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A Counseling Ministry for Wives of PCA Pastors.

A Counseling Ministry for Wives of PCA Pastors.

Pastors’ wives have a unique role in the life of a church, supporting the women of the congregation and supporting the pastor himself. She may not hold an official title, but her impact cannot be overstated. However vital her position, it is one that is often overlooked. In fact, 50% of PCA pastors report that their wives are not thriving. How can we come alongside these women to ensure they are supported? Our response: Cherish.

What is Cherish?

Cherish provides access to affordable and confidential Christian counseling to PCA pastors’ wives. This ministry is funded through your gifts to PCA Ministerial Relief. When you invest in Cherish you invest in the health of the church.

“So often, pastors’ wives listen to the burdens and hurts of those around them without an outlet themselves to process grief.”

Leah, a PCA pastor’s wife, knows this from experience. Although she herself experienced the tragedies of a near death experience after the birth of her daughter and a suicide attempt of a family member, she was initially unable to acccess counseling due to the high cost.

This is the story so many women have shared with us. Even with the full support of local churches and presbyteries, many PCA pastors’ wives can’t afford to pay for the counseling they so badly need.

That’s where Cherish steps in. As Leah looks back, she observes, “[Cherish] allowed me to find a counselor, a safe person to walk through the hard things I was experiencing. They helped me extend God’s grace to myself as I navigate marriage, motherhood, ministry and relationships of family.”

Join us in supporting pastors’ wives

Counseling can provide a necessary outlet for pastors’ wives to share their struggles within ministry, marriage, and spiritual health while getting professional, confidential, faith-informed guidance to handle the stress those things bring.

Your donation provides up affordable, confidential counseling services for pastor’s wives.

7 out of 10

feel they have few people they can confide in.

8 out of 10

said they would make use of Christian counseling if offered.

9 out of 10

believe they are perceived or treated differently than other women in the church.

Support pastors’ wives by donating to Cherish.

Here’s how you can contribute

Online

Give directly online here.

Mail

Mail your donation to

Geneva Benefits Group – Relief
PO Box 632081
Cincinnati, OH 45263

*Include Cherish in the memo

Give Stock/Securities or through a Donor Advised Fund.

Download Instructions Here

Your gift is a partnership providing financial assistance and support to retired pastors, widows, and PCA ministry staff in need. Gifts to the Ministerial Relief Fund are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. PCA Retirement & Benefits, Inc. (RBI) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Tax Identification # (EIN) 74-3069926. In 2022 we changed our name to Geneva Benefits Group but continue to use our existing EIN.

“The ministry to which the Lord has called my husband and me has been made possible because of this grant. We would not have been able to financially afford the (rightful) cost of paying a counselor. And without counseling, I would surely still be stuck in many faulty thinking patterns. I am so thankful and grateful to you for offering me this financial assistance.”

Why the Ministry of Cherish Remains Vital - Annie's Story

Pastors’ wives navigate marital challenges that are common to many marriages. It can feel like her husband puts his work before family and those feelings left to themselves can breed resentment, loneliness, and anger. For Christians, the church is a place where people are invited to share their lives and ask for prayer and support from others about these sorts of needs.

Reflections from a Pastor's Wife - An Interview with Meaghan May

Meaghan May met her husband Paul during college when both were serving as counselors at a summer camp for children with special needs. Today, they continue to spend their life in the service of others. Meaghan is the women’s ministry director at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Naples, Florida where her husband also serves on staff as discipleship pastor.

The Oft-Forgotten Role of the Pastor’s Wife

According to a 2018 survey facilitated by PCA Retirement & Benefits (RBI), nine out of ten pastors’ wives believe they are perceived differently than other women in their church…