This article will consider a typical ministerial couple during the first three years of their internship. Tom and Ruth first taught in a two-teacher church school in a small town. The appointment was a teacher-pastor arrangement for a church of about eighty members. The district pastor made his rounds about twice a month, and during the rest of the time it was Tom's responsibility to guide church matters as well as to teach forty-one children in the church school. Both husband and wife soon discovered that teaching alone was a full-time duty.
The church members were very kind and understanding. This was the third year the school had been operating, and most of the parents were delighted with it. Tom's real ambition was the ministry. Ruth's musical talents were an asset to the church as well as to the school. She was already having good success in teaching the primary grades. The couple found a small apartment a short distance from both school and church, and felt grateful for their two salaries, which were necessary to meet the payments on a used car and some other needed equipment.
Tom was the principal of this church school, and Ruth his able assistant. Both teachers were blessed with a love for people, a sense of humor, and good common sense. No school is immune from problems, and this one was no exception. However, the teachers succeeded in satisfying the parents and their children, and were invited to remain with the church another year.
Second-Year Internship
But the conference had other plans, and the second year of Tom's internship found him and his wife seventy-five miles away from their first church school. Here a full-sized academy had been planned and was slowly taking shape. The church membership was about 275, and two other churches in the district helped to furnish students. The busy district pastor welcomed Tom and Ruth as assistants. Ruth took care of grades one to four, while Tom taught subjects in grades nine and ten. They took in their stride a few housing problems that might have discouraged a less resolute couple.
This teacher-pastor call offered new opportunities and challenges, and the directing district pastor soon felt free to leave many of the local church problems in Tom's care. Ruth's musical interests were welcomed, but she soon discovered that she could not join her pastor-husband on weekends when he would visit his churches, for the children and youth work in the local church occupied so much of her attention. Sundays were also busy days, as Tom and Ruth prepared for their classes and made missionary calls. While the program was strenuous, they were happy and growing in experience. As the second school year came to a successful conclusion, the educational secretary received an urgent request for the couple to remain with the church.
Third-Year Internship
It was during the third year of their internship that Tom and Ruth were actually in straight pastoral work. A little son had come to bless their home, and the family had taken on larger responsibilities in many ways. While they continued working under an experienced pastor, their duties were now in a larger city. The church numbered more than four hundred members, and Ruth's part-time primary church school teaching kept her busy at home after school hours. The baby soon learned to adjust himself to a school atmosphere. Whenever possible Ruth joined Tom as he called on the sick and elderly folk, and little Junior often slept right through these visits. A number of interested people were receiving Bible studies, and Ruth's children's choir was also growing in popularity. The couple were fast endearing themselves to the church.
Another challenge came to Ruth in the conducting of a nutrition class for church members. Non-Adventists began to take interest in the course, and after some weeks of instruction a number of women attending the cooking school became friendly and enthusiastic. Later on, great happiness came to Tom and Ruth when several families of the group showed interest in our doctrines and took Bible studies. By now Ruth was being urged to build up the cradle roll department of the Sabbath school, and little Junior was always present. Indeed, the minister's wife is a busy person!
A most gratifying experience came to Tom in his work with the nominating committee as they planned for the ensuing year's officers. Then he really became acquainted with his church members. A few of the sisters were ready to urge that Ruth take several offices in the church, but while Tom was proud of his versatile companion, he tactfully explained to the committee that he needed her for the important evangelism plan already receiving attention. Although still young, the couple were mature in their thinking.
Right here we might take the focus off Tom and Ruth to highlight a few important problems they had to meet in their pastoral leadership. You will have gathered that these young people were successful in their work, and that Tom was under consideration for ordination at the next camp meeting. Because the experiences of these workers, now better known to their church as Brother and Sister Jennings, furnish some valuable points for discussion in the shepherdess group, we have selected three problems that enter into the program of all young workers. They are vital points, and the way in which they are handled has much to do with the success of any couple aspiring to the ministry.
The following questions should be answered with an understanding of local needs. Answers here suggested are for guidance.
Problems for Group Discussion
1. To WHAT EXTENT SHOULD THE MINISTER'S WIFE BE ACTIVE IN CHURCH WORK? Every minister's wife should take a deep interest in church work. The wife as well as her husband is in the work of the Lord. As a wife and mother her home duties will take up much of her time, but the ministerial family is a unit that serves the church. In training our laymen we constantly stress the fact that God's work must come first in our planning. This principle, even in a larger sense, holds true in the case of every minister's wife. The spirit of helpfulness and self-sacrifice must be her outstanding virtue. She is a leader of women in her church. To what extent each wife in her particular church, and with her special gifts, can serve without bringing hardship on the home is a matter to be settled individually. Her devoted life will set a beautiful pattern for every other woman she will meet.
2. HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD THE MINISTER'S WIFE. GIVE TO CHURCH CAMPAIGNS? Let us consider the nature of these campaigns, and how much time can reasonably be devoted to them. Church campaigns succeed when leaders really lead; when women say, "Come with me," rather than, "Go and do." To be able to go out with some timid new believer, and in a few hours help her to catch the true vision of service, is worth more to God's cause than large amounts raised for missions. But how many of these new ones can a minister's wife teach? This will depend upon the age of her children, and other pressing duties at the time.
The spirit of competition should never enter into her work. But every minister's wife should help to carry the burden of a church campaign.
Also bearing in mind that God has endowed her with special talents, she may respond by concentrating on one campaign more than another. But over a period of years it should be evident that she believes in cooperating with every department of the church as the need presents itself.
3. SHALL THE MINISTER'S WIFE CONTINUE MAKING HOME CALLS WHEN HER BABY NEEDS HER ATTENTION? In the role of motherhood the shepherdess does not forget her ministerial responsibility. Motherhood should not absorb her attention in the home to such an extent that she will withdraw from the church. As a mother she needs contact with other mothers who are struggling to serve the church as well as the family. Nor should she encourage her husband to be overindulgent to her naturally retiring ways. Where she may have joined him in
visiting the flock several afternoons each week before the baby came, she may now find happiness in doing this once a week, until the little one is more adjusted to life. The point to be considered is not merely her own example in the church but also her own need of living with the people she helps to shepherd.
Those whose privilege it is to counsel our shepherdesses should bring into their advice the richness of their own experience. Choose varying types of persons to handle these questions. Then by a balance of wise counsel, stress the principles as they apply to workers' wives generally, not to the minister's wife alone.