(I wish Margaret were here to help with this one. As my wife of over 52 years and through our six pastorates covering 42 years, I suppose she heard it all. As of January, 2015, she’s now resting in the arms of her Savior. In her memory and in her honor, I send this forth to encourage church members to bless this dear lady married to the shepherd whom God sent to your church. Please see the disclaimer at the end.–Joe)
“Encourage one another and lift up one another….” (I Thessalonians 5:11, somewhat, and a favorite line in an old chorus)
“You cannot use my name.”
That’s how the typical private note from a preacher’s wife begins.
Marlene introduced herself as the wife of a pastor. She had come across our article from a year or more ago on “59 things not to say to a preacher.” Back then, I had solicited input from Facebook friends and ended up with that number of comments which preachers do not need to hear and which affect them negatively. The article got a good bit of play and drew more than a fair share of controversial reactions.
Preachers loved the list. And so did their wives, incidentally.
There’s a lot of hurt out there.
Marlene appreciated the list, she said. But she added that I had quit early. We need a list of what not to say to the wife of a preacher.
So, I asked her to get me started. Here is her reply: