why i started this blog

In the last 5 years I think the Church of England has really improved its research. The chart above is one example.  Qualitative studies have been joined by quantitative research using robust statistical analysis.

I mention all of this because my wife is getting closer and closer to her ordination in the Church of England.  As she does I wanted to understand a bit more about her chosen vocation.  What do Revs do? What journeys have others taken to be a Rev?  You've probably already guessed that I've found the CofE research great in answering those questions.  

But when I looked for information on what it was like being a Rev's husband I found far less help and information.  The Diocese did organise an annual ordinand evening to which spouses were invited and at which I met others in similar situations to mine.  And the college my wife was theologically educated at did make an effort to arrange spouse events.  But of course the other blokes at such events were in the same boat as me - we could see a change coming but had little idea of what it meant.  I also found that quite a lot of the spouses there were either married to a Rev or viewed their partners calling as a joint calling.  As this wasn't the position I'm in it made some of the conversations less useful.

My wife and I live in the southern half of the UK.  Given that context I have found no studies on what it's like being a husband to a Rev.  My gut instinct is that the same is largely true for studies on being the wife of Rev.  And to be fair there are some narrative descriptions of being a Rev's wife from which I've got some useful insights.  

But there seem to be precious few modern descriptions of what it's like being a Rev's husband.  Particularly if you're not a Rev and have no calling to be one or anything like it.

Which is why I decided to start this blog.  

Looking ahead I hope to post weekly on my Rev's husband experiences.  With luck I'll be able to sustain a weekly post.  If I do then I'll cover my experiences as my wife becomes a curate and then later  - I hope - moves into a substantive post.

With a bit of luck over time the posts will create a modern narrative that might even help others moving towards being a Rev's husband.  

Some of what I share will be totally irrelevant to your experiences.  Hopefully some of it won't.  Maybe others will find the time to comment on the posts.  And if they do then that will help this blog share resources and stories useful to Rev's husbands.