Friday, November 13, 2009

An article in the NYTimes says that women are likely to be divorced after they are diagnosed with cancer. Husbands disappear. Wives tend to stick with their sick husbands.

Are female clergy more likely to stay with sick churches than male clergy?

4 comments:

Magdalene6127 said...

I have also read that the divorce rate for women after they have gone to seminary is astronomical.

My husband left me after I graduated seminary. Turns out I'm a lesbian, so it's all good. But still... it sucked at the time.

I wonder with you about that last question. Really good one.

Jennifer said...

I wonder, too. I think too many people stick with sick congregations for the wrong reasons.

Unknown said...

My husband left during seminary, too, and right after I was hospitalized for postpartum depression. The reverse would have been unimaginable.
I think you're onto something here.

Jane said...

When a particularly poisonous personality in the parish I was serving wrote a vicious note to me on Easter Saturday and copied the treasurer and elders I decided to go ... but the terms of engagement are such that I was exactly 5 days to late to leave that year and so stayed for an extra 15 months. 4 weeks after receiving his letter I got my second attack of MS ... the attack that meant I really do have teh illness.
So far I am fortunate my husband has stuck by me. He's great. But i'm just lucky.
I know many cases like the one you outline ...