Stephanie Lewis is married to Josiah, Alliance's Student Ministries Pastor. Stephanie and Josiah met when they were in high school shortly after Stephanie gave her life to Christ. They were good friends in youth group before they eventually fell in love and got married. 

ACBlog: So, Stephanie, we know Josiah as high energy and full of fun and crazy ideas, but is he like that at home?

Stephanie: No, not really. He’s fun, but he is very chill at home. In fact, I am more of the extrovert at home, always ready to initiate conversation with friends and neighbors, where he is more of an introvert. However, in large gatherings, I’m the introvert and he is the extrovert!

ACBlog: What are some of the challenges you have come across being married to a spouse in ministry?

Stephanie: When Josiah started working at our first church more than 10 years ago, there was an unspoken expectation that the church expected me to pastor alongside with him even though I wasn’t being paid and I hadn’t been trained. I felt like they may have believed they were getting "2 for the price of 1.” Being so young, we didn’t know better and I tried to minister alongside my husband, but I found it very stressful and all consuming. Thankfully, at Josiah’s interview at Alliance they made it clear to us, “Stephanie, we hired Josiah. We have not hired you, and we don’t expect you to do ministry unless you want to volunteer in something you are interested in.” That was a great relief for me because I did not feel called to be in full-time ministry.

ACBlog: That is not uncommon to find churches hiring pastors then having particular ministry expectations put upon the spouse. I am glad you have felt the freedom to live out your specific calling and ministry giftedness in your own way here at Alliance. Speaking of which…. how do you see yourself serving or being involved?

Stephanie: I obviously support Josiah where I can, but I really believe my “superpower” is being a listening ear for him. I love hearing all his stories, his God at work stories, and being able to cheer him on. I offer my perspective whenever it is needed, and I make an effort at getting to know the people that volunteer or work with him. We also have a great friend group at Alliance that provide a supportive community for both of us.  

ACBlog: I know you are in real estate. Tell me how you got involved with it.

Stephanie: I strive to be an entrepreneur, and I owned a business prior to being in real estate. In my season of life with two young children, real estate has been a perfect career switch for me over the last year. I enjoy helping people in the process of buying or selling their homes. It is a very personal experience for everyone involved. I don’t just see “being in full-time ministry” as the only way of being involved in “kingdom building." I believe that in everything we do, we should be thinking about how this adds value or represents God and His Kingdom.  

ACBlog: How does Josiah support you in what you do?  

Stephanie: He definitely helps with the home and with the parenting, so I don’t feel like I have to do it all. He actually appreciates the fact that I am not directly involved in ministry. He tells me that I help him remember there is another world out there besides the church world. He says I give him perspective and balance. For his part, he loves to hear all my stories and explore the world of real estate along with me. He appreciates what I do and is interested in it. Life, marriage, and ministry are a team effort and we are committed to that approach. 

ACBlog: What do you do for yourself and your soul to sustain you with the demands and brokenness of life and ministry?

Stephanie: God’s Word sustains me. My faith-filled friends encourage and pray for me. Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 (NLT) is a great verse that I often recall in tough times. 

“I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”  

This verse continually reminds me that God redeems everything, even the worst, making everything beautiful on His timetable. We can’t see all that God has planned or all that He is doing, so I don’t take things at face value. I remind myself that God has a beautiful plan in this crazy mess called life, and I can trust Him.