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Married to the Ministry

The Salvation Army Offers Timeless Wisdom for Today's Couples
Mark Cutshall | Outcomes, Jul/Aug 2007

Majors Mark and Carolee Israel

Setting Boundaries

How about a little inspiration to encourage frazzled Christian leaders and their spouses who might feel they need to reclaim their marriage from the non-stop demands of ministry work. William Booth, Founder of The Salvation Army, had a thought or two.

"Booth had an amazingly clear vision," says Major Mark Israel, who oversees the Army's Texas Divisional Headquarters in Dallas, Texas. "Just as in a war, he wanted his officers to be very mobile. Thus, to move where the issues were—places, people and situations in need of the Gospel—he wanted his officers to be married. That way they could be deployed, together, while serving together."

Booth's home of a diseased, impoverished London may not look like your neighborhood, and his Army's expectations for today's officer-couples may cause you to blink twice. But just wait until you get to know the people …

Majors Mark and Carolee Israel are among the scores of married Salvation Army officers serving today throughout the U.S. A clear set of Army rules defines their terms of service to the Army and to each other. Married officers:

• complete seminary training prior to ordination;
• serve in distinct ministry areas, and don't occupy the same office;
• share preaching responsibilities;
• are compensated by the husband's living allowance;
• enjoy a modest lifestyle;
• receive a housing allowance with retirement benefits.

These requirements don't begin to tell the story of how the Israels have addressed the mutual challenges and inner rewards of being married to the ministry. Ever since their wedding day in 1972, they've been husband and wife in The Salvation Army. In keeping with Booth's mobilizing vision, their tours of duty have taken them to various posts in Maryland, West Virginia and Georgia.

And along the way, the couple has felt the tug and pull of job demands, deadlines and time pressures.

"In the early years of our marriage, we were bringing work home with us every night," says Carolee. "We were living our ministry 24/7. We never took a break. It would have been very easy to have been totally consumed with ministry, and not leave any time for us."

The couple set some boundaries. "We decided never to discuss business in our bedroom," says Mark. And just in case you wondered if they ever gave in to the temptation of mentioning work behind closed doors and felt compelled to leave the room, Mark smiles, "No, we've never had to crawl out of bed in the middle of the night and go into the kitchen to discuss our jobs."