You hear a lot of criticism these days about how preachers' kids turn out. The refrain is often heard that the preacher was so busy delivering mimeographed sheets to Sunday school teachers that he had no time for his family. We, of course, deplore that phenomenon. But few talk about the bright side of the picture. There are a lot of PKs kicking around who feel their dads contributed quite a bit to their .lives. While many readers of LEADERSHIP represent various aspects of ministry, they share common ground in their struggle with the demands of family while bearing the heavy weight of church leadership. How can they balance these? Is there an inevitable guilt trip?

Tim Stafford is one of those PKs who is not grumbling in his beard about the failures of his father. We've known Tim for almost a decade as a Campus Life editor, and in the last few years as a frequent contributor to Christianity Today. Tim has always expressed special affection and appreciation for his dad. Most recently, Tim ...