A new video and audio teaching series produced by The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary aims at equipping the wives of ministers.
The series, entitled “Christian Essentials: For Ministry Wives,” is based on the curriculum used in Southern’s Seminary Wives Institute (SWI). SWI offers classes for the wives of students in areas ranging from theology and church history to public speaking and hospitality.
The video series is packaged in three volumes and covers topics such as the responsibilities of a minister’s wife, essentials for marriage and family and the basics of Baptist doctrine. Available along with the audio and video set are study guides for each volume.
“It is our sincere hope that this series will serve to educate and equip wives who are already on the field but did not have an opportunity to receive training targeted to them,” said Mary Mohler, wife of Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. and director of SWI.
“This is the next best thing to being on our campus to take Seminary Wives Institute classes in person. We hope that as a result of these courses, women will be excited about the unique calling they have been given and will look at it in a refreshed and energized way.”
Instructors include seminary faculty and former seminary faculty along with faculty wives. Among them: R. Albert Mohler, Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources.
“The men who teach in this series are seasoned theologians who have the ability to teach doctrine in a winsome way on an undergraduate level,” Mohler said. “The faculty wives truly teach from their hearts through their wealth of real life experiences. Each one has a different style and personality, of course, but there is a common thread of passion for the Lord and for the training of women called to be ministry wives. This is truly a Titus 2 ministry.”
The teaching is aimed specifically at ministry wives, but all women would find it helpful, Mohler said, adding that women may want to facilitate courses in local churches using the video series.
Two major donors that drove the production of the Christian Essentials course and provided leadership during production were Mr. and Mrs. Harry Nurse. Harry Nurse is a Louisville businessman, Southern alumnus and a member of Southern Seminary’s Foundation Board.
“Their generous gifts of funding and time cannot be overestimated,” Mohler said.
Mohler emphasized the importance of ministry wives sharing their husbands’ callings and receiving appropriate training.
“We believe that God calls ministry couples as a team. Just as the husband often invests years in training and education, it is important for the wife to receive training that is specific to the role she is called to fill,” she said.
“This series seeks to encourage women while at the same time admonish them to be the best they can be for the sake of the Kingdom.”
To order “Christian Essentials” materials, visit www.ChristianEssentials.com or call 1-888-992-8277.