I have always been involved in church, even before I got married I was involved in VBS and was a children’s Sunday school teacher. I always knew I was going to marry a youth pastor.”Ashley Tankersley, Youth Pastor’s Wife
CULLMAN – This week’s Religious Spotlight takes a little different approach than the others. Rather than focusing on a pastor, we are recognizing the wife of a pastor. Loving and kind, these ladies don’t just marry their spouse and raise their children; but they also take on additional duties within the church as they support and encourage their pastor husbands. A lot of times these women go unnoticed, but they don’t seem to mind because they are simply doing their part in the bigger picture; they are doing the Lord’s work.
Meet Ashley (Reese) Tankersley. She was born and raised in Hanceville, graduated from Hanceville High School and then graduated from Wallace State Community College with a degree in business management. When she was 23 years old, she met Clay Tankersley and soon married him on March 28, 2009. They started their ministry by serving in a small church in Hanceville, called East Hanceville Baptist. After serving for a year, they accepted the call to serve as Student Pastor Family at Hanceville First Baptist.
“Three years later, we had our beautiful, sassy, little girl, Reese,” Ashley giggled.
Leaving this chubby cheek baby has been so hard…but so rewarding to come home to after a long day at work.
Posted by Ashley Reese Tankersley on Thursday, April 9, 2015
“She is our little ray of sunshine. Soon after I had Reese, I started my own photography business, Proverbs 31 Photography. I started it as a ministry just to love on others and enjoy my hobby. It quickly became a full time business that worked well with me being able to stay at home with my baby and also allowed me to still serve in the ministry with my husband.”
Another sweet little guys session all finished!
Posted by Proverbs 31 Photography on Thursday, February 19, 2015
Ashley’s devotion to the church didn’t just come about once she married her pastor husband Clay.
“I have always been involved in church, even before I got married, I was involved in VBS and was a children’s Sunday school teacher,” she smiled warmly. “I always knew I was going to marry a youth pastor.”
The Tankersleys recently resigned from Hanceville First Baptist, where they served as Student Pastor Family for five years. Clay has accepted his first Associate Pastor position at a church in Falkville called Fairview: The Grace Place.
“Fairview will be a new experience for Clay and us as a family,” she stated. “It’s a much larger congregation for us to love on, a new position to learn, a new city, a new home, and an entirely new environment for our family. We are so excited to see exactly where we will fit and serve in this church.”
When asked about the biggest challenge of being a pastor’s wife, Ashley thought for a minute and then grinned.
“Well, one of the biggest challenges would have to be having enough time in the day. Ministry is a 24-hour job sometimes. Learning how to share time with my husband and all the ministries that he does separate from our own ministry together and our family was hard,” she explained, “especially when you are a part of a church that is growing. Being married to a youth pastor certainly requires patience. Long days require us all to be flexible.”
If you or someone you know is about to become the husband or the wife of a pastor, Ashley has the following words of advice.
“It definitely takes some getting used to. Sometimes the long hours can become exhausting on a marriage and family. Giving others your all in service to the Lord is beautiful… but the Lord loves when you give your all to your marriage. Marriage is something that is a beautiful gift from the Lord and is such a wonderful ministry in itself.”
Ashley Tankersley is a woman to be admired. Her love for God, her family and church helps her to continue to serve the Lord in the special way she has been called to do. She is truly someone to look up to and makes a perfect role model for young women to follow.
If you know a religious leader whom you think should be spotlighted in CullmanSense, we would love to hear from you. Please contact me via e-mail at sharon@cullmansense.com.
