Minister Spouse Fellowship provides time of encouragement, connection at Annual Meeting

A large group of minister spouses gathered for a time of fellowship hosted by Monica Guarneri, Tracy Christina and Jenna Hayes at the Texas Baptists Annual Meeting. Attendees stood and sat along the edges of the room, eager to be encouraged and uplifted together. 

“After spending about 20 years as a pastor’s wife, I realized that my husband, as a minister, could not have done everything he did without my help. [I say that] not in a boastful way, but the support that we give them … and the support we are for the church to make that union complete is something nobody else can do,” opened Guarneri. 

“I believe that God has chosen us to be that spouse for that minister,” she continued. “How we support at home, how we give advice … is invaluable and only we can do it.”

She encouraged those attending to join the TXB Minister Spouses Network Facebook group. 

“We would love to be a support there for you. Whether you have prayer requests … or need a network. We need each other because we might only be able to talk to each other to understand what we go through,” Guarneri said. 

Hayes presented attendees with their own custom Texas Baptists cutting board as a gesture of appreciation for all they do to support ministers across the state.

Lindsey Mayberry, a minister's spouse and church planter in New York City, then led the group in a game of “Would You Rather? Pastor’s Spouses Edition.” It was a fun way for the attendees to connect and laugh at the challenges and blessings that come along with supporting ministry.

Robin Marriott, business etiquette coach and minister's spouse for over 40 years, gave a brief presentation. She began by reminding attendees that they all have something in common.

“We walk in really unique shoes and we have an awesome responsibility … It doesn’t matter if you’re in a cowboy church, traditional church, modern church, we all have things we can relate to,” Marriott shared. 

She took time to encourage the group and give some practical tips for making strong impressions, practicing good communication and growing empathy as a supporter of ministry.

Christina closed with a reminder: “We tend to become islands among ourselves, but we need one another … We cannot do this alone. We want to be your safe space to share and connect with others in the same position.”