Once upon a time, being a minister's spouse was a full-time job in itself; the spouse (usually the wife) was expected to serve in a multitude of roles, whether teaching Sunday school or leading the choir or chairing countless committees. In recent years, though, pastorates have welcomed both men and women, and their spouses often have diverse roles unrelated to ministry. They may be juggling several responsibilities: full- or part-time work, parenting, continuing education, care-giving, etc.

While no pastor does his or her work alone, roles for a spouse or partner are much more flexible and fluid in the twenty-first century than they once were. Spouses who want to support their minister-mates' vocation may wonder where to begin.

They may begin here, with John and Anne Killinger's The Ministry Life: 101 Tips for Ministers' Spouses. John and Anne have mined their decades of marriage and partnership to offer a resource for ministers' spouses who are looking for ways to make meaningful contributions to their mates' ministry. The Killingers' suggestions are notable for their range of interests; whatever your talents may be, the Killingers have identified a way to put those gifts to work in tasks both large and small. And, as in The Ministry Life: 101 Tips for New Ministers, the Killingers sought and included additional advice from other ministers and their spouses.