The Biblical Role of the Pastor's wife - South African Theological ...

perceived limitations of this role. Bare indicates that being a pastor’s wife
“crosses all facets of her lived world, but being a MsW is not cosmically
definitive for her persona.” The contemporary pastor’s wife, according to Bare,
“at least in principle, has the right to be her own person, to pursue personal
goals, to have private alone time, and to even pursue a separate career”.
Through discussions with local pastors’ wives, it has become evident
that the ‘typical’ wife does not exist and there is no mould in which to place
the pastor’s wife. Many wives worked full or part-time jobs outside of the
church and home; some of them pursued careers but the majority simply
supplemented the household income. Most wives were in control of their
involvement within the church and were aware of any expectations by the
church leadership. The majority of wives understood that their primary
responsibility lay in meeting the needs of their husband and family. Although
most wives felt pressured to attend church functions simply because they
were the wife of the pastor, few allowed that pressure to dictate their actions.
Several wives were aware of their husband’s calling to ministry prior to
marriage and agreed that his calling did not necessarily dictate their particular
involvement in the church.
5.2.2. Conclusions regarding the Education of the Pastor’s Wife
Some wives indicated that they were unaware of scriptural guidelines
regarding their role as a pastor’s wife. Others were aware of their role, simply
as a wife and church member. Bare offers advice to educators as they
consider educating the pastor’s wife:
Adult educators need to take another look at the population of
MsWs to provide appropriate learning tools and strategies.
Though some tasks of the MsWs lived world cannot be taught,
transformative learning can result from shared knowledge and
experiences. (Bare, 1998:182)
As an important woman within the church I find it vital that she receive as
much support as is necessary for her to be able to function effectively, as a
wife, mother and influential ‘first lady’ of the church. Swart (2003:202),
provided some guidance as to potential topics of study for the pastor’s wife,
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