The following dedicated pastors’ wives have a vital part in the ministry of encouraging pastors’ wives. They give of themselves daily as they lead the Heart-to-Heart group through sharing encouraging posts, being trusted friends to many hurting hearts, and praying earnestly for the pastors’ wives in their care. Take a minute to get to know them! You never know…you just might find a kindred spirit. One thing we know- you will discover that you are not alone. And that is where hope begins.
Leah and JD studied music theory together in Bible college until God changed his direction and he said “yes” to the call to pastor. They married in 2005 and moved to Canada, where they spent 10 years in two churches in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick serving in full time pastoral ministry. Leah holds a theology degree, and is also a certified ACBC counselor. JD has experience as a youth/music pastor, interim pastor, senior pastor, and assistant pastor. They currently serve as church planters in South Africa, and are involved in a variety of volunteer work including being safety and foster parents, counseling, teaching and ministering through music, and hosting Bible studies. Together JD and Leah have walked through deep suffering in both their personal lives and in ministry. From her experiences as a pastor’s wife, God gave Leah a passion to impart hope to other pastors’ wives. She is committed to pointing herself and other women to Christ- the only source of hope. Leah and JD have a boy (15) and a girl (13), both medical miracles. They were born in Canada and now the entire family owns dual citizenship. Leah enjoys writing, reading, playing and teaching piano, playing the violin, drawing, painting, and having deep conversations. She is the founder of Hope For Pastors’ Wives {formerly Embracing Grace for 7 years}, the host of the annual Heart-2-Heart retreat for pastors’ wives, and the creator of the online Heart-to-Heart support group for pastors’ wives.
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Although she was not raised in a Christian home, Amy was taken to church by her Great uncle and Aunt. It was there she heard the gospel and fell in love with the stories of Jesus. At 7 years of age, Amy asked Jesus into her heart and life. Through the years, no matter where they moved, God provided someone who always came by and asked if Amy and her brothers would like to go to church. When Amy was 13 years old, she was terrified one day when she had a sudden headache that felt like her brain was being crushed. Amy had an AVM that had ruptured in her brain. She was given less than a fifty percent chance at survival. If she did survive, the doctors only gave her a one percent chance of ever being able to walk, talk, or see normally. Not only did Amy survive the needed brain surgery but amazed the doctors by not having any lasting damage from the AVM rupturing or the surgery. They said she was a walking miracle! It was when she was 16 and helping in Awana’s that she was sent on an errand in another part of the church building. As she was walking she was brought to a stop as she realized that she had been saved twice. Once from spiritual death and once from physical death or physical disability. It was at that moment she rededicated her life to God, promising to always live for Him and help others to know the gift that He had given her. Amy is married to a pastor in Wyoming where she daily keeps that promise by supporting her husband in the ministry, teaching a weekly kids club, and loving and teaching the ladies God has put in their ministry. Amy loves being a pastor’s wife and even though sometimes her house is messy, there are days when she does not see her husband much, or her mascara is running from the tears the ministry brings, she still counts herself blessed that God allows her to serve and share the gospel in this way!
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After attending church with friends from school for several months, Laura accepted Christ at the age of 16 and very quickly felt God’s pull in her heart to serve Him with her life. She soon stepped out in faith to attend Bible college in North Carolina where she met her husband, Chris. They have been serving the Lord together for over 25 years in 4 churches in North Carolina, Ohio, and Indiana, in youth and music ministry, as well as leading 3 ministries during pastoral searches. They are currently serving Christ at Crosspointe Baptist Church & Christian Academy in Indiana. Laura also works part-time in downtown Indianapolis at a financial advisors’ firm. She and her husband are now adjusting to the “empty nest life” and love coffee, landscaping, and cheering on the Ohio State Buckeyes with their son, Drew and daughter-in-law Kaitlin, and daughter, Paige.
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June has lived in eastern Montana since 1979. Her husband, Michael, was the assistant pastor at Bible Baptist Church for four years and became the pastor in 1985. They have four adult children (two are married) and love being grandparents even though their grandchildren are geographically distant. Video chats help immensely. June enjoys being a pastor’s wife and Supervisor in their church’s school (A.C.E.) Learning Center. Reading has been a lifelong passion and her love of walking gives her time to reflect on God and His creation. She has also dabbled in watercolor in recent years. Isaiah 26:3-4 and Philippians 4:8 continue to be some of her favorite Bible verses.
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Jennifer grew up as an Army “brat” and accepted Christ as her personal Saviour when she was 17 at a teen camp in Missouri. She and her husband, Joe, dated long distance (Oklahoma to California) for 3 1/2 years while attending bible college and married in 2003. They served together for 17 years in Central California and in 2019 the Lord moved them to serve in the Maryland/DC area with a National ministry to Capitol Hill. They have 4 children-2 boys and 2 girls (and 2 in heaven)! In her free time she enjoys reading, shopping and date nights.
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Beth grew up as the oldest of 8 in a ministry family and as a child lived for a few years in Central America. It was during those years that she came to know Christ as her personal Savior. While attending Bible college to get her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Ed, she met her husband, Ken. He pastored a small chapel while attending college and seminary. Beth served in his chapel ministry on the weekends doing a children’s ministry. It was during that time that they discovered that they were more than just friends and that they enjoyed serving the Lord together. Beth and Ken have been married for over 45 years. They’ve served in two churches: one a rural church in northeast Nebraska and one in a large city in Missouri, where they still currently serve. At present they have 7 children, two sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, and 8 grands. She loves art and music. When she has time, she loves anything creative including graphic design, sewing, embroidering, stamping, and scrap booking. She and Ken have written a book about their experience after he was the sole survivor of a plane crash. It is an unforgettable story of how God used tragedy to help them embrace His purpose for their life.
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Even though Tori grew up in a family that traveled the US as a musical ministry team, had a role in helping new church plants, and was involved in many aspects of local church ministry, she never thought she’d be a pastor’s wife–at least, not until she met Frank. Tori & Frank started dating soon after meeting during a weekend when a large group of college students met in Myrtle Beach to help a small new church plant. Tori fell in love with Frank’s sincere love for people first observed during those early days and continuing through the pastoral ministries which God has led them. The Fraustos have three sons through birth, one daughter through adoption and four more children already in Heaven through miscarriage.
Ministry has come in many different forms for them, including the five years they spent helping family care for Tori’s dad through his battle with Alzheimer’s. Frank has also been a youth pastor and an assistant pastor at multiple churches in both the western and eastern US. Most recently, Frank & Tori have answered the call to serve alongside JD & Leah Highfill in Knysna, South Africa assisting with church planting, discipleship, counseling and child welfare efforts. Days are busy traveling as a family around the United States while Tori homeschools their children and they present their ministry at various churches.
Over the years, God has used their struggles with miscarriages, ministry and family health to strengthen their dependence on an almighty, all-powerful, sovereign God who sees all and has proven Himself faithful time and time again! Every day is a gift lived one second at a time under His grace!
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Christy accepted Christ as her Savior on Christmas Eve when she was 5 years old. About two years later, she surrendered her life to full-time ministry after hearing the story of Amy Carmichael’s calling. She met her Canadian husband, Rob, in Bible college, and they were married in 2000. This was the beginning of an unexpected journey together, as church planters in Jamaica, then pastoring in British Columbia Canada, North Carolina, and presently restarting a work in Lake Havasu City, AZ. They have four teenagers – Elijah, Aaron, Kaitlyn, and Emily. Most of her time is dedicated to homeschooling three of these kiddos and church-planting, but in her free time she enjoys reading, playing the flute, singing, and kayaking!
