Pastors wife works on Sunday

[Salty]

I found this question on Facebook:

How would you guys respond if a pastor’s wife misses Sunday morning church because
she has to work every other Sunday?

Open for discussion

 

[37818]

Sunday is not a Sabbath.

 

[Baptist Believer]

How would you guys respond if a pastor’s wife misses Sunday morning church because
she has to work every other Sunday?

I’m not sure why I would need to “respond” at all.

Unless the pastor’s wife was employed by the church, it is none of my business.

I grew up in a church in the midst of one the largest collection of oil and chemical refineries in the world (at that time), and you can’t just shut off a refinery at the end of the day or for a weekend without an extensive multi-day start-up and shut-down process — unless you like explosions, death, and massive pollution.

So refineries run 24/7 and it takes extraordinary events (usually a hurricane) or a massive industrial accident to shut them down. So I grew up with family members and a significant number of people in the church who regularly had to miss services because of employment commitments.

However, we would regularly have guest preachers come through and lambast persons who “worked on Sunday” from the pulpit, claiming God’s authority for doing so. The result was embittered church members who didn’t have much respect for out-of-touch preachers who were working on Sundays themselves.

All of this was in the 1960s-mid 1980s, when blue laws were still a thing. Today, blue laws have been rescinded and employees often have very little choice about what days they work.

Unless the church is paying the pastor’s wife, church members should keep their pie-holes shut and thank God for having a pastor’s wife who is industrious.

 

[Salty]

Sunday is not a Sabbath.

This thread is not about the Sabbath
It is about a pastors wife working most Sundays
which is the day of worship for that church

 

[DaveXR650]

I’m not sure why I would need to “respond” at all.

I guess if you never go out to eat on Sunday, never buy anything on Sunday, never get sick on Sunday and go to a hospital or call a policeman or need a wrecker on Sunday, never watch a football game on Sunday, never do anything on Sunday that makes the other poor suckers work to serve you on Sunday I guess then you could say something. You'd still be a jerk but at least not an outright hypocrite.

 

[37818]

. . . if a pastor’s wife misses Sunday morning church because
she has to work every other Sunday?

She is not missing every service.

Jesus taught, in Mathhew 23:8, ". . . all ye are brethren. . . ." Meaning we as believers are equal in Christ. [Galatians 3:28.] It should not be an issue.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

I do not see a reason I would need to respond.. She is not doing anything wrong

 

[JonC]

I would have no problem with her having to work on Sunday. I have to work 2 Sundays of the month. Those in my church know this and don't have an issue. I would think they'd understand this pastor's wife having to work.

 

[Silverhair]

If she said I have to work on Sunday so I can not attend church. is one thing
but
If she said I work on Sunday so I do not have to attend church. that would be another.

 

[Salty]

She is not missing every service.

I never said she missed every Sunday!

 

[Salty]

Lets add to the OP a bit.
How about a military chaplain - he would have to miss one Sunday every month
(if he was the only pastor at the church)
(as well as two weeks in the Summer?)

Would you vote in pastor who was in the military reserve/National Guard?

 

[Eternally Grateful]

Lets add to the OP a bit.
How about a military chaplain - he would have to miss one Sunday every month
(if he was the only pastor at the church)
(as well as two weeks in the Summer?)

Would you vote in pastor who was in the military reserve/National Guard?

in a heart beat

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

Since it's causing her to miss service, then yes it's a problem.

I would even say it would call into question the Pastor's qualifications as per having a well managed household if his wife is out working on the Lord's Day, akin to if the Pastor's kid are misbehaved.

IMO every effort should be made to cease commercial working activity on Sunday. Our farm purposefully does not do sales on Sunday unless a customer has a pressing need that can't be met elsewhere, and we refuse to attend any farmers markets on Sundays.

 

[Silverhair]

Since it's causing her to miss service, then yes it's a problem.

I would even say it would call into question the Pastor's qualifications as per having a well managed household if his wife is out working on the Lord's Day, akin to if the Pastor's kid are misbehaved.

IMO every effort should be made to cease commercial working activity on Sunday. Our farm purposefully does not do sales on Sunday unless a customer has a pressing need that can't be met elsewhere, and we refuse to attend any farmers markets on Sundays.

Well there is always to option of paying the pastor enough that his wife does not have to work on a Sunday or at all. I am quite sure that as a pastors wife if she had the option she would work on a Sunday.

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

Well there is always to option of paying the pastor enough that his wife does not have to work on a Sunday or at all. I am quite sure that as a pastors wife if she had the option she would work on a Sunday.

What would need to happen in this case is the Church would need to confront the Pastor's wife as per Galatians and Matthew and explain that neglecting the meeting of the saints for work is not acceptable and is sin. And yes, if there is a true budget shortfall that is not the result of going out to eat 5x a week then the Church should raise the Pastor's pay.

If the Church member (Pastor's wife or not) continues to neglect the meeting of the saints then Church Discipline needs to be involved. The Church Elders likely need to revoke her Church Membership status and remove the Pastor from his office pending repentance.

 

[Silverhair]

What would need to happen in this case is the Church would need to confront the Pastor's wife as per Galatians and Matthew and explain that neglecting the meeting of the saints for work is not acceptable and is sin. And yes, if there is a true budget shortfall that is not the result of going out to eat 5x a week then the Church should raise the Pastor's pay.

If the Church member (Pastor's wife or not) continues to neglect the meeting of the saints then Church Discipline needs to be involved. The Church Elders likely need to revoke her Church Membership status and remove the Pastor from his office pending repentance.

Well I am glad to see that you are all for church discipline. I have to hope that your house is in order as you may find yourself under church discipline at some date.

Mat_12:10 a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?" so that they might accuse him.
Mat_12:11 He said to them, "Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out?
Mat_12:12 How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath."

 

[Baptist Believer]

What would need to happen in this case is the Church would need to confront the Pastor's wife as per Galatians and Matthew and explain that neglecting the meeting of the saints for work is not acceptable and is sin.

But she is not. It sounds like she attends at least twice a month. Moreover, church life should not be limited to only Sunday worship services. Bible studies and fellowships are also meetings of the saints.

If they want attendance in a formal worship service every week, they need to have more worship services at various times to accommodate those who don’t set their own work hours (most people).

If the Church member (Pastor's wife or not) continues to neglect the meeting of the saints then Church Discipline needs to be involved. The Church Elders likely need to revoke her Church Membership status and remove the Pastor from his office pending repentance.

“Repentance” for not sinning? Sounds like there’s not a bit of grace available for church members to follow their conscience and be a disciple of Jesus outside of tightly prescribed outward symbols of conformity.

A very biblical and practical aspect of a pastor having their spouse work outside the church is to provide stability to the pastor’s family and finances in the event the church decides they do not like a prophet in their pulpit calling out the sins of the congregation instead of people who are not present. Churches tend to use the financial angle to control their pastors, where a pastor is afraid to upset the status quo because it will financially devastate the family.

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

Well I am glad to see that you are all for church discipline.

Of course I'm all for Church Discipline. The Bible tells us to actively practice it for sanctification and to restore brothers and sisters back into fellowship who have fallen into sin. What Christian wouldn't be for Church Discipline?

I have to hope that your house is in order as you may find yourself under church discipline at some date.

I hope so. If I ever got to a place where I was skipping Sunday Worship on the Lord's Day I hope my congregation cares enough about me, and my Christian growth to discipline me and bring me back into the fold just like Jesus with the lost lamb.

Mat_12:10 a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?" so that they might accuse him.
Mat_12:11 He said to them, "Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out?
Mat_12:12 How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath."

Yes, police, fire, ems, farmers and more always have a chore load on Sunday. And sometimes emergencies happen, however, I'm certain God is not trying to apply this verse to working Construction on the Lord's Day and skipping worship service to make a buck. That would be a tall theological argument to make.

 

[Salty]

Interesting discussion so far!

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

But she is not. It sounds like she attends at least twice a month. Moreover, church life should not be limited to only Sunday worship services. Bible studies and fellowships are also meetings of the saints.

So, at what point in your theology does the scale tip from "attending enough" to "not attending enough" for a believer who is supposed to be growing in Church.
Is once a month enough?
How about once every 2 months?
Once every 6 months?

The purpose of Bible Studies and fellowships are meetings of *some* saints. You are not amongst the whole body of believers.

If they want attendance in a formal worship service every week, they need to have more worship services at various times to accommodate those who don’t set their own work hours (most people).

Christians have been meeting on Sundays since the first century. Do you suppose that choice was arbitrary or that perhaps Sunday has special spiritual significance hence why the Early Church Fathers opted for it?

“Repentance” for not sinning? Sounds like there’s not a bit of grace available for church members to follow their conscience and be a disciple of Jesus outside of tightly prescribed outward symbols of conformity.

No, no, repentance FOR sinning. And forsaking the gathering together of the saints is sin. That's why a lot of Churches refused to follow the Government's Mandate to restrict the gathering together of the saints, and it's the same reason why skipping Sunday Service on the regular is sin.

A very biblical and practical aspect of a pastor having their spouse work outside the church is to provide stability to the pastor’s family and finances in the event the church decides they do not like a prophet in their pulpit calling out the sins of the congregation instead of people who are not present. Churches tend to use the financial angle to control their pastors, where a pastor is afraid to upset the status quo because it will financially devastate the family.

Clearly you're a fan of pragmatism. I am not.

Neglecting the meeting of the saints so that your Pastor husband can be more financially secure sounds too much like "sinning so that grace may abound". It also has odes of fearing men more than God.