With the release of the Shriver Report, we are again engaged in a discussion about the effect of women in the workforce. According to their report, soon the majority of the workforce will be women. I have personally seen a rise in “stay at home dads” and an increasing situation in which the woman earns more than the man in a marriage. Both in churches and in corporations, the factor of the spouse’s career has to be factored in to determining career moves. Flexibility in the workforce is becoming an important factor. During most of my career as a pastor, if the children got sick or a major school event occurred during the day, it was my wife who assumed primary responsibility. My neighbors, who have both a 10 year old and an 10 month old just had their mother leave on a two week trip to China while their teacher father staid home with the children.
Now think of these changing conditions with respect to the congregation’s care for a pastor. On Sunday morning it is assumed that the pastor will be available to conduct worship. What if both adults are pastors or one is off on a sales trip to China? Has the church thought about how to support the family if a child gets sick? In what way do they recognize the need for flexibility with respect to children suddenly having a day off from school, getting the flu, needing to go on a field trip with adult chaperones. In some ways pastor’s schedules do have some built in flexibility, but there are times when impossible conflicts arise. How can a congregation build in support for those unexpected times? If the pastor needs to be at the hospital with a parishoner or counseling in a marital crisis, does he or she know how to access some extra support for their family at such times?
As you think about this, remember this is not just recognizing a need of the pastor but also making a witness to a new way of caring for families in the whole congregation. Families are increasingly confronted with the challenge of two career demanding work. Can the church assist the society by modeling an open and supportive attitude towards the pressures on all our families?
