When my professional world began to be torn apart, I wasn’t sure where to turn. I was fortunate that one colleague in my circle had worked with Ministering to Ministers before and gave me names and phone numbers immediately. He even went so far as to call MTM and had them call me. That was a call I’m glad came through. From that moment on, I felt like I had someone who fully and completely understood what was going on in my life and was able to make suggestions and give advice that made all the difference.

We attended the MTM wellness retreat and, over the course of the week, we heard the stories of three other couples. What a relief to learn that there were patterns to forced termination and our story was no different, in the big picture. Between our fellow retreat members and the MTM retreat staff, we learned the biggest lesson – we weren’t alone. If you’re going through this horrible situation that may be the most important thing you can know.

Forced termination must be one of the most devastating things a minister can go through. We never think this will happen to us so when it does the bottom of our world cracks and we simply fall through. The opportunity to speak with others who have gone through this or are going through it at the same time cannot be underestimated. MTM was the lifeline that kept my husband and me sane and hopeful.

Our retreat group was about as diverse as could be, but our shared experience and our week together created a lifelong support network of people who are truly now friends who care about one another, still, through all that comes our way.

God is taking us in a new and exciting direction that we embrace with anticipation and joy. The healthiness MTM helped build in us allows us to welcome whatever comes our way.

It’s my prayer that MTM will continue to facilitate healing for hurting pastors so they can reenter ministry, support their families, and model how to handle conflict in a Christ-honoring manner.

The wellness retreat was an intense experience as I learned how to forgive and manage my anger and pain, but I began to see how necessary they were for my healing. The clinician had a way of getting to each of us in our group to get us to talk through what had happened in each of our situations. I was not the only one deeply hurting. We began to open up to one another and healing began.

On Wednesday night, I had the opportunity to be surrounded in prayer by everyone at the retreat, after an intense discussion about holding in my anger. It was a time of many tears and release. A time I can still remember as a beginning of healing.

All through the retreat, we learned strategies to help us forgive and move on with our life. Healing began but was not instantaneous. There are still nights that I have a nightmare of that time of pain. But, I have moved on. I found other ways of serving the church. God was not done with me yet.

I promised that I would support the ministry to others because I had been helped so much at that time in my life. I am still amazed that these retreats are still needed by so many.

Thank God for the ministry of MTM and for being there when ministry goes horribly awry and hurt is heaped upon the shepherd and his/her family!

The ministry of MTM is truly a God-send. I think sometimes if it had not been for them and the love and compassion they showed me and my wife, I would have lost my mind.