Beyond the pulpit: 6 reasons to pause and consider pastors’ spouses
Senior pastors, associate pastors, youth ministers, worship pastors, missions pastors and counselling pastors. There are various pastors within different religions and tasked with various roles. Some denominations like the Protestants, Eastern Orthodox Church and Anglican/Episcopal allow their pastors to marry and have families.
A pastor’s role is not limited to church preaching. They are also responsible for providing pastoral care, leading worship services, conducting baptisms and communion and guiding the spiritual growth of their congregation in and out of church buildings. At times, they are even expected to come to the aid of those struggling in life whether spiritually, financially or socially; or make house calls for various reasons.
Away from religion, these pastors have their own private lives. They are scholars, business people, heads of homes and even leaders. Summing up their livelihoods, they do carry heavy religious and general life burdens. For such a pastor, this is where having a spouse can ease his burden and make life a little bearable. The spouse can focus on home matters, being the primary parent (because ‘Pasi’ is often away on duty) and helping run any business that sustains the family.
Often, you will not know that this pastor’s spouse is also shouldering a lot of responsibilities because they are always shinning in church- taking care of some church programs, leading the gender meetings and having several other unofficial roles within the church. But, have you ever stopped and wondered what these spouses’ lives are like in being the pastor’s significant other? What they have to endure while the pastor works for the community? If you’ve never thought about it, here’s six things you should always pause and reflect on when you come across a pastor’s spouse:
- Pastors’ spouses often face high expectations from their congregation, community and sometimes even their own families. There may be assumptions about how they should behave, dress, or participate in church activities. They can feel scrutinized and judged by others, which can create added pressure and stress.
- Pastors’ work often involves irregular hours including evenings, weekends and holidays. This can lead to limited quality time with their spouses and families. Pastors’ spouses may feel a sense of loneliness or responsibility for managing household affairs and child-rearing alone due to their husband’s demanding schedule.
- Pastors’ spouses are often expected to provide emotional and spiritual support not only to their families but also to members of the congregation. They may face the pressure of always appearing strong, compassionate and spiritually grounded, even when they are dealing with their own personal struggles.
- Pastors’ spouses often experience a lack of privacy and personal boundaries due to the nature of their significant other’s work. They may feel that their personal lives are constantly on display, making it challenging to maintain a sense of individuality and separate identity outside of their husband’s role as a pastor.
- Pastors’ spouses often play a significant role in supporting their significant other’s ministry and the needs of the church. This can sometimes lead to a strain on their own personal and family life as they may need to prioritize the needs of the congregation over their own family’s well-being.
- Pastors’ spouses may struggle with managing their own expectations and desires for personal growth or career aspirations. Their focus is often directed towards supporting their significant other’s ministry, which can sometimes lead to their own dreams and goals being overshadowed or put on hold.
Also read: WATCH: Tanzanian MP in public spat with wife, boasts he’s to marry 100 wives