Pastor's Kids

[Sherri]

I am copying this from something I wrote on the tattoo thread - I thought it would make a good discussion starter on what is expected of the pastor's kids.

I think it was Rev. Randy who said that if Pastor's kids got tattoos (or whatever) and it was accepted, others would start to also. Well, my kids are NO DIFFERENT than anyone else's kids in church and they should not be made to feel like examples. That's one thing that drove my daughter away from church for a couple of years when she was about 17. She was so tired of being everyone's example, even though we never consciously tried to make her into that. No more should be expected of Pastor's kids than anyone else's, in my opinion. They did not choose the life of ministry; we did.

When my son came along six years later, we went overboard to let him know that he is the same as everyone else and no more is expected of him. He has never strayed from God and has a much healthier view of ministry at 18 than she did. At the church we pastor now in Jackson, probably half of the congregation or more do not even know that he is our son, and he is FINE with that.

[tamor]

[chseeads]

Pastor's kids are of the devil.

[Sherri]

Originally Posted by chseeads

Pastor's kids are of the devil.

Oooh, I reverse that curse!

[chseeads]

[Sister Alvear]

My poor kids sometimes have been picked apart...but somehow we get them taped back up!

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Sherri

I am copying this from something I wrote on the tattoo thread - I thought it would make a good discussion starter on what is expected of the pastor's kids.

I think it was Rev. Randy who said that if Pastor's kids got tattoos (or whatever) and it was accepted, others would start to also. Well, my kids are NO DIFFERENT than anyone else's kids in church and they should not be made to feel like examples. That's one thing that drove my daughter away from church for a couple of years when she was about 17. She was so tired of being everyone's example, even though we never consciously tried to make her into that. No more should be expected of Pastor's kids than anyone else's, in my opinion. They did not choose the life of ministry; we did.

When my son came along six years later, we went overboard to let him know that he is the same as everyone else and no more is expected of him. He has never strayed from God and has a much healthier view of ministry at 18 than she did. At the church we pastor now in Jackson, probably half of the congregation or more do not even know that he is our son, and he is FINE with that.

Here is the usual problem. A PK does something, does not get the same sort of reprimand or "sitting" down that non PK kids get. Other kids then feel if they can do it and it's ok then so can we.

Perhaps then it's not necessarily the kids themselves but the pastors that let them slide.

Then the problem with saying they are the same with everyone else is the PKs then just want to be like the others, but if the others are carnal....well there you go. What would be ideal is for all PKs and non PKs to all strive to be examples to each other and to the unbelievers

[Felicity]

We never put a lot of pressure on our kids because they were the "pastor's kids" but we did remind them from time to time that there was some responsibility that came with that. There was also some privilege and we reminded them of that occasionally.

They recognize that they had opportunity to go places and experience things that most kids in the congregation certainly never did. They don't harbour any resentment or have "issues" about growing up in a pastor's home as far as I know.

[Rachel]

Good post Felicity.


A PK does something, does not get the same sort of reprimand or "sitting" down that non PK kids get.

You're right. It's usually worse for the PK ..

[MrsMcD]

My dad always told the congregation that his kids were just as normal as everyone else. He also told them that his kids were not examples. I think that kept a lot of pressure off of us.