A new study will be published next month and will reveal the full extent of the involvement of clergy wives in the parish ministry, as well as the level of the challenges they face.
Increasingly clergymen are being supported financially by their wives. According to the book We’re in This Together, over one third of clergy wives find the biggest challenge is to find the right balance in their married life.
The new research was based on a questionnaire sent to clergy wives across the United Kingdom. The research revealed the importance of clergy wives in their husband’s work and in their church communities. Around three-quarters provide hospitality in the church, whilst just under half provide support for church women’s and children’s groups. 39.6% provide counselling and 35.7% get involved with speaking engagements.
The research was welcomed by Christine Perkin, wife of Paul Perkin, Priest-in-Charge of St Peter and St Paul, Battersea. Mrs Perkin, who is involved with the running of clergy wives’ groups, said that many clergy wives are involved with the church community, including toddler groups and the running of courses- often on family issues.
Mrs Perkin welcomed the research for its drawing attention to the difficulties of being a clergy wife: “The workload is enormous and it is hard as there’s no sense of completion. It is continuous, never-ending work,” she continued: “This job is not neat. The hours are not neat. It makes it very demanding. Any job to do with people is tough, as you can’t switch off easily.”
56% of the wives who responded to the questionnaire said that they felt isolated. Mrs Perkin said that: “friendship for people in the ministry is not a luxury but a necessity”. She stressed that clergy wives needed to allow people “to see us warts and all” and that: “We need people to see that we’re hurting and have problems. We’re just like anyone else.”
Almost 500 women answered the questionnaire.
