Orerea, Zedekiah M.2022-10-042022-10-04https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14194/2596Stress to an individual, can either be positive or negative depending on various things, such as conditions or environment under which individuals experience it and circumstances under which the experience occurs. In addition, people of all ages experience stress somewhat. Consequently, the objective of the study was to examine factors that precipitate stress in pastors’ wives and determine whether stress to Pastors’ wives do affect church ministry performance. Further, if stress to pastors’ wives has any effect on church performance, the study sought to suggest solutions to mitigate stressful conditions so as to improve the performance of church ministries. Accordingly, the study investigated stress symptoms that are exhibited by Pastors’ spouses; factors that cause them stress and the evidence of how stress to Pastors’ wives affects performance of Church ministries. To do this, the study interviewed 216 respondents – 72 and 144 being pastors’ wives and ordinary members’ wives respectively from congregations in which Pastors wives were interviewed. The study utilised a structured questionnaire with close-ended and open –ended items which were given to respondents; an interview was then scheduled for pastors’ wives to provide in-depth information and observation method was also used to elicit information on stress in pastors’ wives. The respondents were selected through a cluster sampling procedure where pastors’ fellowship meetings and churches at market centres or primary schools were utilised as the basis of the clusters. Whereas information collected was descriptive, by assigning numerical values using a Likert like scale, both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyse and interpret the information obtained. Descriptive statistics employed include calculations of mean scores, frequency and percentages while inferential statistics employed include, the t-test for comparing mean scores, Levene’s test of equality of variance, α analyses and ANOVA for accepting or rejecting hypotheses. The findings of the study reveal that although pastors’ wives exhibit various stress related symptoms just like any ordinary woman, they nevertheless suffer higher levels of stress than ordinary members’ spouses. Some of the factors that cause them stress include main factors namely financial and family matters. However, others which also iiicontribute to the development of stress to pastors’ wives include loneliness; other peoples’ expectations and demands; lack of privacy in homes; work overload and poor self image. The study further concluded that stress to pastors’ wives does not only affect them, but also their relationships with their spouses and the congregation; and, the church ministry itself. As a result, there ought to be ways to mitigate the disastrous effects of stress on Pastors’ wives that in turn has negative effect on church ministry performance. Therefore, the study suggests possible solutions to, and recommends that, ministries, pastors, congregations as well as pastors’ wives themselves could use them and work towards eliminating or decreasing the levels of stress being experienced by the various actors.Stress to an individual, can either be positive or negative depending on various things, such as conditions or environment under which individuals experience it and circumstances under which the experience occurs. In addition, people of all ages experience stress somewhat. Consequently, the objective of the study was to examine factors that precipitate stress in pastors’ wives and determine whether stress to Pastors’ wives do affect church ministry performance. Further, if stress to pastors’ wives has any effect on church performance, the study sought to suggest solutions to mitigate stressful conditions so as to improve the performance of church ministries. Accordingly, the study investigated stress symptoms that are exhibited by Pastors’ spouses; factors that cause them stress and the evidence of how stress to Pastors’ wives affects performance of Church ministries. To do this, the study interviewed 216 respondents – 72 and 144 being pastors’ wives and ordinary members’ wives respectively from congregations in which Pastors wives were interviewed. The study utilised a structured questionnaire with close-ended and open –ended items which were given to respondents; an interview was then scheduled for pastors’ wives to provide in-depth information and observation method was also used to elicit information on stress in pastors’ wives. The respondents were selected through a cluster sampling procedure where pastors’ fellowship meetings and churches at market centres or primary schools were utilised as the basis of the clusters. Whereas information collected was descriptive, by assigning numerical values using a Likert like scale, both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyse and interpret the information obtained. Descriptive statistics employed include calculations of mean scores, frequency and percentages while inferential statistics employed include, the t-test for comparing mean scores, Levene’s test of equality of variance, α analyses and ANOVA for accepting or rejecting hypotheses. The findings of the study reveal that although pastors’ wives exhibit various stress related symptoms just like any ordinary woman, they nevertheless suffer higher levels of stress than ordinary members’ spouses. Some of the factors that cause them stress include main factors namely financial and family matters. However, others which also iiicontribute to the development of stress to pastors’ wives include loneliness; other peoples’ expectations and demands; lack of privacy in homes; work overload and poor self image. The study further concluded that stress to pastors’ wives does not only affect them, but also their relationships with their spouses and the congregation; and, the church ministry itself. As a result, there ought to be ways to mitigate the disastrous effects of stress on Pastors’ wives that in turn has negative effect on church ministry performance. Therefore, the study suggests possible solutions to, and recommends that, ministries, pastors, congregations as well as pastors’ wives themselves could use them and work towards eliminating or decreasing the levels of stress being experienced by the various actors.128p128pWomen in church workThesis