How is married/family life and ministry handled?
I was married right in the middle of Seminary. We have a year that’s called our “Vicar Year” it’s a year of internment where you go out to a congregation and serve. So there’s two years of classroom work, there’s your Vicar year, and then one more year of class work. I was married right before my Vicar year, and we recently celebrated our eighth year anniversary. She went to Martin Luther College and studied to be a teacher. That’s essentially where we met. She was finishing up her schooling when I went off to Seminary. She received the call, and was placed in Las Vegas, Nevada to teach there for a year, and that’s where we got engaged. We were married after that year [of her call]. It’s was a very interesting thing with my wife. We always came into the relationship with the attitude that, yes, I have a call to be the pastor of this congregation–but I rely a lot on my wife. She is a great encouragement and help to me. I don’t share with her confidential stuff for a number of reasons.
