SERVING GOD: MARRIED TO THE MINISTRY

Nancy Gillard, left, and her husband, Grant Gillard, are pastors of different churches. She is pastor of Lutesville Presbyterian Church in Marble Hill and he is pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson.

Editor's note: This is the first in a four-part series profiling area pastors in various aspects of ministry.

Two area clergy couples have learned how to divide their workload both on the job and at home. But the task has been a challenge.

Philip and Stephanie Curran serve as pastor and associate pastor, respectively, at First Christian Church. They moved to Cape Girardeau in 1996.

Nancy and Grant Gillard serve two different Presbyterian congregations but share the joint tasks of ministry and family.

Nancy serves at Lutesville Presbyterian Church in Marble Hill while Grant is pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson. The couple served together as associate pastors in a Presbyterian church in Delaware before moving to Missouri four years ago.

Work and home life are so intertwined and demanding for many clergy couples that the two seldom seem separated. Surveys report that pastors often feel unable to fully meet the demands of their job because they are pulled in so many directions.

But couples serving together have a unique twist to their work. The line between home and work is often blurred. Phones ring at night with parishioners on the other end of the line awaiting comfort for their crisis. Committee meetings, visitation and sermon preparation all demand a pastor's time.

But it's really part of the job, Grant Gillard said. "I always made it clear that people can call me at home," he said. "I want to be highly visible." Occasionally working at home also lets him spend time with his three children who are 8, 6 and 3 years old.

When a crisis hits someone in the congregation, "you want to be there," Nancy said, regardless of what time of day it happens.

And having a spouse who is a minister just means someone is empathetic to your situation, she said. "Being married to a minister just enhances the call to serve. It's easier being a minister with a partner who's sympathetic. He listens to me complain and understands why I'm complaining."

Many times, Grant offers advice and support for Nancy's dilemmas. The two share ideas, borrow sermons and offer suggestions when problems arise.

"It's not unusual for one of us to be finding the kids' shoes or getting ready on Sunday morning and asking 'What are you going to use for a children's sermon? I don't know, what are you going to use?" she said.

Ever since the Gillards married 11 years ago, they have been devoted to ministering together, regardless of whether they served in the same church.

"It's always been that we are in the ministry together, even if we serve different churches," Nancy said.

The family worships together every Sunday. Nancy's church service ends by 9:30 a.m., so she can attend a 10 a.m. service at First Presbyterian in Jackson.

Nancy said ministry couples usually are asked two questions: Where do you worship and what do you do with the children?

"When we moved, it was very important that our family worship together," Nancy said. "I'm part of Grant Gillard's family and First Presbyterian is where his family worships. Being at Lutesville, I serve another congregation, but I serve on church committees and try to be a pastor's wife."

One of the greatest challenges for clergy couples is devoting time to family, Stephanie Curran said.

"One of the challenges for clergy couples is to make sure that their children get the care and attention they need," she said.

But the Curran's son, John, 3, doesn't seem to be lacking any attention, his father says. "Sometimes we'll come to a fellowship dinner and won't see him again until we're ready to leave. This is a great congregation," Stephanie said.

Fridays are family days in the Curran household. No one goes to the office, and John doesn't attend preschool. It's a time to be together, Philip said. "But we are still keenly aware of the congregation's needs."

Being part of the congregation was important for Nancy Gillard. She attends Bible studies and activities at First Presbyterian Church.

"I'm a member of the Ladies Bible Circle and I need that spiritual input," she said. "There are a lot of folks who know a lot more about the Bible than I do and I will never know the Lord in ways they do.

"I realize that God calls people equally and I do a particular job in one particular spot and I'm happy to serve," she said.

Like any job, maintaining a balance is difficult. But trying to split your role is even more challenging.

Yet, it's a skill Stephanie Curran has had some practice with. On two separate occasions, she split her role as pastor between two churches in Central Illinois. For 15 months she served two congregations in separate communities, then moved to two other churches nearby and served there for three years.

"When I served separate churches, the time devoted to church was an issue," she said. Because Stephanie was the only pastor serving the congregations, she had to attend every committee meeting in both communities. Philip also had duties at his church, about 45 minutes from where Stephanie served.

Yet even now, the Currans aren't always able to spend a majority of the workday together.

"You would think that we could conserve because of our job, but we drive separate cars and she takes off in one direction and I'm in another," Philip said.

As associate pastor, Stephanie handles education programming and fellowship activities. She also teaches a religion course at the university. Philip handles a majority of the pastoral care and outreach ministries for the congregation.

"I can't honestly say there are problems because we have a division of labor," Philip said. "We each have gifts and skills that complement one another."

Clergy couples often face difficult decisions when relocating. Both times the Currans moved, the question was whose resume and relocation forms to send out first, Stephanie said.

"We put out Phil's first and then waited to see what was available nearby for me. One is always on standby."

But things worked out extremely well because God was involved in the process, Philip added.

The Gillards sent their resumes out together when looking for a church. "We wanted to work together," Grant said. "We are very different but complement each other's skills."

Ideally, they would work as a team and what skills Grant was lacking, then Nancy would fill in, the couple said.

Yet relocating as ministers can cause some anxiety. "It's not like you can get a promotion within the company or move to a different business in the same town," Stephanie Curran said. "You have to consider it as a couple."