Yingjie (pseudonym) and Leqin (pseudonym) are a couple in full-time ministry. They were both born after 1985 and met each other while studying theology. Although they are not yet ordained as pastors, they have been in full-time ministry at the church for over a decade. The husband, Yingjie, is now in charge of Sunday sermons, discipleship, and church administration. His wife, Leqin, is not only involved in preaching, singing, playing the piano, and visitation but is also responsible for the training of the church pianist and worship team.
Leqin told the Christian Times, an online Christian newspaper in China, her faith story.
Her mother was also determined to dedicate her to the Lord, and after graduating from high school, she went directly to study theology. After graduation, she met Brother Yingjie, who was the same age as her but had gone to theology school before her. After graduation, they served in different churches. Later on, the pastor suggested they serve together.
Sister Leqin said when she married her husband, she did not consider their financial status. However, spiritually, she has never been satisfied. During her time in the pastorate, she clearly realized that as a pastor, she must keep learning, knowing that only when she grows and is healed by God's Word can she shepherd and build up others. Therefore, over the years, while pastoring, she and Brother Yingjie have developed a good habit of reading and studying continuously. Today, Brother Yingjie has also obtained a master's degree and has gained much experience in doctrinal issues, discipleship training, and church administration.
Through reflecting on her own life and the lives of some of the believers, Sister Leqin found that many people had not changed their sinful thinking habits despite their conversion. She understood that the root cause was that many believers could not use the Word to explain and relate to their everyday lives and that there was a serious disconnection between God's Word and the lives of believers.
Therefore, she insisted on encouraging people to engage in spiritual practice. She said, "During spiritual practice, people can face their hearts and their sins, and through spiritual practice and prayer, the heart can be built up again. People can learn to resist the values of the world with biblical values when things come up."
In her ministry, Sister Leqin constantly challenged believers to read and memorize the scriptures, etc. This was met with resistance and a lack of understanding from some believers at first. This was because many believers were used to coming to meetings and singing hymns, listening to the sermon, asking the pastor for prayer if they had any questions, and then calling it a day. They felt that the previous pastors had not demanded so much.
With the encouragement of her pastor and her husband, she persevered, even though she wanted to back out. Today, she has seen many believers grow in their lives after practicing the spiritual disciplines, and some have risen to participate in the ministry.
She has gone from pastoring young people to middle-aged and older believers, from serving as a single person to serving as a family woman, including raising two children in the process. The foundation of her ability to face these challenges, says Leqin, is her spiritual growth.
Being a pastor's wife is actually very difficult. With a family to take care of and a church to attend, it is inevitable that a pastor's wife will have emotions, grievances, and exhaustion. These problems tend to be resolved naturally through growth in life.
The growth of a pastor's wife's life is beneficial to a harmonious relationship with her husband, which in turn is beneficial to the ministry of the pastor or evangelist husband. Sister Leqin stressed that relationships with God should not be neglected, especially for pastors' wives who serve or work full-time.
At the same time, she also believes that ministry is beneficial to the spiritual growth of the pastor's wives themselves. "Even if you cannot preach, you can sing; and if you cannot sing, you can visit people or pray. Especially when the pastor's (or evangelist's) husband is working a lot and is very busy, as a wife who is one with her husband, she should support her husband's ministry with prayer and minister to the congregation with prayer." Sister Leqin believes that when she prays for others and the church, she will also be empowered and find comfort in doing the Lord's work.
"If a wife is just taking care of the children and the family, she will be easily tied down, expect her husband's attention, and get caught up in their feelings," she added. Supporting the family financially by working is also a form of service.
Pastors are not only to build up the Lord's church but also their own families, and family building is very important. Many evangelists often neglect their families because they are so preoccupied with the ministry. Sister Leqin confessed, "We made the same mistake in the early days of our ministry. Both of us were so preoccupied with pastoring the church that the academic performance of our eldest child declined as a whole, to the extent that the teacher had to interview us." After that, she discussed with her husband that both of them should try to create flexible work hours and take turns with the children. She said, "I don't want to see a father preaching and sons becoming robbers." Thanks to their careful efforts, both children are now physically and mentally healthy.
- Translated by Nonye Nancy
颖杰（化名）与乐琴（化名）就是一对全职服事的夫妻。他们都是85后，读神学时相识。虽然还没有按立为牧师，但是他们已经在教会全职事奉了十多年。丈夫颖杰现在主要负责主日讲道、门训以及教会管理的工作。妻子乐琴不但参与讲道、唱诗、司琴、探访等服事，同时也负责教会司琴敬拜小组的培训工作。
乐琴向一中国网络基督教报纸基督时报 讲述了自己信仰的故事。
乐琴3岁的时候父亲去世，10岁的时候跟着妈妈去教会，感受到了从未感受过的爱，此后就没有离开过主。甚至在她还不知道“宣教士”是什么的时候，她就跟大家说自己的梦想是做一名宣教士。因为在年幼的乐琴姊妹心里，宣教士就是服事上帝的，她确定自己的一生就是要服事上帝。（==当summary）
母亲也立志要把她献给主，乐琴姊妹高中毕业后就直接去读了神学。读神学之后乐琴姊妹认识了与她同龄但比她先去读神学的颖杰弟兄，两个人毕业后原本在不同的教会服事，后来在牧者的建议下与丈夫一起搭配服事。
乐琴姊妹表示与丈夫结婚也完全没有考虑经济因素。但在灵里乐琴姊妹却一直不满足，在牧会的时候清楚地认识到作为传道人一定要不断学习，她知道只有自身成长，自己被上帝的话语治愈才能去牧养建造别人。因此，多年来，在牧会的同时，她和颖杰弟兄养成了持续读书学习的好习惯。如今，颖杰弟兄也已经获得硕士学位，并在教义问题、门徒培训和教会管理上都积累了很多经验。
乐琴姊妹通过反思自己和一部分信徒的生活发现，很多人虽然信主了，但罪的思维习惯并没有改变。她明白根本原因是很多信徒不能用话语去解释和应对自己的生活，上帝的道与信徒的生活是严重脱节的。
因此，她坚持鼓励大家灵修。她说，“在灵修的时候，人可以面对自己的内心，面对自己的罪。而通过灵修、祷告，人的心可以重新被建造。遇到事情的时候能够学会用圣经价值观抵挡世界的价值观。”
在服事中，乐琴姊妹不断挑战让信徒读经、背经等，刚开始遭到一些信徒的抵触和不理解。因为很多信徒的习惯是来聚会就唱唱赞美诗，听听分享，有问题找传道人祷告一下就结束了。他们觉得以前的传道人也没有这么多要求。
在牧者和丈夫的鼓励下，想要退缩的她还是坚持了下来。如今，她看到很多信徒在操练灵修之后生命有很大的长进，并且有一些人已经站起来参与事奉。
乐琴姊妹从最开始牧养年轻人到牧养中老年信徒，从单身事奉到组成家庭之后事奉，包括这个过程中养育两个孩子。乐琴说，能够面对这些挑战的基础是自身属灵生命的的成长。
作为师母，其实非常不容易。照顾家庭的同时还要兼顾教会，师母难免会有情绪、委屈、疲惫等。而这些问题往往会因为生命的成长而自然地化解。
师母生命的成长有利于夫妻关系的和谐，继而有利于牧师或者传道人丈夫的服事。乐琴姊妹强调尤其是带职侍奉或全职工作的师母，一定不能忽略与上帝建立关系。
与此同时，乐琴姊妹还认为服事有利于师母自身属灵生命的成长。她建议师母们多参与教会服事，“即便不能讲道，也可以唱诗，如果不能唱诗，可以探访或祷告。尤其是在牧师（或传道人）丈夫工作很多、很忙的时候，作为与丈夫一体的妻子，更应该以祷告支持丈夫的服事，以祷告来服事会众。”乐琴姊妹相信，为别人和教会祷告的时候，自己也会得到力量，做主的工，自己会得到安慰。
“如果只是照顾孩子和家庭，妻子容易被束缚，也会容易期待丈夫的关注，陷在感情里。”乐琴姊妹补充道。在乐琴姊妹看来，通过工作来支持家庭的经济也是一种服事。
牧者不仅仅是要建造主的教会，也要建造自己的家庭，家庭的建造非常重要。很多传道人因为有做不完的事工，常常会忽略自己的家庭。乐琴姊妹坦言，“在服事初期，我们也犯过这样的错误。两个人都把心思放在牧养教会上，导致大孩子的学习成绩一度低迷，到了老师要约谈家长的程度。”那之后，她就跟丈夫商量两个人服事尽量错开时间，轮流陪伴孩子。她表示不想看到“父亲是传道，儿子变强盗”，在他们的精心努力之下，现在两个孩子身心都很健康。
85后师母：传道人妻子要看重自身属灵生命的成长
Yingjie (pseudonym) and Leqin (pseudonym) are a couple in full-time ministry. They were both born after 1985 and met each other while studying theology. Although they are not yet ordained as pastors, they have been in full-time ministry at the church for over a decade. The husband, Yingjie, is now in charge of Sunday sermons, discipleship, and church administration. His wife, Leqin, is not only involved in preaching, singing, playing the piano, and visitation but is also responsible for the training of the church pianist and worship team.
Leqin told the Christian Times, an online Christian newspaper in China, her faith story.
Her mother was also determined to dedicate her to the Lord, and after graduating from high school, she went directly to study theology. After graduation, she met Brother Yingjie, who was the same age as her but had gone to theology school before her. After graduation, they served in different churches. Later on, the pastor suggested they serve together.
Sister Leqin said when she married her husband, she did not consider their financial status. However, spiritually, she has never been satisfied. During her time in the pastorate, she clearly realized that as a pastor, she must keep learning, knowing that only when she grows and is healed by God's Word can she shepherd and build up others. Therefore, over the years, while pastoring, she and Brother Yingjie have developed a good habit of reading and studying continuously. Today, Brother Yingjie has also obtained a master's degree and has gained much experience in doctrinal issues, discipleship training, and church administration.
Through reflecting on her own life and the lives of some of the believers, Sister Leqin found that many people had not changed their sinful thinking habits despite their conversion. She understood that the root cause was that many believers could not use the Word to explain and relate to their everyday lives and that there was a serious disconnection between God's Word and the lives of believers.
Therefore, she insisted on encouraging people to engage in spiritual practice. She said, "During spiritual practice, people can face their hearts and their sins, and through spiritual practice and prayer, the heart can be built up again. People can learn to resist the values of the world with biblical values when things come up."
In her ministry, Sister Leqin constantly challenged believers to read and memorize the scriptures, etc. This was met with resistance and a lack of understanding from some believers at first. This was because many believers were used to coming to meetings and singing hymns, listening to the sermon, asking the pastor for prayer if they had any questions, and then calling it a day. They felt that the previous pastors had not demanded so much.
With the encouragement of her pastor and her husband, she persevered, even though she wanted to back out. Today, she has seen many believers grow in their lives after practicing the spiritual disciplines, and some have risen to participate in the ministry.
She has gone from pastoring young people to middle-aged and older believers, from serving as a single person to serving as a family woman, including raising two children in the process. The foundation of her ability to face these challenges, says Leqin, is her spiritual growth.
Being a pastor's wife is actually very difficult. With a family to take care of and a church to attend, it is inevitable that a pastor's wife will have emotions, grievances, and exhaustion. These problems tend to be resolved naturally through growth in life.
The growth of a pastor's wife's life is beneficial to a harmonious relationship with her husband, which in turn is beneficial to the ministry of the pastor or evangelist husband. Sister Leqin stressed that relationships with God should not be neglected, especially for pastors' wives who serve or work full-time.
At the same time, she also believes that ministry is beneficial to the spiritual growth of the pastor's wives themselves. "Even if you cannot preach, you can sing; and if you cannot sing, you can visit people or pray. Especially when the pastor's (or evangelist's) husband is working a lot and is very busy, as a wife who is one with her husband, she should support her husband's ministry with prayer and minister to the congregation with prayer." Sister Leqin believes that when she prays for others and the church, she will also be empowered and find comfort in doing the Lord's work.
"If a wife is just taking care of the children and the family, she will be easily tied down, expect her husband's attention, and get caught up in their feelings," she added. Supporting the family financially by working is also a form of service.
Pastors are not only to build up the Lord's church but also their own families, and family building is very important. Many evangelists often neglect their families because they are so preoccupied with the ministry. Sister Leqin confessed, "We made the same mistake in the early days of our ministry. Both of us were so preoccupied with pastoring the church that the academic performance of our eldest child declined as a whole, to the extent that the teacher had to interview us." After that, she discussed with her husband that both of them should try to create flexible work hours and take turns with the children. She said, "I don't want to see a father preaching and sons becoming robbers." Thanks to their careful efforts, both children are now physically and mentally healthy.
- Translated by Nonye Nancy
Pastor's Wife: We Should Prioritize Our Spiritual Growth, Too
