For the husband is the head of the wife, as christ also is the head of the church, he himself being the savior of the body. The role of the pastor should be based on a biblical model and have a strong theological foundation. The following information is certainly not popular, nor are most pastors and churchgoers willing to listen when it concerns their manmade religious traditions, but i will demonstrate that, despite popular opinion, there is no place in scripture that teaches us that a single head pastor is supposed to be in sole leadership over the church. Understanding our roles as biblical women young wifes guide. If a pastors wife is a growing christian, supports her husband, and provides christian nurturing to her children, her involvement in other areas of church ministry are strictly voluntary.
Take care of the flock, see that theyre fed, keep the wolves away, bring back the lost ones. A pastor must be an example to the flock 1 peter 5. Aug 10, 2017 recently, i came across a book entitled the identification of essential components for equipping pastors wives for ministry by tara rawlsjenkins, a pastors wife. She heard his first sermon and possibly may be there when he preaches his last. For too long, the role of a pastors wife has been misunderstood. May 09, 2019 the following information is certainly not popular, nor are most pastors and churchgoers willing to listen when it concerns their manmade religious traditions, but i will demonstrate that, despite popular opinion, there is no place in scripture that teaches us that a single head pastor is supposed to be in sole leadership over the church. May 21, 2009 love one another, just as i have loved you. She recognizes gods principles for a happy, lasting marriage and learns to apply them.
The first and principal duty of a pastor is to feed the flock by diligent preaching of the word. The role of the pastor in southern baptist churches. Most people believe that a pastors wife should be able to sing or maybe play. You also provide care and counseling to church members and assist them in crisis situations. In other words, the pastor and his wife determine how active the pastors wife should be.
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, soberminded, selfcontrolled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. A churchs pastorselders must exercise oversight and leadership. The teaching elder is the pastor, responsible for preaching. In the twentyfirst century the answer to such a question will no doubt intimidate any future pastor from entering the ministry. The bible also gives great details of the pastors duties as outlined in acts 20. By joyce thomas recently, i came across a book entitled the identification of essential components for equipping pastors wives for ministry by tara rawlsjenkins, a pastors wife.
The local church can also work to provide times of rest for couples in professional ministry, pray for the wife of the churchs pastor, and encourage the. Part of my discussion will also include the comments and observations of a small sampling of pastors wives that i have interviewed for this thesis. In the new testament, a bishop is a person who functions as a teaching leader among a local group of christians. Elders are examples of biblical expressions sexually, time management, marriage, parenting, worship, relationships and any other way. Some have thought that the bible speaks of a category of church leaders above elderspastors, called overseers.
Pastors and ministers have an almost limitless number of duties in their roles as leaders of church congregations. Today, i want to talk about our duties as pastors wives. The ability to stand in the place or gap, also called intercession, will intercept many spiritual, mental and physical problems for the leader and the armor bearer. Many christians believe the pastor should be an administrator for the church.
Likewise the 65 year old grandmother pastors wife will have a different ministry than the 40 year old mother with a mentally disabled child. The job description of the pastors wife pastor dan miller, thm eden baptist church, savage, mn. He is to lead the flock of god, to protect it, and to feed it. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that satan will not tempt you because of your. John owen1 he is no pastor who doth not feed his flock. The emphasis of this model, and this should be noted, becomes the building of a megachurch rather than building a healthy church. The words pastor, elder, and overseer sometimes translated bishop all refer to the same person and rolekey passage. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the lord. But as the church is subject to christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Senior pastor job description grace covenant church. Also, there will be opportunities within the church and with unsaved neighbors and friends. Duties of a wife the woman is wise who knows that her role as a wife is one of vast responsibility, and she is ready for god to show her how to be the kind of wife he wants her to be.
Nov 02, 2017 for too long, the role of a pastor s wife has been misunderstood. In other words, it depends upon the denomination, the individual church within a denomination, the church board, and the pastor and his wife to determine how active the pastors wife should be. Finally, any model we adapt needs biblical and theological development. A pastor looks after the spiritual welfare of his congregants. These comments may best represent the traditional pastors spouse i. A focused time of prayer and fasting, going without food andor drink, may be encouraged. General observations about the pastors wife in general, we can apply what the bible says about being female to the pastors wife. When god called our husbands to pastor he called us too. Shepherding the flock of god can prove one of the most exciting, enriching, and satisfying duties a man can undertake on this side of heaven.
All refer to the same office and are therefore synonyms. Equipping pastors spouses for their role in ministry. The pastor s wife is viewed as a woman and as a helper. Mentoring guide for ministry wives biblical mennonite alliance.
Joe mckeever has been a disciple of jesus christ more than 65 years, been preaching the gospel more than 55 years, and has been writing and cartooning for christian publications more than 45 years. Joe mckeever has been a disciple of jesus christ more than 65 years, been preaching the gospel more than 55 years, and has been writing and cartooning for. If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Or a woman whos functioned as pastors wife may shift into the ministry partner role. Most people believe that a pastor s wife should be able to sing or maybe play the piano. Being a pastors wife is good for faith, bad for friendship though expectations have shifted, spouses still feel the weight of church drama. The pastor s wife is the only church member who has stayed with him from the very beginning. And more specifically, how grace shapes those duties. A pastor should be someone your sons could pattern their life after and the kind of man your daughter should marry. For the husband is the head of the wife even as christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its savior.
Husbands, love your wives, just as christ also loved the church. These all function with the title of pastors in the role of elders. The problem this project is focusing on is the role of the pastor in southern baptist churches based on the prevailing view of the role of the pastor verses the biblical view of the role ofthe pastor. He graduated from pillsbury baptist bible college with a b. The job description of the pastor s wife pastor dan miller, thm eden baptist church, savage, mn. All pastors wives have expectations and probably misgivings about her duties in her role. Baptist or independent churches believe in a multiple staff of pastors such as a senior pastor and his staff, youth pastor, minister of music, etc. Yet, shepherding the flock of god is not a particularly safe enterprise. The bible sets out some specific personal and lifestyle attributes for pastors. Most churches and denominations have expectations about the role of a pastors wife. What is the pastors wifes responsibility to the church.
But one thing that most pastors wives have in common is that they have a significant and challenging godgiven opportunity to have influence for christ in a church and the surrounding community. These days most churches ask their pastors to do quite a bit more, and when they do everybody suffers for it. The greek word translated pastor there means shepherd, and the responsibilities are similar. Brown emphasizes that the armor bearers most important duty is to pray for her pastor. The pastors wife pan 2 the pastors relationships 6. We all hope to have the opportunity to lead our children to salvation. A pastors wife, when her children are grown, may go back to school or use the education she obtained earlier to branch into her own career and she may shift to the wife of pastor role. Yet shepherding the flock of god is not a particularly safe enterprise.
The pastors wife and her church role nate holdridge. Specific duties vary by denomination and church, but several biblicallymandated responsibilities are common across most christian churches and impact the level of a. Its your responsibility to interpret biblical scripture for the congregation. A wife of a pastor, when her children are grown, may become more invested in her husbands ministry and become pastors wife. These prescribed traits are controversial among contemporary denominations. What the bible says about the duties of a christian wife. The pastors wife is the only church member who has stayed with him from the very beginning.
However, the biblical evidence indicates that overseer is simply another term for elder as. Acknowledgments introduction pan 1 the pastoral role i. He may challenge or encourage his flock to draw closer and dedicate ones life to the lord. What does the bible say about the duties of a pastor. Character the senior pastor of gcc will demonstrate a clear testimony of faith and a passionate devotion to christ and his church. Andor abstractthis article sought to find out the roles that pastors wives play in their husbands ministry that have made them seem. The bible specifically addresses the functional ministry of the pastor.
For an additional article dealing with the duties of a pastor, the selection of a pastor, and for a copy of the above mentioned questionnaire please read thoughts on selecting a pastor. Hence, the nt seems to indicate that pastor is another name for elder. As a pastor, you provide spiritual leadership to members of a church. As a pastors wife we will encounter many stressful situations. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Jan 26, 2017 a 23 year old church planting pastors wife fresh out of college with no children and time on her hands will have a different role in the church than the 33 year old mother of 4 small children. Jan 06, 2015 a pastor must be an example to the flock 1 peter 5.
The pastors wife duties for a biblical perspective paperback august 3, 2010 by dr. Her opinion and criticism are of great value, and any wise husband will. What does the bible say about pastoral responsibilities. Denominations that take the bible as 100percent literal. While southern baptist churches have always held a high view of the autonomy of the local church and therefore have had much diversity when it. The changing role of the pastors wife in todays evangelical. The pastor should always lead people to a better understanding of the word of god. We can also help with our mind with suggestions and provide him with a womans perspective. The greek term episkapos has also been translated as episcopal, elder, overseer, or pastor. The bible also gives great details of the pastor s duties as outlined in acts 20.
The wifes role may shift from one to another as outlined below, but the pastoral couple needs to talk about this change and be clear as to their expectations of one another. The best way to define the duties of a pastor is to see what god says a pastor should not do jeremiah 10. The pastors wife is viewed as a woman and as a helper. In other words, it depends upon the denomination, the individual church within a denomination, the church board, and the pastor and his wife to determine how active the pastor s wife should be.
In her book, she suggests that the role of being a clergy wife is more successful when training is available. Your duties include preparing weekly sermons, preaching and conducting worship services. Dan has served as the senior pastor of eden baptist church since 1989. Mentoring guide for ministry wives several years ago bma pastors wives participated in a survey. Notice the following vital spiritual things that the word does for us. The main area of responsibility for any wife is to support and be submissive to her husband ephesians 5.
Introductory comments s hepherding the flock of god can prove one of the most exciting, enriching, and satisfying duties a man can undertake on this side of heaven. Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the lord. Her opinion and criticism are of great value, and any wise husband will take heed to his wife s constructive comments. A 23 year old church planting pastors wife fresh out of college with no children and time on her hands will have a different role in the church than the 33 year old mother of 4 small children. The pastor s wife must learn to share gods good news to lead someone in repentance and surrender to jesus christ as savior and lord. Role of a pastors wife for the most part, the pastor serves as the spiritual leader and overseer of the church, spending countless hours teaching, preaching, and counseling others. For example, we can point to genesis 1 and say that she bears the image of god. Abstractthis article sought to find out the roles that pastor s wives play in their husbands ministry that have made them seem indispensable in the ministry. The bible does not address the involvement of the pastor s wife in any ministry. Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
He is to restore the fallen, to seek the lost, and to pursue the spiritual health of the flock. The pastors wife as a helpmeet christian assemblies. Exemplify the biblical leadership qualities of an elderoverseer found in 1 timothy 3. The purpose of this guide is to facilitate personal growth. If a pastor s wife is a growing christian, supports her husband, and provides christian nurturing to her children, her involvement in other areas of church ministry are strictly voluntary. The bible does not address the involvement of the pastors wife in any ministry.