Serving in the kingdom of God has its spiritual and social benefits, but it’s not all paradise for the spouses of Protestant pastors.
Indeed, dealing with parishioners and the loneliness of shepherding a flock of sometimes recalcitrant sheep can be a taste of hell, a recently released LifeWay Research survey indicates.
The study, which questioned 722 pastoral spouses by mail June 21-Aug. 2, revealed that 90 percent of respondents felt that the “ministry has had a positive effect” on their families.
Further, 85 percent agreed their churches “take good care of us.” However, 68 percent of pastors’ life partners worry their savings won’t be enough for retirement.