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

husband’s wife and not primarily the pastor’s wife. I’ve done many informal
seminar studies to help in leadership development and dealing with spiritual
warfare.
12B5t: None. A relative gave The Private Life of a Minister’s Wife to me but
otherwise no one was around to assist me and no resources were sourced to
help me.
44D3w: No literature or books were readily available or given to the pastor’s
wife which may have been very helpful to me. I have had many friends who
have been pastor’s wives over the years but they were not open about their
particular role. Family members who were pastors’ wives were helpful and
gave advice.
12B4z: Teaching at Bible College I was able to attend a group. Also good role
models in my life that have helped me. Ministers’ wives conferences (by
denomination) that I have attended were also helpful to me.
22B4w: No – there was a monthly meeting for ministry wives at the school my
husband attended. I went once but found them extremely unrealistic,
prescriptive and narrow-minded. I did not want to be placed in a ‘mould’ to be
something that I wasn’t and that God did not call me to be.
Wives were generally uneducated when it came to understanding the
role of the pastor’s wife. Although some information was available it was not
always helpful. Some wives were able to source resources to assist or
encourage them while others simply learnt as they were immersed in the role.
Books were general and American in culture, also unrealistic at times. A
couple of wives indicated a support group was made available to them but did
not necessarily meet their needs. They spoke of a mould into which each
individual wife was to fit in order to be a “good pastor’s wife”. Many of the
wives indicated at the outset of their interview that they felt they were not the
‘norm’, as far as the typical pastor’s wife was concerned. What became
evident after many interviews was that the ‘non-typical’ pastor’s wife was is
the ‘norm’. By showing that each wife is an individual, obtaining resources
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