The Skewed Priorities of Some Modern Evangelists

[Charnock]

Over the years I've heard a lot of people snicker about Lee Stoneking's marital status. He has never married, and this bothers a lot of people. There seems to be an unwritten rule that modern evangelists need to have trophy wives.

However, I am connected to a boatload of evangelists, missionaries and pastors via Facebook, and through years of friendships, and have noticed a distrurbing trend. That trend involves the minister traveling without his wife for weeks and months at a time.

I cannot believe that is healthy. I do not believe doing the work of ministry supersedes, or precludes, the work of fatherhood and husbandry.

For emphasis:

This is Marty Ballestero's blog bio:

"I'm an Evangelist. I miss my beautiful wife every day I'm away from her. Even after preaching 934 revivals, 339 Conferences & 63 Camps... it doesn't get easier being apart. If she lives to be a 100, I want to live to be a 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without her."

I guess I don't get it. If you don't want to live a day without her either take her with you, or find a way to minister closer to home. Seems simple to me.

Also, I recently watched a sermon of GG preaching at an Ohio District camp in which he mentioned that he hated being away from his wife so much, but had to do so because of his call. That his son had a problem with him being away so much, and was backslidden, but he (GG) had to be out preaching the gospel.

I suppose I don't get it. In my mind there's nothing more important than family and God. Ministry is secondary to those things.