Author Shannon Taylor Vannatter: The View from the 2nd Pew

Today's guest is Heartsong Presents author (and pastor's wife) Shannon Taylor Vannatter. Make sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of her latest novel!

I married a man. A wonderful, loving, Godly man. Seventeen years in, he morphed into a preacher on me. Yes, I’ve been in church consistently since the age of twelve. Yes, I accepted Christ at fifteen. Yes, I had that deer in the headlights look when he told me he’d answered the call to preach.

Me? A preacher’s wife? I wasn’t qualified. My thoughts and deeds weren’t holy and pure enough. My actions weren’t selfless enough. I couldn’t play the piano and had no desire to teach a Sunday school class. I didn’t have a pedestal to stand on. I watched soap operas.

I searched the scriptures. There were no verses giving guidelines for a preacher’s wife. I knew that before I searched, but I checked just to make sure. There were guidelines for the preacher, the deacons, even the deacons’ wives, but nothing specifically for the preacher’s wife.

So what did I do? I quit watching soap operas and supported my husband. I baked a horrible cake and had a nice reception after his ordination. The cake was horrible because I used my aunt’s recipe for carrot cake from scratch, which I’d never attempted before. It said to use self-rising flour and I didn’t know all purpose was any different. Let’s just say I don’t cook many things from scratch, another reason I wasn’t a good candidate for a preacher’s wife.

For the last ten years, I’ve fumbled my way through three churches as the pastor’s wife and God’s taught me a few things along the way.

1. Support my pastor.
Even when I think he’s wrong. If I think he is, I tell him about it at home. If he still thinks he’s right, I support him. In my experience, he’s been right even when I didn’t think he was.

2. Keep my mouth shut.
When there are issues going on in the church, I stay out of it. I remain neutral and try to pretend I’m clueless that anything is even going on. When I get really frustrated, I sneak in the bathroom and make faces in the mirror. Really.

3. Do not take sides.
If we have a touchy issue to vote on, I don’t vote. If I did, no matter which way I voted, some would be frustrated and always remember the preacher’s wife voted against them while others would think, at least the pastor’s wife was on our side. I tell my husband—the moderator who only votes in the case of a tie—what I think before the meeting and leave it at that.

4. Do not complain about one church member to another church member.
No matter how great a friend my confidant is. No matter how long I’ve known them. No matter how trustworthy they are. Even if they never tell anyone what I said, I’ve failed myself and them by insulting another brother or sister.

5. Dress modestly.
On this one, I break the rules a bit. I definitely dress modestly, but push the envelope on appropriately. I love to dress up. I love sparkles, spangles, lace, ruffles, rhinestones, and sequins. And yes, I wear all of this to church. I always thought if I had the money and somewhere to go, I’d dress like a modest Dolly Parton.

I shop consignment stores, clearance racks, and Goodwill and consistently ask my shopping buddies, “Does this look like a preacher’s wife?” They clear their throat and I buy it anyway. I wear my stunning finds to church because that’s the only place I have to go. On occasion, my husband asks me if I think I’m bright and flashy enough. I’ll admit to being the brightest, flashiest preacher’s wife in our small town. But I’ve got to be me. Which brings me to number six.

6. Be myself.
If I’d started out trying to be something I’m not, trying to act as if I only have holy and pure thoughts and dress down, I’d crack under the pressure. I’m only human and though congregations tend to put the pastor and his family up on a pedestal, we’re just people.

7. Be there.
Every time the doors are open. Even when I’m tired, stressed, or have a horrible headache, I’m there with a smile on my face. Sometimes forced.

8. Love the people.
This part was easy—at first. But after a few people disappointed me, turned on my husband, or left the church over trivial things, I became gun shy. It hurt and made me want to avoid getting close to anyone again. What if they get mad over nothing, leave, or decide they hate my husband? What if we leave? But, I had to shake the fear and love the people, no matter what happened. Whether they stay for a season or for life, I love them as long as they’re part of whatever church family I’m in.

9. Love the pastor.
Most important rule. Don’t know why I saved it for last. The thing my husband needs most from me is love. I listen when he’s down, pray with him when things are good or bad, hug him when he needs it. And even though he’s my pastor, he’s my husband first. Churches and congregations come and go, but he’s my partner until death do us part. And I plan to have many more happy years down the road.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shannon Taylor Vannatter married her high school sweetheart. Since then her husband answered the call to preach and they became first-time parents 16 ½ years into their marriage. She is a stay-at-home mom/pastor’s wife.

White Roses, White Doves, and White Pearls is her first series with Heartsong Presents. All three books are set in Romance and Rose Bud, Arkansas. Brides and lovebirds take advantage of the re-mailing program to have wedding invitations and Valentines cards mailed from Romance with a unique postmark. Romance also hosts several annual weddings with Valentine’s Day the most popular date.

The 18th Annual Heartsong Awards named her #3 Favorite New Author, White Roses as #1 Contemporary Novel and #2 Favorite Contemporary Cover, and White Doves as #8 Contemporary Novel and #1 Favorite Contemporary Cover. She is currently working on a Texas rodeo series contracted with Heartsong Presents.

Learn more about Shannon and her books at http://shannonvannatter.com/. She’s active on Facebook: facebook.com/shannontaylorvannatter and Twitter: @stvauthor.

ABOUT THE BOOK - White Pearls
Shell doesn’t have a good reputation…

But no matter what everyone in Rose Bud, Arkansas, thinks of her, she’s back in town with a job to do. She’ll stick it out and make the best of things. But why does Ryler have to be the landscaper on this project? She was just getting her heart under control.

Ryler has his own reasons for being in Rose Bud, and they don’t include Shell. Spying on his birth family was going to be hard enough. He doesn’t have time to worry about a woman who dumped him…even if his heart says otherwise.

But God’s love can change even the hardest heart. In the light of His presence, even the darkest past can be overcome. They may not know it, but the people of Rose Bud are about the change!


WIN THE BOOK
If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of White Pearls, just leave a comment on this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on Tuesday, May 17th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!