Faith, Ministry, and Marriage: Examining the Relationship between Church Commitment and Marital Resilience among Pastors' Spouses

Church commitment is widely regarded as a source of spiritual support that strengthens family relationships and promotes marital well-being. However, pastors' spouses often experience unique ministry-related responsibilities that may influence how church commitment relates to marital resilience. This study examined the relationship between church commitment and marital resilience among pastors' spouses serving in Pentecostal churches in Starehe Sub-County, Nairobi County, Kenya. A quantitative correlational research design was employed involving 87 pastors' spouses selected through multistage sampling. Data were collected using the Religious Commitment Inventory (RCI-10) and the Relational Resilience Inventory (RRI), both of which demonstrated excellent internal consistency. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize respondent characteristics and levels of the study variables, while Pearson correlation analysis examined the relationship between church commitment and marital resilience. The findings revealed that most respondents reported high levels of church commitment but generally low levels of marital resilience. Pearson correlation analysis indicated a statistically significant but weak negative relationship between church commitment and marital resilience (r = −0.235, p = .028). The findings suggest that although church commitment provides spiritual meaning and identity, the demands associated with ministry may simultaneously challenge marital resilience. The study recommends that Pentecostal churches strengthen pastoral family support through marital enrichment programmes, counselling services, and initiatives that promote healthy work–family balance to enhance the well-being of pastors' spouses.

Church commitment; Marital resilience; Pastoral families

1. Agadjanian, V., & Yabiku, S. T. (2020). Religion, family life, and marriage in sub-Saharan Africa: Contemporary perspectives. Journal of Family Issues, 41(9), 1456–1478. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Cochran, W. G. (1977). Sampling techniques (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2022). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). Sage Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Doolittle, B. R. (2021). Clergy stress, burnout, and family functioning: A review of current evidence. Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, 75(2), 85–94. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Ellison, C. G., & Flannelly, K. J. (2020). Religious involvement and psychological well-being: Implications for family relationships. Review of Religious Research, 62(3), 321–340. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Ellison, C. G., Burdette, A. M., & Wilcox, W. B. (2020). Religion, family life, and marital quality: Emerging perspectives. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 12(4), 421–438. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Family Systems Theory. (Referenced through Walsh, 2026). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Ferreira, T., Narciso, I., Novo, R., & Pereira, M. (2022). Religious coping, spirituality, and marital adjustment: A systematic review. Journal of Religion and Health, 61(3), 1965–1985. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Field, A. (2022). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (6th ed.). Sage Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Gyimah, S. O., Takyi, B. K., & Addai, I. (2019). Religion, marriage, and family life in Africa. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 50(2), 129–145. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Hill, P. C., & Pargament, K. I. (2023). Advances in the psychology of religion and spirituality: Religious commitment and well-being. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 15(1), 1–15. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Jackson, S., & Neal, A. (2020). Emotional well-being among clergy spouses: Challenges and coping strategies. Pastoral Psychology, 69(4), 455–471. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Kiprono, F., Wambua, P., & Mutiso, J. (2021). Ministry involvement and family life among Pentecostal pastors in Kenya. African Journal of Practical Theology, 5(2), 68–84. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Knobloch, L. K., Solomon, D. H., & Theiss, J. A. (2024). Religion, family communication, and relationship resilience. Journal of Family Communication, 24(1), 1–19. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Lee, H. (2022). Ministry demands and marital satisfaction among clergy families. Pastoral Psychology, 71(3), 341–357. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Mahoney, A. (2019). Religion in families, marriage, and parenting: Contemporary perspectives. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 11(3), 321–345. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Mahoney, A. (2020). Religion and marital functioning: Protective and risk pathways. Current Opinion in Psychology, 40, 88–93. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Mahoney, A. (2022). Religious commitment and family relationships: Recent developments in the psychology of religion. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 14(2), 155–165. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Murphy-Geiss, G. (2011). Hidden burdens: Gender roles among clergy spouses. Review of Religious Research, 53(2), 177–195. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Olson, D. H., Olson-Sigg, A., & Larson, P. J. (2020). Family resilience and marital strengths in contemporary relationships. Journal of Family Studies, 26(4), 503–518. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Olson, D. H., Olson-Sigg, A., & Larson, P. J. (2021). Religious commitment and marital stability: An examination of family resilience. Journal of Family Studies, 27(3), 345–360. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Park, C. L., & Slattery, J. M. (2021). Religion, meaning-making, and resilience during stressful life events. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 13(4), 438–447. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Prime, H., Wade, M., & Browne, D. T. (2020). Risk and resilience in family well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. American Psychologist, 75(5), 631–643. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Proeschold-Bell, R. J., Yang, C., Toth, M., Rivers, M. C., & Carder, K. (2020). Well-being among clergy and clergy spouses: The role of ministry demands and support. Journal of Religion and Health, 59(6), 2985–3003. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Proeschold-Bell, R. J., Toth, M., Yang, C., & Rivers, M. C. (2022). Ministry stress, emotional support, and well-being among clergy families. Pastoral Psychology, 71(5), 567–582. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Salehuddin, K., Abdullah, N., & Rahman, N. (2023). Marital resilience and couple adaptation in contemporary families: A systematic review. Journal of Family Studies, 29(4), 1552–1570. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2023). Research methods for business students (9th ed.). Pearson. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Sohail, M., Khan, R., & Ahmed, S. (2026). Ministry roles and family functioning among clergy spouses. Journal of Religion and Health. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Togarasei, L., & Chitando, E. (2020). Pentecostalism, family life, and urban Christianity in Africa. Exchange, 49(3), 233–250. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Walsh, F. (2016). Strengthening family resilience (3rd ed.). Guilford Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Walsh, F. (2022). Relational resilience and family adaptation in challenging contexts. Family Process, 61(4), 1458–1473. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Walsh, F. (2026). Family resilience: Emerging perspectives for contemporary practice (5th ed.). Guilford Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Worthington, E. L., Wade, N. G., Hight, T. L., Ripley, J. S., McCullough, M. E., Berry, J. W., Schmitt, M. M., Berry, J. T., Bursley, K. H., & O'Connor, L. (2003). The Religious Commitment Inventory–10: Development, refinement, and validation of a brief scale for research and counseling. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 50(1), 84–96. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Zhang, Y., & Liang, X. (2020). Educational attainment and marital quality: Evidence from contemporary family studies. Journal of Family Issues, 41(11), 2012–2031. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Ellison, C. G., Burdette, A. M., & Wilcox, W. B. (2020). Religion, family life, and marital quality: Emerging perspectives. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 12(4), 421–438. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Lee, H. (2022). Ministry demands and marital satisfaction among clergy families. Pastoral Psychology, 71(3), 341–357. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Mahoney, A. (2020). Religion and marital functioning: Protective and risk pathways. Current Opinion in Psychology, 40, 88–93. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Olson, D. H., Olson-Sigg, A., & Larson, P. J. (2021). Religious commitment and marital stability: An examination of family resilience. Journal of Family Studies, 27(3), 345–360. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Walsh, F. (2026). Family resilience: Emerging perspectives for contemporary practice (5th ed.). Guilford Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• A Comparative Study of Adjustment Level, Parental Income and Academic Achievement of Adolescent Girls
• Increase in STIs among Adolescents in Masvingo District
• A Correlation between SDG 4 (Quality Education) and Emotional Disposition of Teacher Educators in Hyderabad District
• Ear Piercing Behaviour and Self-Esteem among Male University Students in Nigeria
• A Study of Religiosity and Psychological Well-Being