Ministry Wives podcast host offers tips she says she wishes she’d had

ALPHARETTA, Ga.—Christine Hoover said when she embarked on her ministry as a pastor’s wife that she “was so young and didn’t know what I was doing at all.”

“I definitely had examples, but I desired a lot more help — for people who had been there to say, ‘Here’s what I’ve learned along the way, the mistakes I’ve made,’ and offer some tips and tools,” she said.

That’s what Hoover hopes to do with her new North American Mission Board (NAMB) podcast, “Ministry Wives,” which starts Aug. 15.

“In each episode, you’ll hear from incredible guests who voice the issues and questions we all face in ministry, who give insight, tools and hope regarding those issues, and who remind us of the joys of serving the Lord in ministry,” she said.

The inspiration for the podcast comes from Hoover’s own experiences as she has served alongside her husband, Kyle, for the past 20-plus years in parachurch ministry, at a large multi-staff church and in church planting. The couple has raised their three sons at Charlottesville Community Church, the church they planted in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2008.

“I like sharing what I’ve learned and hearing what others have learned in their context,” Hoover said. “We’re dealing with similar issues no matter where we are.”

Just as ministry isn’t new to her, neither is podcasting or encouraging ministry wives. For nearly five years, Hoover hosted a podcast called “By Faith,” the last season of which focused on issues facing pastors’ wives.

She’s also written two books on the topic — “The Church Planting Wife: Help and Hope for Her Heart” and “How to Thrive as a Pastor’s Wife.”

In the first season, Hoover will sit down with different guests who give insight, advice and personal stories from their ministry experiences. The 16-episode season will run for the rest of 2022 and cover topics such as anxiety, deciding which needs to meet and which to let go, serving different demographics and reaching military communities.

Trevin Wax, vice president of research and resource development for NAMB, said Hoover “has become one of the leading voices speaking truth into the families of church planters and pastors.”

“She brings a depth of experience and a knowledge of God’s Word to the issues of the day and seeks to encourage and equip women for ministry at home and in the church,” he said.

Hoover said her hope is that women serving in different capacities — not just pastors’ wives — will find that the podcast resonates with them.

“This podcast is for any woman serving in ministry,” she said.

To learn more or listen to the podcast, visit MinistryWivesPodcast.com.