The Pain of Parenting a Prodigal with Art and Mary Ellen Eaton

Parenting a prodigal is never easy, but when you’re a pastor or a pastor’s spouse, the pain can be even more complex and isolating. In this episode of the Care for Pastors Podcast, Art and Mary Ellen Eaton open up about their journey through the highs and lows of ministry and parenting. They candidly share how moral failures in church leadership deeply affected their family and how they’ve navigated the painful reality of raising prodigal children.

With wisdom shaped by personal experience, the Eatons discuss the power of grace, the tension between unconditional love and tough truth, and the importance of prayer in parenting. They offer hope to fellow parents who may be walking through similar seasons of heartache, encouraging them to remain firm in their faith and to trust in God’s greater plan for their children.

This conversation explores:

• Navigating ministry while facing personal and leadership failures
• Raising children who have strayed from their faith
• Balancing grace and truth in parenting
• The emotional and spiritual toll of prodigal seasons
• Encouragement and hope for parents of prodigals

Resources mentioned on the episode:

Care for Pastors

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About our Guest:

Art and Mary Ellen Eaton have been faithfully serving in full-time ministry since 1997. Over the past 27 years, they have worn many hats, including senior pastor and pastor’s wife, while also ministering in single adult ministry, youth and children’s ministry, music ministry, and more. For a decade, they served as church planters in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where they cultivated a deep heart for shepherding others through both the joys and challenges of ministry life.