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 ...
1Support Our Work
Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month