Pastor’s wife, not a piece of cake
-By Wilson Adekumola
The president, International Church Growth Ministry, Dr. Bola Akin-John has advised pastor’s wives to do everything scriptural to support their husbands so that the church can grow instead of seeing themselves as co-owners as many of them have destroyed their husband ministries unconsciously.
Akin-John gave the admonition at a 2-day seminar, tagged, “Elizabeth Summit” held at the Growth Centre, 6/8, Mukadaz Close, Beside Impress Centre, Iyana-Odo B/Stop, Isheri-Lasu Road, Lagos on 12th April 2019.
He noted that “being a pastor’s wife willingly and unwillingly is not a piece of cake. It is a sacrificial life of faith and adventure. It is a life of high expectation from God, Church and society.
Pastor Mrs. Kemi Akin John
He therefore, advised pastor’s spouse to emulate Elizabeth as exemplary model wife in the Bible. “Elizabeth was a model wife of competent pastor’s wife; she held herself, home and prophetic ministry strong, even in the absence of her husband.
She faced her adversity with faith and prayers and communicated well with her husband. She raised her destiny child for the Lord”.
Akin-John whose practical approach to church growth has saved many ministries from extinction over the years also takes swipe on illicit sex and sexual perversion in the church.
He noticed that some of the activities of the rapacious men and women in the churches are so much that it has infected the church from pulpit to pew.
He disclosed that “once sexual perversion of promiscuity, homosexuality, incest, pornography, fornication and adultery is rife in church, the image of the church and ministry will be battered and God will be out of such church and ministry.
He however recognized lack of self-discipline as the major factor that gave birth to such thinking. He then advised both pastor and their wives to preach against illicit sex and sexual pervasion like Jesus did in Revelation 2:20.
The president, Family Care Mandate Ministries International, Pastor Ebenezer Diyaolu had earlier made a presentation on “Personal and Spiritual Development of Pastor’s Spouses”
He said the pastor’s wife must comply with strict morals and do away with unethical and unscriptural behaviour.
He asserted, “Take control of your personal and spiritual life. Taking control of your emotion, growing better in character and attitude and improving your relational skill with members of your husband’s church will always make you the virtuous woman the scripture described.”
He added, “Your spiritual growth is the mother of all growth. You cannot live anyhow because all eyes are on you. As a pastor’s wife, you have to live a meaningful life because there are women and girls who are looking up to you in the ministry”.
In his message, Pastor Daniel Joseph of Church Growth International Ministry, told the women that being a pastor’s wives is not a title but a responsibility, task and assignment.
He said, “Scripturally and fundamentally, a woman who is called to marry a priest, pastor or minister of God is not to struggle office or function with the husband. She is not a co-founder, co-pastor, co-leader or co-bishop. Rather she must know and focus on her basic calling until God promotes her. She is called to be helpmate and supportive spouse to the life and purpose of the husband. The pastor’s wife is expected to nurture, raise her children and hold the home front well while she also makes herself available to help counsel and contribute her quota with a meek and quiet spirit.”
Daniel also implored both pastor’s wives and female ministers to go beyond the church wall in propagating the good news of Jesus Christ.
“It is unfortunate that many female ministers especially pastors’ wives have concentrated their work for the Lord only inside the church; whereas, they are called by the Lord to the world. They are supposed to help expand God’s Kingdom and hasten His Coming. The Pastor’s wife in a church has the responsibility to go beyond the wall of the church to make impact in the lives of people.
Pastor’s wife call not a tea party
Rev. Mrs. Oluwakemi Akin-John, wife of the founder, Church Growth International Ministries, said, “We thank God for this inspiring event today. We hope that any woman who is a pastor’s wife would from now realise that she has not been called to a tea party. From time to time we will continue to sensitize ourselves. This is the first edition of the Elizabeth Summit. We bless God it’s graceful and there were lots of testimonies. This has really shown us that we have to continue to be holding the programme.
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“It has really challenged the women and opened their spiritual eyes. It has impacted our lives and shown our rightful stand with the Lord. Some pastor’s wives before now believed being a pastor’s wife is a title. But the event has changed their perspective. This event has called them to their responsibility. From the testimonies I heard today, I have no doubt that they have been exposed to what it entails to be a pastor’s wife or female minister”, she disclosed.
In her own words, the senior pastor, Alms Giving Gospel Church and the president, Esther Ministries International, Evang. Dr. Esther Arinola John-Ola described the event as glorious and educative noting that the pastor’s wife have a lot at stake
She said, “The event is glorious and God has really trained us to be a better minister, mother and pastor’s wife. My advice to the participants is that they should not just only be the hearer of the word but also a doer of the word so that we can make our environment a better place to live”, she declared.
