In recent months, it is increasingly hard to escape the rash of media focused on ministers and their wives. Mary Winkler, a Tennessee pastor’s wife and mother, was convicted of murdering her husband. Ted Haggard, a Colorado mega-church pastor, confessed an inappropriate homosexual relationship. These examples, though extreme, have put a spotlight on the pressures of ministry and the effect on ministry families.
The coverage has caught the attention of Dino Senesi, director of church multiplication for the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
“Ministry places incredible stress on the minister’s family. We must do a better job at ministering to the families that have given their lives and resources to minister,” said Senesi.
The church multiplication group is launching Homefires, an emphasis that will provide new South Carolina Baptist Convention church planters an opportunity to get away for one weekend with their spouses during the first year of planting a church. The hope is to encourage couples to focus on building not just their church body, but also their marriage and family relationships.
Senesi points to a recent Newsweek article (April 23) that details the struggles facing ministry families. Newsweek cited a Campus Crusade for Christ study which found more than 80 percent of pastors’ wives feel “left out, unappreciated and unqualified.” For Senesi and other church planters, the article highlighted a topic most are unwilling to approach.
“We want to build this into their DNA through the long process of ministry,” said Kermit Morris, church-planting specialist in the Upstate.
Morris says that the pressures on church planters are numerous. Financial stress and starting from scratch are struggles for young churches. Planters also tend to be workaholics, not wanting to leave their churches for even a small amount of time. And at times, planters are coming out of established church situations and now find themselves constructing a ministry with few resources.
To ease a few of these struggles, the Homefires emphasis will provide preachers to fill the pulpit if needed, secure childcare from within their congregation, and provide a stipend for food and gas.
Spartanburg Community Church, along with pastor Hub Blankenship, is a partner in the project. The church is accepting donations to help cover the cost of the stipend for the weekend.
The church multiplication group is also seeking people from across the state with condos or second homes in getaway locations, such as the mountains or beach, to offer their residences free of charge as an option for these weekends.
“God’s people can work together, pool resources such as condos and lake houses, and really make a difference in the kingdom work,” Senesi said.
The church multiplication group is hoping to set an example for all ministers and ministries across the state, not just new church starts.
“Our greatest roadblock to fruitful kingdom multiplication is seldom strategic. Our greatest roadblock is personal priorities and life balance,” Senesi said.
Morris added, “The husband and wife relationship is crucial in any ministry. If the foundation is weak, then the ministry will crumble. If the home erodes, churches crumble.”