Sharing the calling
May 25, 2013
Many pastors have adopted the tendency of allowing their wives become pastors, but the question remains, is it possible for couples to share a calling? Can God call both husband and wife to be apostles or pastors?
Sunday Vision
A growing number of couples are sharing the pulpit. Norah Mutesi finds out what is behind this trend
Many pastors have adopted the tendency of allowing their wives become pastors, but the question remains, is it possible for couples to share a calling? Can God call both husband and wife to be apostles or pastors? Is it genuine or are they simply protecting their property?
The Senfumas
Steven Senfuma is the senior pastor of United Christian Centre, Kasubi and his wife Favor Senfuma was recently ordained a pastor.
Senfuma says it is okay for couples to share a calling, adding that the best person to work with in ministry is your wife because she understands who you are and vice-versa.
“If in the physical, couples have things they share, and they get to resemble as though they are related by blood, what about in the spirit? It is very easy for couples to share a calling,’’ says Senfuma.
He says his wife was not originally a pastor, but after they were married for some years, God called her into ministry of preaching in church, and in 2012, she was ordained a pastor.
“It is not bad for me to share a calling with my wife, because she really helps me a lot in both the physical and spiritual aspects,’’ Senfuma adds.
The Bunjos
Apostle John Bunjo of Restoration Ministries is married to Sarah Bunjo, who is also an apostle in the same ministry. The couple has been married for over twenty years, and have worked together for over 15 years.
Bunjo says he got into ministry earlier than his wife. In 2001, the Lord spoke to them through their pastor friend David. David told Sarah that the lord wanted her to get into ministry.
Sarah says the calling was not good news to her because all she wanted was her business empire to flourish. “It was not easy for me to take the news because I still wanted to make money from my business, but I soon got used to the idea and am now a full time minister,” she says.
Sarah says she specifically works with married women. Her ministry is called Women of Abigail. “My ministry is to help women balance their marriages and ministry,” she says.
The Bunjos are both apostles, though they do different ministries.
The Mitalas
Apostle Alex Mitala, the former leader of the National Organisation of Pentecostal Churches in Uganda, says God can call both husband and wife to serve as pastors or as preachers of the word.
He, however, says that not every pastor’s wife is called to serve as a pastor. God can call her into some other ministry, but when people see her preaching, they think she is also a pastor, yet she is only a preacher.
He says his wife, Catherine Mitala, is a preacher of the word, but not a pastor. Though she studied theology in a bible school, he cannot call her pastor because she is not.
“My wife’s ministry is called Women of Significance, and that is what God called her to do,” Mitala says.
The verdict
Apostle Joshua Lwere of Grace Assembly church, the current leader of the National Organisation of Pentecostal Churches in Uganda, says every pastor or minister actually needs to have his wife in that same ministry.
“You cannot do ministry alone and leave out your wife. That’s impossible because you will need her to sustain you in prayer, but also at one point, you will want her to help you find the scriptures to preach in church. We really need them in ministry,” he says.
“Pastoring is a ministry on its own as mentioned in the fivefold ministries in Ephesians 4:11: ... it was He who chose us to be apostles, others prophets, evangelists, teachers and some to be pastors.” Apostle Alex Mitala