Leaders Begin Shaping Five-Year Plan to Support Pastoral Families

New roadmap emphasizes spiritual growth, healthy homes, strong marriages, and support for pastors’ children across Inter-America.

January 29, 2026 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Ministerial Spouses Association leaders across the Inter-American Division (IAD) met Jan. 13 to review a new five-year strategic plan aimed at strengthening pastoral families through deeper spiritual life, healthier routines, stronger marriages, and intentional support for pastors’ children.

Leticia De los Santos, Ministerial Spouses Association director for the IAD, told union coordinators during the online meeting that the plan will serve as a flexible framework through 2030, guided by the Division’s strategic priorities and adaptable to local needs.

Leticia De los Santos, Ministerial Spouses Association director for the Inter-American Division, addresses union coordinators during a recent online meeting focused on strengthening support for ministerial families. [Photo: Keila Trejo/IAD]

De los Santos said the plan’s first priority is strengthening personal devotion and spiritual growth among pastors’ wives.

“I titled the initiative ‘Survival with Jesus,’” she said. “We want to give the best tools so each spouse can grow in what matters most: her devotional life.”

She encouraged coordinators to promote simple resources, beginning with Scripture and a small devotional library, and confirmed that ‘Christ’s Object Lessons’ by Ellen G. White, will remain the book of the year.

Healthy Homes and Family Worship

Beyond personal devotion, the plan emphasizes family worship, health, and stewardship as part of holistic spiritual formation.

“My second initiative is ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,’” De los Santos said, stressing the importance of regular family worship in ministerial homes.

She also encouraged attention to lifestyle habits, including exercise, rest, nutrition, and emotional well-being, as part of sustaining long-term ministry.

Supporting Couples and Pastors’ Children

Another key focus is strengthening the ministerial couple and providing greater care for pastors’ children.

“If Jesus is at the center, the family can remain firm,” De los Santos said, referring to initiatives aimed at nurturing strong marriages.

She noted that marital strain is often linked to pastors leaving ministry. “What keeps coming up is the couple, the marriage,” she said.

Leaders also discussed simple but meaningful ways to support pastors’ children, especially during milestones such as graduations or family transitions, so they feel recognized and valued.

The Ministerial Spouses Association’s digital magazine cover for the first quarter of 2026 highlights encouragement and practical resources for pastors’ families across the Inter-American Division. [Image: IAD Screenshot]

The plan also calls for stronger relationships and service among pastors’ wives, with an emphasis on unity and mutual care.

“It hurts me when I hear about a pastor’s wife who is wounded… sometimes by the group,” De los Santos said, urging leaders to be intentional in welcoming and supporting one another.

Raquel de Paredes, ministerial spouses coordinator for the East Venezuela Union, said the plan reflects local realities, including financial pressures faced by many pastoral families.

“Many of our women do not have a fixed income,” she said, noting that some are turning to entrepreneurship to help support their households.

Leaders also discussed participation in division-wide mission initiatives and shared a long-term vision for an inter-union gathering for pastors’ children.

De los Santos highlighted the importance of the Ministerial Spouses Association’s digital magazine—published quarterly in Spanish, English, and French—as a tool for encouragement and practical support, and encouraged unions to contribute articles and resources.

She noted that the plan will be reviewed and refined during upcoming advisory meetings in March, where leaders are expected to provide additional input.

Supporting the Backbone of Ministerial Families

Reflecting more broadly on ministerial families across the territory, De los Santos emphasized the vital role pastors’ wives play in supporting the work of the church.

“The pastor’s wife in the Inter-American Division is a deeply committed woman,” she said. “Even amid long absences, she continues to serve, support the work, and care for her family.”

De los Santos praised the faithfulness and spirit of service of more than 4,000 pastors’ wives across Inter-America, many of whom support ministry beyond their own districts while remaining devoted to their homes and children. Looking ahead to the current quinquennium, she said the focus will be on encouraging spouses and safeguarding the well-being of ministerial families—especially pastors’ children.

“Our dream is to see healthy ministerial families—spiritually, emotionally, and physically,” she said.

For more information and access to Ministerial Spouses Association resources, click HERE