—work or kids, so it’s easy to stop prioritizing your marriage. And it’s easy to stop prioritizing appreciation of your partner. Even though it’s easy to say thank you, it’s just so easy not to. It gets even easier to not do all these things when you become a parent. There’s a precipitous drop in marital satisfaction in the first three years of a new child, so we need to be really careful and sensitive and helpful toward parents.
What kind of personal feedback are you getting from users?
What we’ve been hearing in general is that some of these concepts from the app have really transformed all of their interactions. Let me explain our two most important ones: emotional call and the inner world principle.
The foundation of your marriage is your emotional connection. But what’s your emotional connection made of? It’s constructed by thousands of tiny moments where you partner turns to you and tries to connect with you. Those moments can look wildly different. It could be “Hey, honey, how was your day?” or “Hey, look at this new shirt I got.” But it can also be much more complex, like a deep sigh after a really long day at work. You don’t say your partner’s name, but you’re subtly reaching out. We call these moments “emotional calls.”
What the research found is if you respond positively to 86 percent of your partner’s emotional calls, you’ll have a healthy, thriving marriage. But if this next year you only respond to 33 percent of your partner’s emotional calls, that means you’re on the path to divorce. That’s because your emotional connection has been weakened so much at the foundational level that all these other things start to collapse.
The second one is the inner world principle, which has to do with how your brain has been constructed over decades of time. One of the chief goals of marriage, even in conflict, is to get inside your partner’s head to really inhabit their inner world, because that unlocks empathy in your relationship and helps you navigate a conflict far, far better.
Couples [using the app] will say all the time, “These two principles transformed our interactions.” One husband said, “I’ve started considering my wife’s emotional calls a lot.” The woman in this relationship said that now when they argue about money, she’s thinking about his inner world and asking, “Why does he value this purchase so much?”
Why does this app matter in today's world of declining marriage rates?
This is about the most important thing I could be doing right now.
Marriage is just as important to your overall health as diet and exercise. People in healthier marriages tend to live 10 years longer. Couples actually coregulate each other’s blood pressure. There are all sorts of studies that show how important relationships are in our own health.
If you’re in a healthy, dependent relationship, you start taking more risks as an individual, you start exploring yourself in healthy ways, and that in turn pours back into your relationship with your partner. There’s this wonderful cyclical effect from having a healthy dependence. If you’re in a bad relationship, you also become more independent but in unhealthy ways. You start becoming closed off and not really sharing yourself, and that, in turn, becomes cyclically even worse. So a healthier marriage actually leads you to become a healthier self.
Then there’s the entire future generation. A lot of researchers have shown that the number one factor in a child’s emotional, cognitive, and social development is the emotional connection of parents. The parents’ marriage is the most significant factor in the molding of a young child’s mind. I really believe that the more we create healthy marriages, the healthier a future generation becomes, and the healthier we all are.
Survey responses from Lasting:
My partner is a great listener.
48.9% men agree
51.0% men do not agree
33.2% women agree
66.8% women do not agree
30.0% with kids agree
70.0% with kids don't agree
45.7% without kids agree
54.3% without kids don't agree
My partner is very good at responding to my emotional signals (e.g., I need attention).
37.4% men agree
62.6% men do not agree
28.3% women agree
71.7% women do not agree
23.8% with kids agree
76.2% with kids don't agree
40.3% without kids agree
59.7% without kids don't agree
My partner makes me feel very appreciated.
48.0% men agree
52.0% men do not agree
38.9% women agree
61.1% women do not agree
32.9% with kids agree
67.1% with kids don't agree
52.2% without kids agree
47.8% without kids don't agree with this
My partner is very good at expressing gratitude for something I have done for him/her or for us.
54.0% men agree
46.0% men do not agree
45.0% women agree
55.0% women do not agree
40.0% with kids agree
60.0% with kids don't agree
56.0% without kids agree
44.0% without kids don't agree
Pastor’s pastors Counselors, clinics, and retreat centers for your spiritual and emotional health.
Barnabas Ministries Dick and Dee Sochacki 39391 Roslyn Drive Sterling Heights MI 48313 810-264-6638 E-mail: Rlsochacki@compuserve.comEncourages wounded, discharged, burned-out, and fallen church leaders, especially in independent and nondenominational ministries. Provides counseling, places of retreat, and other resources.
Center for Continuing Education Richard Busch Virginia Theological Seminary (ECUS) 3737 Seminary Road Alexandria VA 22304con-ed@vts.eduSix-week program for clergy of all denominations offered each spring.
Charis Counseling Services Frank Green 7716 Fall Branch Court Wake Forest NC 27587 919-556-1887 E-mail: 75534.1206@compuserve.comwww.teleport.com/~charisTwo-week retreat programs for individuals or couples.
Eagle’s Nest Retreat John Gowins P. O. Box 437 Ouray CO 81427 800-533-4049Professional counseling, vacations at minimal cost in San Juan Mountains.
Fairhaven Ministry Kevin Swanson 2198 Roaring Creek Road Roan Mountain TN 37687 423-772-4269 E-mail: fhmin@aol.comwww.fairhaven1.comA safe place to which Christian leaders come for counseling, or just for rest and relaxation, with qualified counselors available upon request. Facilities are deliberately first class as part of the healing atmosphere.
Gray Fox Ranch Walter and Francoise Becker P. O. Box 434 Alto NM 88312 877-472-9333www.grayfox.orgA retreat for ministers and spouses in a mountain resort area. One couple at a time spends a week at the ranch for counseling on personal, marital, and vocational concerns. The Beckers, licensed therapists, provide daily individual and couple sessions.
Kettering Clergy Care Center Robert Peach 3535 Southern Blvd. Dayton OH 45429 800-324-8618 E-mail: bob_peach@ketthealth.comwww.ketthealth.com/clergycareOffers professional counseling, intensive residential counseling, clergy burnout prevention, clergy marriage enrichment, instruction for boards of congregations, and marital assessment programs. Provides The Ministry Care Line, a subscription phone consultation program.
Lake Martin Marriage Retreat Forrest Mobley 1677 Andrews Mill Road Tallassee AL 36078 334-857-2165 E-mail: 72203.533@compuserve.comFour to six couples gather for teaching and counseling, led by the Mobleys.
Link Care Center Brent Lindquist 1734 West Shaw Avenue Fresno CA 93711 559-439-5920 E-mail: 75027.2265@compuserve.comwww.linkcare.orgProvides comprehensive counseling, tailored to the participant, from one week to several months long. Staff includes psychologists, psychiatrists, marriage and family counselors, and other consultants. At any time, from twenty to twenty-five families are in residence (in apartments), receiving care.
Marble Retreat Dr. Louis and Melissa McBurney 139 Bannockburn Marble CO 81623 970-963-2499 E-mail: 72040.1367@compuserve.comwww.marbleretreat.orgSince 1974, interdenominational retreat center to help those in ministry through Christ-centered, brief, intensive psychotherapy. Group and individual counseling for couples and singles in 12-day format. Central Rockies lodge with all amenities.
Mountain Learning Center Russell R. Veenker P. O. Box 625 June Lake CA 93529 760-648-7060 E-mail: pastorcarerus@telis.orgA two week mountain retreat for ministry couples.
Pine Harbor Ministry Center Renewal Ministries Blair and Wendy Dalton Box 740100 Indian Tree Station Arvada CO 80006 303-467-0777 888-27 PSALM E-mail: info@renewalministries.orgwww.RenewalMinistries.orgCenter in the Rockies offers eight-day planned retreats for ministry couples and other group and individual opportunities. Luxury accomodations and gourmet meals.
SonScape Re-Creation Ministries Bob Sewell P.O. Box 7777 Woodland Park CO 719-687-7007 E-mail: sonscape@usa.netwww.sonscape.comEight-day retreat, spiritual formation in small groups. Private cottages. Counseling available.
Stone Gate Resources Dr. Harry W. Schaumburg 11509 Palmer Divide Road Larkspur, CO 80118 888-575-3030 E-mail: stonegater@cs.comwww.stonegateresources.comOffers brief, intensive counseling, specializing in sexual issues, to Christian leaders. Sessions of individual/ couple counseling are held for ten days in a retreat setting.
Tuscarora Resource Center 870 Sunrise Blvd. Mt. Bethel PA 18343 570-897-5115 E-mail: trccares@ptdprolog.netwww.tuscarora.org/trcShort-term, intensive counseling in Pocono Mountains retreat center, off-site counseling and referrals.
Westwood Ministries Dave Gentry 800 Lodge Road Mertzon TX 76941 915-835-2430 E-mail: westwood@wcc.netCare for wounded clergy and their families through retreats and counseling.
Woodshore Counseling Retreat Jack Woodburn 125 Sturdevant Road Smiths Creek MI 48074 810-984-6433www.woodshore.comTwo-week counseling sessions in a wooded retreat setting. Outdoor recreation.
Maybe you’ve missed it, but Christianity Today produces a podcast. I’m the co-host of Quick to Listen, a weekly current-events program that pushes back against the breathless and instant opinions that often flatten the complexity of our world. By contrast, our show elevates the voices of those who have spent years studying and living through some of the most intractable problems of our time.
A recent favorite of mine? Our discussion of the persistent violence against the Nigerian church. In “Nigerian Christians Are Exhausted From the Terror. Will They Fight Back?” my co-host Mark Galli and I explored the conflict with local Christian leader Gideon Para-Mallam and heard firsthand the joy and pain of leading the church in the midst of bloodshed. He lit up our tiny recording studio with his passion, and his animated analysis reminded me why podcasts are such a powerful form of learning.
As a podcast creator and fan, I’m convinced that one of the medium’s gifts is the diversity of perspectives, topics, and genres. With that in mind, I asked a dozen women to write about their favorite program, preferably one off the mainstream track. If you’re on the prowl for a new podcast, look no further. Here are 12 recommendations that will entertain you (and your children), spark your faith, and engage your brain.
Each entry lists the podcast program followed by a featured episode. Happy listening!
1. Communicator Academy: “Dealing with Ministry Envy”
With nearly 20 books and more than two decades of speaking, podcasting, and entrepreneurial experience between them, Kathi Lipp and Michele Cushatt share their collective expertise on industry “dos and don’ts” and build up emerging content creators in speaking, writing, and digital media. The podcast offers the practical nuts and bolts of building a speaking and writing ministry, served up with honest and entertaining candor. One particularly memorable episode, called “Dealing with Ministry Envy,” acknowledges that even veteran leaders struggle with envy. Lipp and Cushatt offer potent antidotes on how to deal with “shanger” (shame and anger) with humor and wisdom. Their advice: cultivate gratitude and generosity by intentionally amplifying the platforms of others.
Diane Dokko Kim, author and special-needs ministry consultant
2. Pass the Mic: “Pence, Patterson and the SBC”
Pass the Mic hosts Jemar Tisby and Tyler Burns always serve up brilliant, insightful, and prophetic commentary on race, faith, and current events. In this episode, “Pence, Patterson, and the SBC,” Tisby and pastor Earon James parse out the disturbing history of the Southern Baptists’ now ex-president Paige Patterson and the drama surrounding their annual convention. By asking troubling questions—like “Why did the Southern Baptist leadership choose to tighten their affiliation with the GOP rather than part company?”—they exhort us to forsake power and popularity for the sake of the gospel.
Dorothy Littell Greco, photojournalist, writer, and author
3. HER with Amena Brown: “Dignity of the Black Body,” featuring Austin Channing Brown
In HER, host Amena Brown, a spoken-word poet and author, invites female guests to participate in a personal conversation framed around a particular theme. I thought I knew exactly what I would get out of the episode, “Dignity of the Black Body,” but it turned out to be encouraging in more unexpected ways. Both Brown and guest Austin Channing Brown are women unashamed of how God made them. As I listened to their discussion about being black women in America, I felt like I was simply listening to two girlfriends connect. More than that, I was encouraged by their activism, reminded of the beauty of friendship, and encouraged to celebrate the way God made me. It was refreshing.
Jamie Lapeyrolerie, reader and writer
4. The Lucky Few: “Friendship,” with guest Melynn Henry
I’m inclined to think that all parents worry about friendships for their children. This area of prayer and fretting may be particularly acute for parents like me, who are raising children with special needs. So when The Lucky Few interviewed Melynn Henry about her relationship with Carey, a lifelong friend with Down syndrome, I was eager to hear their story. This episode poignantly and beautifully captures the gift of friendship through a particular story of two girls who grew up together and love one another with mutual affection.
Amy Julia Becker, writer
5. Chrystal Evans Hurst: “Girl Boss Chat with Christy Wright”
Chrystal Evans Hurst uses her podcast to encourage women to fulfill their potential in Christ. Last month, she focused on women with an entrepreneurial itch. One particular episode that resonated with me was her interview with Christy Wright, a certified business coach and featured speaker with Ramsey Solutions. After listening to their conversation, I was inspired to identify the strengths I bring to the marketplace and encouraged to be fully present wherever I am, whether working or spending time with my family.
Kia Stephens, blogger and YouTuber
6. Revisionist History: “The Lady Vanishes”
I’m smitten by good stories, and Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast Revisionist History sets out to tell narratives that leave you reevaluating the past in a way that feels important for the future. His debut episode, “The Lady Vanishes,” drew me into the stories of a 19th-century painter and a modern-day politician and exposed humanity’s bent toward so-called “moral licensing” and other problematic states of mind. As a Christian, I came away mesmerized by the idea that although people are prone to exploit others, God never uses us as pawns. Scripture shows us how Jesus repeatedly elevated those who were discriminated against and marginalized. The gospel is still the great equalizer.
Kelsey Hency, editor-in-chief, Fathom
7. Fun Therapy with Mike Foster: “Annie F. Downs”
In Fun Therapy, author, coach, and storyteller Mike Foster hosts an unscripted and informal “therapy” session with a key leader. I was deeply moved by the episode with author and speaker Annie F. Downs talking about singleness, belonging, and acceptance. The journey of singleness is beautiful but sometimes very difficult, so her raw moments of honesty spoke to a deep place within me that I often leave untouched. The conversation allowed me to reflect on God’s goodness and his willingness to sit with me in my brokenness.
Faitth Brooks, writer, traveler and social media strategist
8. Truth’s Table: “Black Girl Magic,” featuring Kim Cash Tate
The women of Truth’s Table, Christina Edmondson, Michelle Higgins, and Ekemini Uwan, share various perspectives on current events and pop culture issues filtered through their Christian faith. Their most recent interview with Kim Cash Tate really hit home with me. In the episode, Cash Tate shares her story of leaving her high-profile career as an attorney to pursue God’s call on her life as a homeschooling mom and Christian author and speaker. For me, a former Department of State contractor turned stay-at-home mom, Kim’s story of complete surrender to God inspired me to trust him even when it doesn’t make sense.
Christina Patterson, founder of Beloved Women
9. Brains On: “How Do Pianos Work?”
Brains On is a science podcast aimed at and co-hosted by elementary school kids. The show is packed with fun facts, mystery sounds, and more. Each episode tackles one key question, like whether narwhals are unicorns of the sea, why sunburns are painful, or how, exactly, our food gets digested. Host Molly Bloom and the Brains On team keep both kids and adults in our family enthralled week after week. They’re “serious about being curious” (their motto) with a walloping dose of fun thrown in. Our favorite episode, which takes a peek at how pianos actually make sounds, has become family lore for its “Most Epic Fighting Battle” segment on how sound travels. Warning to parents: Be prepared to play this one on repeat.
Bronwyn Lea, author and speaker
10. By Faith: “Zack Eswine on Our ‘Inconsolable Things’”
While feeling anxious, I bumped into Christine Hoover’s By Faith, a podcast that explores faith amid the fog of suffering. Her “Inconsolable Things” episode drips with the wisdom of Proverbs. “Our cultural assumption is that we are supposed to do large things famously as fast as we can,” says pastor Zack Eswine in his conversation with Hoover. “But most things in life require us to do small, mostly overlooked things over a long period of time.” He invites listeners to ask God for the grace to do “small things” faithfully. As I listened, I was amazed at how good news from a wise shepherd—a stranger miles away—could soothe the soul.
Nana Dolce, writer at motherhoodandsanctity.com
11. Emotionally Healthy Leadership: “10 Reasons Sabbath is Core to Leadership”
Pastor Pete Scazzero’s podcast offers discipleship tools for those in ministry. I’m in full-time ministry, a mom of a toddler, and a seminary student, so rest is often the last thing on my list, but I was challenged by a recent episode in which Scazzero offers a new perspective on the Sabbath. Our culture teaches us that we are what we do. The Enemy uses that to control our lives and our minds and make us human doings instead of human beings. Thanks to the insights in this podcast, I’m challenging myself anew to purposefully enjoy God’s creation and also rest in his goodness so that I can serve him out of the fullness of my heart.
Mekdes Haddis, writer, speaker, and missiologist
12. Your Daily Cup of Inspiration with Dianna Hobbs: “Things Are Coming Full Circle In Your Life”
In Your Daily Cup of Inspiration, host Diana Hobbs offers words of encouragement and assures her audience of God’s perfect plan by “stirring his word into their cup.” In the episode “Things Are Coming Full Circle In Your Life,” she freely shares her powerful testimony of healing and restoration. Her story encourages us to remain faithful while we wait for healing and underscores the importance of trusting God in each season of our life.
Iris Peterson Bryant, author, speaker, educator
Resources and referrals People who can point you to people who can help.
Focus on the Family Pastoral Ministries Department H. B. London, Jr. Colorado Springs CO 80995 719-531-3360 Toll-free Care Line: 887-233-4455www.family.org/pastorPublishes the “Pastoral Care Directory” listing many more retreats, counselors, support groups, and consultants; “Pastor to Pastor” cassettes and “The Pastor’s Weekly Briefing” fax letter.
PastorCare: The National Clergy Support Network P. O. Box 52044 Raleigh NC 27612 E-mail: pstrcare@concentric.netwww.concentric.net/~pstrcare
PastorNet, a ministry of EQUIP John Maxwell, founder Dennis Worden, director P.O. Box 7700 Atlanta GA 30357 770-239-5222 E-mail: dennis@injoy.comwww.PastorsNet.orgPublishes CareGiver Ministries directory, on-line and print editions, linking pastors and their families with more than 180 care providers.
Rapha 5500 Interstate North Parkway Suite 102 Atlanta GA 30328 800-383-4673 (24 hours)www.rapha-hope.comInpatient and outpatient treatment at 14 centers nationwide.
Retreats International Gail Klaer Box 1067 Notre Dame IN 46556 219-631-5320Publishes directory of 350 retreat centers, Catholic and ecumenical, in U.S. and Canada.
The Clergy Recovery Network P. O. Box 215 Brea CA 92822 714-529-6227 E-mail: hopehappens@earthlink.netwww.christianrecovery.com/graceworks.shtmlMinistry to clergy in recovery from alcohol, substance, and sexual abuse.
Denominational HeadquartersMany denominations have counseling services and retreat centers open to all clergy. Ask a fellow pastor for a referral.
In the so-called Northern Triangle of Central America, the countries of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala form a violent triad. The murder rate is higher in this region than in most active war zones. Gangs, cartels, and vigilantes impose their will, taking over or co-opting legitimate police forces and routinely terrorizing average citizens. A recent study identified 54 separate criminal groups in Guatemala alone. For many citizens of this region, fleeing north through Mexico to the US border is a less risky proposition than dealing with daily life in their hometown.
In the middle of this violence sits the town of San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán, a picturesque oasis of calm with a population of about 6,000 people. What sets this place apart are the efforts of Jeaneth Ordoñez, the Christian mayor who has united the townspeople in their quest to keep the municipality free of the violence and upheaval that surrounds them.
“This is a very special place,” says Eduardo Gallo, a Cuban-born medical doctor whom Ordoñez brought to town to help with health care. “We have the opportunity to improve people’s lives and to do it with love. The mayor has created a remarkable environment.”
Ordoñez’s motivation to protect and provide for her people comes directly from her faith. “God has put me in this place and given me a love and desire to serve my people and make their lives better,” she says. “I have faith in God and I love the people.”
About two hours outside of Guatemala City, the municipality encompasses a small town and a large rural area where high unemployment means poverty is all too common, as it is throughout the country. But Ordoñez casts a big vision and has already made huge strides in improving health, education, sanitation, and clean water.
San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán is the only town in Guatemala with 100 percent literacy. Edna Galicia, a local teacher, reports that “many families here are living in poverty, but they know education is important so they make it a priority for their children.”
On the health front, the mayor convinced Gallo to come for a year to help set up a more effective health care system. (When his contract ended, he chose to stay on.) San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán was also recently chosen as a pilot site for a Pediatric Antibiotic Initiative, a partnership between MAP International and Food for the Poor that supplies free pediatric antibiotics to patients in need. The program requires careful record-keeping and follow up with patients, something the town’s clinic is able to provide.
“We believe that supplying pediatric antibiotics to this municipality can help them improve the health of their children and provide even more excellent care,” says Steve Stirling, president and CEO of MAP International.
Mayor Jeaneth, as she prefers to be called, regularly walks around town and is embraced by young and old as she stops to listen to a story or a request from one of her citizens. “I know most of the people and they know me. We are building a better life together.”
When asked how she works so tirelessly, she says simply, “God gives me the strength.”
Of the 340 mayors in Guatemala, Ordoñez is one of just 11 women. In the male-dominated culture of her country, many women to this day must ask their husband’s permission to leave home or allow visitors to enter, so her female leadership stands out. “As a woman, I have passion and capacity to see the needs of people,” says Ordoñez. “But I know I have to work extra hard because there are many who expect a woman to fail at doing a job that is traditionally a man’s.”
As a young adult, Ordoñez had ambitions to leave her small town behind and head to the capital of Guatemala City. But, as she says now with a big smile, “God had his plans.” After leaving San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán, she attended university and then worked in business. After some years, she felt drawn back to her hometown by the tranquility of life there and by her family. When she returned, she also met a man named Samuel Arroyo, who had grown up in a town nearby but came to San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán to teach.
Twenty-five years later, Arroyo now works alongside his wife, helping implement her initiatives and supporting her in every way. “God has given us this platform to help people and to fight injustice,” he says. “It’s a privilege to help my wife and to serve God this way.”
Ordoñez’s road to the mayor’s office was itself an act of God, she says. While pregnant with her third child, she lost her sight. “I had swelling that put pressure on my optic nerve and took away my sight. When the people of the town heard about my condition, they came to pray for me.
“The outpouring of love and support was so great that I was overwhelmed. I vowed to find a way to give back to the people,” says Ordoñez.
After delivering her baby, her sight was mostly restored and she took a job in the municipal government. “I simply wanted to help the people of my town. I had no intention of trying to become mayor.”
In 2007, when the current mayor of the town was running for re-election, she helped lead his campaign. Weeks before the election, he was murdered while visiting a nearby town.
“We were all devastated,” says Ordoñez. “And then I was shocked because the people of San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán asked me to become the candidate. Samuel and I prayed and thought about it, knowing it was not an easy job and it was also dangerous. We knew our lives would change forever if we said yes.”
Ordoñez agreed to run for office and the people elected her with an overwhelming vote.
After being elected, then re-elected, she has implemented various initiatives to help the townspeople and also to draw interest from tourists and outside business. “Unemployment continues to be a challenge,” she admits.
Security also poses a significant challenge. Being a mayor of any town in Guatemala means being the target of criminal factions and cartels that are constantly vying for control of the region. In San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán, Ordoñez and her husband have had their house sprayed with bullets. She now walks around town with an armed security team and admits that her life is often in danger.
The US Embassy in Guatemala has helped by supporting a model police precinct and providing security cameras at the entrance and throughout the city as part of the US State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
For Mayor Jeaneth, the help from outside organizations is “an amazing blessing” for which “we are so very grateful.” But she emphasizes that she and the citizens of San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán know that their ultimate support comes from God.
“If we are a success, it is because we bend our knees to God and he has blessed us,” she says. “We must never forget that he is the source of all good things.”
Dale Hanson Bourke is the author of The Skeptic’s Guide series (IVPress) including Immigration: Tough Questions, Direct Answers. She lives with her husband just outside Washington, DC. You can find her at DaleHansonBourke.com and on Twitter.
Getaways Low cost and free vacation spots especially for ministers.
Cedarly Retreat Dwayne and Rita Hanon P. O. Box 180455 Delafield WI 53018 414-646-7772 E-mail: cedarly@execpc.comwww.cedarly.orgOn the shore of Upper Nemahbin Lake, a restored manor house and carriage house accomodate six couples. Free to ministers.
Escape House in Stoddard, New Hampshire Rob and Debbie Killeffer 192 West Street Braintree MA 02184 781-356-8286 E-mail: MrsPastor7@aol.comhttp://members.aol.com/mrspastor7/This “getaway” home owned by a pastor and his wife overlooks Island Pond, 90 minutes from Boston. Contemporary, two bedroom, comfortably sleeps seven. Available Easter to Thanksgiving. $75/day. Other financial arrangements possible.
Harvest Prayer Center Dave and Kim Butts 11991 E. Davis Road Brazil IN 47834 812-443-5800 E-mail: dave2000ad@aol.comwww.harvestprayer.comTwo bedroom guest house, cabin-style, on 65 wooded acres. Suggested stay is one week. Donation basis.
Hospitality Homes International Makahiki Ministries Lenora Shipp P. O. Box 415 Mariposa CA 95338 209-966-2988 E-mail: makahiki@yosemite.netA network of 120 private homes available on donation basis.
Mountain Top Retreat Charley and Bev Blom 13705 Cottonwood Canyon Road Bozeman MT 59715 406-763-4566 E-mail: mountaintopmin@mcn.netwww.mcn.net/~mountaintopminThree homes and a larger guest house in a mountain setting. Special rates for ministers starting at $30/night. Yellowstone National Park, fishing, hiking nearby. Counseling and spiritual direction on request.
Religious Vacations, Inc. Hugh Hoffman 524 NE 16th Court Ft. Lauderdale FL 33305 954-763-8400Two houses available in Ft. Lauderdale. You pay utilities. Deposit returned if you stay two full weeks.
Sky Ranch Wendel Weaver 24657 County Road 448 Van TX 75790 903-569-3482www.skyranch.orgConference center for staff events, hideaway lodge for ministers and spouses.
Triple Creek Ranch (Illinois) Rancho Mira Sol (Colorado) Jim and Ginny Neece P. O. Box 348 Elizabeth IL 61028 815-858-2435 E-mail: gneece1@juno.comModern, private guest houses in rustic settings, free to ministers.
(Inclusion on this list does not imply endorsement of the ministries, their representatives, or their methods of providing counseling, care, and consulting. LEADERSHIP and Christianity Today International cannot accept responsibility for actions taken by anyone representing any group or individuals on this list.)
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