Unsung Heriones

AN IDEALISED VIEW
The people usually have an idealized view of what a pastor's family life should be like. If they try to force those beliefs on the pastor and his family all kinds of stresses and strains may develop. Especially if a pastor's family do try to conform to the unreal expectations of their particular congregation.
In our country of Australia we have a multi-cultural society, each culture with its own idea of what a pastor and his family should be doing, and how they should live and conduct themselves, as Susan discovered.
"What are we going to do?" she cried to her husband, "Everyone will find out about the divorce our daughter is going through. What will they think? Will we lose our ministry? Will the people understand? I just can't bear anyone to know about it!" Her husband sighed heavily. Compassion for his wife and daughter mixed with apprehension for the future. What would his church people say? Would they ask him to move on? He drew his wife to him and gave her an understanding hug. “Perhaps we can put in for a transfer, and then we will not have to tell anyone about it."
Susan was facing the dilemma of her daughter's divorce, wondering how it would affect her husband's ministry, or whether the church would insist that he leave the ministry because he could not manage his family. Also she felt all of the shame of people gossiping about their daughter's failed marriage.