Clergy in the Presbyterian Church have their membership in the presbytery rather than in a particular church. While the pastor’s family is usually a member of the church where a clergy serves, the Presbytery has a special opportunity to offer support to both the clergy and his or her family in ways that a congregation cannot.
Consider the possibility of a presbytery, or perhaps a couple of presbyteries going together, offering a family retreat for clergy and their families. The program could be planned in a way that allowed the families to explore some of the special pressures of the pastor’s family. There could be a program for children, one for youth, one for the spouse and one for the pastor.
This would be a chance to acknowledge the unusual circumstances that we all face in a family with a pastor and it could also build some support for families. I will try to spell out some of the possible features of thiss retreat tomorrow.
