Converge church planting leaders Lee Stephenson and Danny Parmelee discuss the important role a church planter’s spouse plays when starting a church.

0:55 Lee says sometimes unrealistic expectations are placed on church planters’ wives.

2:10 Danny talks about the broad spectrum of roles church planters’ wives play — from co-pastor to behind the scenes.

2:55 Lee discusses to his wife’s experience with church planting growing up — her dad was a pastor who planted two churches.

5:05 Danny shares that his wife had a career when they started their church so she wasn’t able to be involved as much as she wanted to be.

7:10 Danny says how his wife’s role in the church changed over time.

8:45 Danny and Lee talk about whether their wife is more extroverted or introverted and how that affected their role in the church plant.

10:35 Lee says his wife felt called to fill two roles in their first church plant: serving in the nursery and ministering to the staff wives.

12:30 Danny and Lee talk about how important their wife’s support at home has been to their ministry.

14:40 Danny gives advice to pastors who feel like they are being called to plant a church but their wife doesn’t want to.

16:00 Lee says their wives will join them for part two of this conversation on a future podcast.