Aug 26, 2014
Time for Retreat
By Brenda Rankhorn
I had the privilege of attending a pastor’s wives retreat in Fairview, TN this past year. The retreat I attended included seminars, worship, and time for camaraderie between attendees in its schedule. A group of about fourteen women and I took this journey together.
We took seminars on arming ourselves with truth to help us be all God wants us to be: balancing the roles of a pastor’s spouse; making a haven for our pastor/husband; handling the hurts and disappointments of the ministry; and encouragement to face the future in your role as a pastor’s spouse. The study sessions and discussions spurred by these topics were excellent and helpful to me in my role as the spouse of a pastor. I learned a lot from these courses and was very encouraged. I discovered many useful tools during this time and hope to use them often in my role in the ministry.
It was a blessing to go somewhere and be just me. I wasn’t there filling the role of a “pastor’s wife” or being the mother of two small boys. I didn’t have to attend to the needs of others or keep up with rowdy children. I was able to learn, worship, and be fed without distraction. Also since I wasn’t there in an official capacity, it felt safe to share my burdens and worries with others and receive encouragement and prayer regarding them. It was a blessing to be able to speak with women who shared similar struggles and heartaches of being in ministry.
A majority of the women who attended were Sunday keepers. I found that some of the challenges in ministry we face are different. These women tended to feel more pressure from their churches and to have more church related work that is expected of them than I do. However they did not have a husband who is trying to keep up with two jobs which allows them more time to see to the needs of their churches. It is often easier for them to minister to their congregations alongside their husbands, making serving together a common primary objective rather than a secondary one. Despite these differences we were able to commiserate and offer support, prayer, and share ideas with one another.
The retreat at Fairhaven was a peaceful time of reflection and learning. I would recommend attendance to anyone as my time there was particularly beneficial. I found the study sessions practical and useful and sharing with others uplifting. The entire atmosphere was extremely encouraging and helpful to me personally.
I am grateful to the Women’s Society for helping to
provide this experience for me through the tuition fund. Without the monetary aid I would probably not have been able to attend.
The SDB Women’s Society mission is to encourage, educate, inspire, and connect women in the denomination and develop future leaders.
One way that the Women’s Society supports this mission is through the Women in Ministry Tuition Fund. This fund is designated to provide financial support for women who want to take a seminar, course or workshop to help them in their mission field. Candidates who may apply include wives of pastors or seminary students, ministerial students, those pursuing a Christian Education career, and denominational employees.
For more applications and additional information you can visit the Women’s Society website at www.sdbwomen.org
