Want Your Pastor to Be a Good Husband and Father?

2. Don't have unrealistic expectations that take your pastor needlessly away from his family. The pastor's primary biblical responsibilities are to preach and pray. To expect much more than that will make your pastor have to compromise his time somewhere. You don't want him to be a bad preacher or prayer; or a bad husband or father. So, don't expect him to be at every event or to answer every phone call.

3. Offer your pastor more vacations than you would expect for another vocation. Your pastor must deal more closely with death, trials, pain, heart-break, etc. than most other vocations. Hospice workers rightfully get 6 weeks vacation. Try to understand that your pastor is under more stress than most other vocations. Give vacations accordingly; and make him take them.

4. When your pastor goes on vacation, let him go on vacation. Do not contact him or expect him to contact you unless it's an emergency. Whenever your pastor is home, he gets calls at almost all hours of the day; if he gets the same amount of phone calls on vacation, then he's nottruly on vacation.

5. Don't expect the pastor's children to be perfect. You have no right to require of his children more than the Scriptures do. There is literally no requirement of pastor's children in the Scriptures that is not expected of all Christian children.

6. Don't have ridiculous expectations of your pastor's wife. She is not your pastor. Do not expect more of her than you do of any other church member. She should be a faithful church member, but not necessarily a leader.

7. Don't expect your pastor, his wife, or his children to be extroverts. God uses all types of personalities for His glory.

8. Be at peace if at all possible among yourselves so that your pastor can enjoy his ministry. Although it is ideal to not allow the church to effect his home, this is often unavoidable because he and his family are heavily involved in the church.