Exploring the Lived Experiences of Pastors’ Wives Through Social Identity Theory

June 19, 2026

Exploring the Lived Experiences of Pastors’ Wives Through Social Identity Theory

Cherelle Johnson | 2026

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived leadership experiences of pastors’ wives who serve in unofficial or unrecognized leadership capacities within their churches and explored how they construct and interpret their social identity and influence through the lens of social identity theory. The problem addressed was the persistent invisibility, role ambiguity, and identity pressure surrounding pastors’ wives’ contributions to ecclesial leadership, despite their significant relational and organizational impact. Guided by two research questions, the study investigated (a) how pastors’ wives describe their lived experiences in unofficial leadership roles and (b) how they interpret their identity and influence in the absence of formal authority. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants who met established criteria. Data were collected through semistructured, in-depth interviews conducted via secure video conferencing, audio-recorded with consent, and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis followed Moustakas’s (1994) modified van Kaam (1966) phenomenological method, including horizontalization, reduction and elimination, clustering of themes, and the synthesis of textural and structural descriptions into a composite essence. Six interrelated themes emerged: leadership was most frequently experienced as informal and assumed in response to ministry needs rather than formally assigned; emotional labor and regulation functioned as continuous, often unseen work that sustained congregational stability; heightened visibility operated as a pervasive contextual condition shaping behavioral norms, emotional expression, and representational responsibility; calling-based leadership identity provided an internally anchored framework through which participants made meaning of responsibility and influence apart from positional authority; identity negotiation reflected ongoing tension between personal identity and role expectations, often unfolding developmentally through reflection and discernment; and leadership trajectories varied as anticipated or unanticipated, yet consistently matured over time through lived experience. This study extends social identity theory into ecclesial leadership contexts and contributes to the scholarly literature on informal leadership, identity construction, and social influence within faith-based Pastors’ Wives Experience Through SIT iv organizational systems. Practitioner implications include recommendations for churches to recognize, clarify, and ethically support the informal leadership roles of Pastors’ Wives.

Keywords: Church Leadership, Divorce and Church Leadership Development, Divorce in Church, Leadership Development

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