Here is a good conversation starter; something I think should be asked of every ministry spouse.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
How do you [as a ministry spouse] introduce yourself? When you are at church, do you introduce yourself as, \u201cthe pastor\u2019s wife\u201d or\u00a0 as \u201cyour name\u201d? How do you identify yourself, and how do you settle into other people\u2019s expectations for your identity?<\/b><\/p>\n
\u00a0Recently, I was with several people visiting and socializing in the church foyer after services. I was aware that there was someone new that people were introducing themselves to. I also extended my hand to introduce myself. When it was my turn, I said \u201cHi, it\u2019s a pleasure to meet you, Barb. My name is Shirley.\u201d Pleasantries and welcome passed between all the individuals nearby. Later, one person came up to me and said: I noticed how you introduced yourself as Shirley.\u00a0 I wondered why you did that. Why didn\u2019t you tell her you were the \u201cPastor\u2019s Wife\u201d ?<\/p>\n
\u00a0I could see in an instant that this person saw me as a \u201crole\u201d that I fulfill. The role was glamorized and sensational. Even slightly sensational is indeed sensational. I have always found that there are moments each Sunday where I could be who I am, or I could choose to settle into some other person\u2019s expectation for my identity. In my view, however, that identity changes from one person to the next. So, how would I know who I am. <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Here is a good conversation starter; something I think should be asked of every ministry spouse.\u00a0 How do you [as a ministry spouse] introduce yourself? When you are at church, do you introduce yourself as, \u201cthe pastor\u2019s wife\u201d or\u00a0 as \u201cyour name\u201d? How do you identify yourself, and how do you settle into other people\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n