The number one reason that pastors leave their ministries is "wives issues," according to a 2007 Time magazine article. I would take some comfort in that statistic - that the number one reason they leave isn't sexual sin or burnout - but the Bible teaches that neglecting an obligation to care for family is its own form of moral failure. (Here I'm thinking of Ephesians 5, but I don't think Jesus is far from this in the beginning of Matthew 15, either.)

Up until last July, I doubted the prevalence of stress placed on pastors' spouses. But when we launched a Survival Guide entitled "Help for the Pastor's Spouse," and it became one of our most popular downloads, I had to admit that the stress was more common than I ever expected. For a succinct understanding of why, consider the opening paragraph from that Time article:

HELP WANTED: Pastor's wife. Must sing, play music, lead youth groups, raise seraphic children, entertain church notables, minister to other wives, have ability to recite Bible ...