Recently, a female Christian from South China shared her experience of being a pastor's wife and a working mother.
Liang Qionghua (pseudonym) has been married to her husband for a duration of five years and they have a four-year-old child. Liang is engaged in weekday employment, while her husband, a pastor, is occupied with his duties on weekends.
The following is an excerpt from an interview between Liang and the Christian Times, an online Christian newspaper in China.
Christian Times: Could you share your spiritual journey with us?
Liang Qionghua: I actually embraced the gospel during my initial job experience, as my employer was a Christian who frequently organized gatherings. Initially a nonbeliever, he later became a believer due to an accident. Witnessing the positive impact of his newfound faith, he encouraged his colleagues to join him in following the Lord.
During my early days of faith, my elder brother strongly opposed it. While I listened to hymns, he would play Buddhist songs in an attempt to dissuade me. Being from the Chaozhou and Shantou regions, where local customs involve idol worship, my parents and other relatives subjected me to severe persecution. However, I managed to bring my brother to a praise meeting, which deeply moved him, eventually leading him to become a believer. Given his influence within the family, when he shared the gospel with my mother, my parents also came to believe in Jesus.
Christian Times: How do you balance your roles as a pastor's wife and a full-time working mother?
Liang Qionghua: My husband is a pastor, and I am in the workplace, so my involvement in church ministries is limited.
Being the primary caregiver for our child, I often find it challenging to allocate sufficient time to spend with my husband. Unfortunately, he tends to be busiest when I have some downtime, and this is where our main difficulty lies. I eagerly anticipate occasions when I can rest and enjoy quality time with our child, venturing out together.
He visits believers from Monday to Friday, a time when I am occupied with work and cannot accompany him. Additionally, there may be female Christians in the church who require pastoral care, but it is not suitable for a male pastor to attend to their needs. I conclude my work at 6 o'clock in the evening, precisely when he needs to pick up our child. Hence, I hope to be able to leave my professional occupation and wholeheartedly devote myself to caring for our family, thereby enabling my husband to serve more effectively.
Christian Times: What kind of education concept do you have to raise your children?
Liang Qionghua: The bottom line for our family is that our children must receive a Christian education. We are committed to regularly reading the Bible and engaging in prayer with our children, ensuring their growth and development is accompanied by a sense of security.
We have reached an understanding to entrust other matters to God while prioritizing our child's Christian education. Whenever necessary, we impose discipline upon our child.
Christian Times: Is there any message you would like to convey to today's young working mothers?
Liang Qionghua: In prayer and waiting, young Christian mothers can build up the confidence to become helpers for their husbands and companions for their children. Being a pastor's wife is by no means an easy task, and only through the grace and strength bestowed upon us by Jesus Christ can we build beautiful families and make our lives blessed.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
