Heavy demands from society can make for loads of pressure on clergy families. According to December 1992 Current Thoughts & Trends (a monthly print magazine that provide reliable information on what's happening in the Christian and secular worlds), 94% of clergy families felt under pressure to have the “ideal” family (Pastor 2). For instance, pastors have expectations of portraying multiple profess

In addition to high expectations and stress a pastor’s spouse endure within the church, they experience great difficulty in maintaining a healthy home life. Duties and expectations of a pastor to be constantly on the move take them away from being more involved in home life, leaving the brunt of home responsibilities to the spouse. With the pastor attending numerous meetings, visits, and conferences, the spouse must adjust their entire schedule around them. As a pastor, emergencies often occur where he/she must attend to, leaving the spouse to doubly handle the responsibilities at home.

The responsibilities to the pastors’ spouse are also more extensive then most people realize. Of course, the biggest responsibly is supporting his or her spouse’s ministry. The ability to relate to all members of the congregation, while not taking sides, and keeping a persistent positive attitude are unique talents spouses of pastors must have in order to be effective and influential figures in the church (Oden 2). Although pastors’ wives commonly have their own careers, they are typically involved in many of the clubs and organizations dealing within and out the church. Having to balance personal careers with assumed high expectations of the church and community can make pastors’ spouses overworked and stressed.

Franklin Graham, the fourth of five children of Rev. Billy and Ruth Graham, grew up hating being introduced as “Billy Graham’s son.” His expectations of people were exceptionally higher than a normal P.K. because of his father’s high status in society. His father's fame and extended absences from home by preaching missions all over the world tore the father-son relationship apart. As a teenager, his parents saw a growing rebellious side of Franklin and sent him to a Christian boarding school to help discipline him. Instead, he broke the rules by sneaking out, getting caught with drugs and alcohol, and chasing girls (Branson 6). Franklin is a classic example of what can happen if the pressures and expectations are too much for a P.K. to handle. They often wander and isolate themselves from their family and church, doing things out of the norm for a P.K. to prove they have their own identity, rather than only being associated the preacher’s kid.

Society has a strong need for their pastors, spouses, and children to portray all the virtues they also aspire to in their own lives. Naturally, it is impossible for a family (clergy or not) to live up to these unrealistic expectations. It is proven with the statistics of marital problems and clergy pressures, clergy families suffer from demands of the church and community, and ultimately, resul

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