Pastoring Pastors' Wives: A Study of the Spiritual Nourishment of the Wives of WELS Pastors

Abstract

Is a WELS pastor’s wife an overlooked sheep in her husband’s flock? Are the ways WELS pastors’ wives receive spiritual nourishment different than the rest of their congregations? This thesis uses a combination of surveys and interviews to examine the ways pastors minister to their own wives and how they can grow in caring for their spiritual needs. It will show that in many ways, a pastor’s wife is not only blessed through her husband’s public ministry, but she also enjoys the great benefits of having a pastor close at hand. However, WELS pastors and their wives do not always maximize those benefits; they have room for spiritual growth in personal devotions and prayer life, and they themselves desire that growth. The author believes that the spiritual patterns of a WELS pastor’s wife may differ from lay wives not because she lacks, but because of the additional spiritual blessings she has through her marriage to a pastor.