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Article
Love Everybody, Keep Your Mouth Shut, Don't Have an Opinion”: Role Expectations Among Seventh-day Adventist Pastor Spouses
Faculty Publications
  • Rene Drumm, University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Park Campus
  • Laurie Lynn Cooper, Andrews University
  • Marge Seifert, Southern Adventist University
  • David Sedlacek, Andrews University
  • Duane C McBride, Andrews University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-1-2017
Keywords
  • Pastor spouse,
  • Clergy spouse,
  • Congregational social work,
  • Congregational life
Abstract

While many Christian church members and social workers would most likely agree that the role of the pastor’s spouse is central to church life, few are able to define exactly what the pastor spouse role entails. Examining the pastor spouse role from the perspective of the participant, this qualitative study identifies a number of defining elements associated with being a pastor spouse. These features include (a) providing emotional support for the pastor (her spouse); (b) conforming to particular standards of appearance; (c) being capable in specific ways such as music, hospitality, career; (d) attending church events; (e) being an example to others; (f) keeping quiet; and (g) doing things like or being like the former pastor’s spouse. This study provides a starting point for advocacy and future research for Christian social workers who are passionate about fostering a healthy congregational life.

Journal Title
Social Work and Christianity
First Department
Discipleship and Religious Education
Second Department
Behavioral Sciences
Citation Information
Rene Drumm, Laurie Lynn Cooper, Marge Seifert, David Sedlacek, et al.. "Love Everybody, Keep Your Mouth Shut, Don't Have an Opinion”: Role Expectations Among Seventh-day Adventist Pastor Spouses" Vol. 44 Iss. 3 (2017) p. 94 - 114
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/duane_mcbride/73/