There is something deeply precious about the role of a pastor’s wife. So much of her strength is quiet, woven into the life of the local church in ways that may never be fully seen, yet are deeply felt.
She walks alongside her husband through the joys and complexities of ministry while also being a mother, grandmother, ministry leader, professional, student, friend, and a woman with a calling of her own before the Lord. Much of what she carries is unseen, and most are not looking for recognition. They simply keep showing up; loving people, serving their churches, caring for their families, and trusting God with what He has placed in their hands.
The 2026 BCMD Pastors’ Wives Retreat was created as a sacred pause for her.
For three days, these women were invited to set responsibility down and simply receive. Meals were prepared for them. Gifts awaited them throughout the weekend. Schedules, details, and logistics had already been cared for. Nothing needed to be organized, hosted, prepared, or managed. They could simply come as they were; to rest, worship, laugh, pray, sleep, linger around tables, and enjoy one another.
Our speaker, Linda Lotich, co-founder of SeedTime.com, came with a tender heart for these women. She did not simply speak to them; she poured into them. Through her own story and her teaching, Linda continually pointed them back to Jesus, reminding them that rest is not neglecting the work God has given them, but trusting the One who ultimately carries it. Her invitation throughout the weekend was not simply to endure ministry more faithfully, but to draw nearer to the One from whom all faithful ministry flows. Again and again, the women were invited to come close to the Lord.
Psalm 63:1 gave language to a soul that longs and thirsts for God. Psalm 22:3 reminded them of a life shaped by praise. In Matt. 14:23, they saw Jesus Himself withdraw to be alone with the Father. Col. 3:16 called them back to the Word dwelling richly within them, while 1 Thes. 5:17 invited them into a life of continual prayer. And beneath it all was the assurance of 1 Jn. 4:16: to know and believe the love God has for them.
That truth mattered deeply. The weekend was never about helping women become “better pastors’ wives.” It was about reminding them who they are before any role or title is attached to their names. Their deepest identity is not found in the ministry they support, the church they serve, or even in standing beside their husbands. They belong to Jesus.
Matt. 5:6 offered another tender question: Are you still hungry? What are your souls longing for? Are you still hungry and thirsty for righteousness? Are you longing to know Christ more deeply, to see His ways take greater hold in your life, and to become more like Him? For women who spend so much of themselves caring for others, the question made room to notice where hunger for God may have quietly been crowded by duty, fatigue, responsibility, or the relentless pace of ministry. It became an invitation to ask the Lord for fresh hunger for Himself.
One of the most powerful moments of the weekend came as Linda spoke about offense and forgiveness. Pastors’ wives know the beauty of the Church, but they can also know its wounds. They may experience criticism, rejection, betrayal, misunderstanding, scrutiny, and hurt while continuing to love and serve the very people among whom those wounds occurred. Linda gently challenged the women to consider what unresolved offense can do within the heart. The invitation was not to minimize what had happened or pretend the wounds were insignificant. It was to bring them honestly before the Lord and choose the way of Christ, refusing to allow bitterness, offense, or unforgiveness to take root.
There was a tenderness in the room that evening. Women were given space before the Lord, and within the safety of one another, to consider what they had been carrying. Some things could finally be named. Some could be released. There was room for forgiveness, healing, restoration, and freedom.
And then there were the quieter graces.
Women exchanged journals and filled one another’s pages with Scripture, prayers, and words of encouragement; pastor’s wife to pastor’s wife. Shoes came off. Women stretched across the floor. There was worship and laughter, honest conversations, tears shed, long hugs, and silence, long meals around tables, and fellowship that required no performance. Some women arrived alone and left with new friendships; with women who understood something of the particular joys and burdens they carry.
For a few days, the women who so often make space for everyone else had space lovingly made for them. They were celebrated, cared for, and reminded that they are seen. They were reminded that they are not alone.
And perhaps most importantly, they were reminded that they do not have to manufacture the strength required for everything God has called them to do. They were invited to return to the One who sustains them; to be rested, rooted, and renewed in the Lord. And from that place, to keep walking faithfully with Him.
