48 Case Studies 22: The Darker Side of the Ministry Mom

Photo: ©Dean Drobot via Canva.com

Mable has been the go-to person in her church, admired for her dedication to ministry and known for her willingness to serve. Whether counseling, teaching Bible studies, or leading events, Mable is always available and dependable. However, behind the scenes, her home life is far from the ideal picture that her public ministry portrays.

Life Over Coffee Devotions

• 31-Day Marriage Devotion
• 31-Day Parenting Devotion
• 31-Day Young Adult Devotion

Her husband is the stereotypical passive male, having long since disengaged from the marriage struggles, focusing solely on his role as the breadwinner. Their friends were stunned when they witnessed Mable yelling at Biff in the church hallway, revealing a side of her that contrasted starkly with her public persona.

Meanwhile, their teenagers, Biffy and Biffina, are openly rebellious. Though Mable kept them highly active in church activities during the younger years—excelling in Bible drills and looking like role models—their outward appearances masked a deeper dysfunction. Biff’s disengagement and Mable’s hypocrisy created a fractured home environment, which the children mirrored in attitudes and behaviors.

The family was shaken just before Biffina’s seventeenth birthday when they discovered she was pregnant. This revelation caused Mable’s carefully constructed world to crumble, forcing her to confront her family’s brokenness and the limits of her ministry-driven ambitions.

Case Study Questions

1. How would you counsel this family?
2. How would you re-envision the church about biblical priorities for the home?

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Rick Thomas

Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.

In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).