SIR, IF A MAN IS IN THE MINISTRY, SHOULDN'T HIS WIFE ALSO BE IN THE MINISTRY WITH HIM?

*PASTOR BANKIE: ANSWERS TO YOUR RELATIONSHIP & MARRIAGE QESTIONS (7)

Question: Sir, if a man is in the ministry, shouldn't his

wife also be in the ministry with him? Is it

possible for a preacher and his wife to be

pursuing different careers?

Answer: It is common practise for men who are in ministry to train their wives

to join them in ministering; the women are encouraged to do essentially

what the husband is doing. I don't think that is right most of the

times.

Generally speaking, being in ministry just means to work in

one way or another in the ministry. If this is what we are talking

about, then it is good. I preach and my wife helps Kingdom-Word

Ministries in whichever way needed. She leads prayers; being a

trained accountant she helps with the auditing of accounts; she runs

a business and the business gives to the ministry. Also she and

others among my co-workers sometimes teach or give exhortations in

our meetings, especially when I am absent. She has also honoured

some speaking engagements on her own. It is all good.

However, being called into the ministry of the word as a

calling can only be done by God and a husband cannot do it. It

does not come to you by association. As at today my wife is not a

preacher, and I cannot make her one. It is a wrong concept to

expect that a preacher's wife must also be a preacher. It has no

foundation in the scriptures. The only people is the Bible that I am

aware of who were both in preaching ministries as a couple were

Priscilla and Aquila, and Isaiah the prophet and his wife (he called

her the prophetess). Most of the men mentioned in the Bible as

preachers were married but you rarely hear of their wives being

mentioned as ministers. Quite a number of women in the Bible were

also mentioned as prophetesses (Miriam, Deborah, Huldah etc), but

apart from Priscilla and Mrs Isaiah I cannot easily recollect any other

whose husband was also a preacher.

So we see that it was never implied that a man's wife must

also be a minister of the word because he is one. If the woman is

a minister, it will manifest and the husband should encourage her.

However, if she is not, he should not even try to make her one; it

is unnecessary. Just like a businessman can have a preacher as a

wife, and a doctor can have a school teacher as a wife, so can a

preacher's wife belong to any calling that the Lord chooses. She does

not have to share your gift to be an effective helper; life has many

facets.

***This is culled from the book," FUNDAMENTALS OF CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE ", by Pastor Bankie. DOWNLOAD FREE HERE for yourself and your buddies……including the recommended downloads. And,feel free to share. Selah… #GoAndLearn #qdGUYS #qdLADIES #qdDOWNLOADS

Other books by the author include:

The Blessing

Beyond Gifts And Talents

Here on Purpose

The Law of Life

Great Faith Can Be Yours

Choices, the Key to Destiny

By Faith Acquire Life

He That Believes

Grace to Prosper

How to Work for God

So, Who Will Pay for This?