Voice of the Clergy Wife: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

The clergy wife is an understudied and silenced population. While the minister himself is well represented in the literature concerning burnout, psychological distress, and diminishing years of service, his wife remains unheard and desperate for her needs to be understood and addressed. The lived experience of nine Wesleyan pastors' wives was investigated using a qualitative methodology and phenomenological approach. Themes arose surrounding both protective factors (faith, calling, support) and stressors (performance expectations and loss of identity, loneliness, low income, sacrifice of time). The theoretical underpinnings of Kanter's (1977) Work-Family Agenda are applied in relation to the occupation of one family member affecting the entire family system. Kanter claims work and family as mutually exclusive entities is a myth. Her framework, including five concepts (rewards/resources, absorption, time/timing, occupational cultures/worldview, emotional climate), allowed for exploration of the results. Interestingly, the stressors in the role of pastor's wife far outweighed the protective factors; yet, clergy wives remain positive and even willing to continue apparent hardships. This is discussed and future research is suggested.