CHAPTER 3
Pastor Gillespie was not pleased with the message the deacons delivered to him. “My wife says she is extremely busy and sends her apology,” he said to the pastors who were attending the conference. “I tell you, those ladies must be doing it up over there.”
After turning the podium over to the next speaker, he met with the two deacons in the back of the auditorium. “You did your part,” he assured them.
“If you’ll allow me to say something regarding this matter, Pastor,” Deacon Wiley said, “I think she was trying to make a point to the other ladies. She could have discreetly given us the message. Besides, with all those ladies present, surely one of them could have kept things moving along until she returned.”
“Yes,” Pastor Gillespie agreed. “She could have come on over when I asked the first time.” Pastor Gillespie knew his wife to be a controlling person who felt the ladies’ meeting could not go on without her. “However, let’s enjoy the rest of our meeting. No need to let this situation dampen our spirits.”
The Lord blessed the last two days of the conference. On purpose, Pastor Gillespie did not bring up the incident with his wife. However, he brought it up immediately on the Saturday after the conference ended.
“Why didn’t you come when I sent for you at the meeting the other day?”
“I already told you why: I was way too busy taking care of the ladies.”
“Surely they could take care of themselves for ten minutes. But to disrespect me like that in front of all those ladies!”
Sis. Gillespie smirked. “You weren’t embarrassed, were you?”
“No, Gloria, you made yourself look bad. Those ladies may have agreed with you and secretly patted you on the back, but I guarantee you none of them are having this kind of conversation with their husbands this morning,” Pastor Gillespie said.
“You don’t know that.”
“Oh, yes, I do know. But that’s not important right now.” He glared at her as he continued, “What’s important is, I’ve tried to keep your rebelliousness behind these house doors, but you opened the door wide and let it all out this past week. And I am not going to let you disrespect me like that and get away with it. You have pushed me far enough. I want you to send out a letter of apology that I approve of to all the pastors and their wives so that we can clear things up in their minds…”
Sis. Gillespie interrupted him with a smirk, “Puleez. I would leave before I ever do that because I am not in the wrong. Just because I’m the pastor’s wife doesn’t mean I ought to come on demand.”
Pastor Gillespie sat quietly. He knew that his wife enjoyed her position as first lady and the prominence that it gave her in the community. And he didn’t think she would easily give up that position if she could help it. The time that they had separated before, she came hurrying back after only three weeks of them being apart.
“There is no need for us to separate again or even go the divorce route,” Pastor Gillespie said. “Just write the letter of apology and let’s go forward together in the great ministry God has given us.”
Sis. Gillespie turned and marched out into the hallway. “Not doing it,” she shouted over her shoulder. Even though she knew deep down she was taking a chance at losing everything, her pharaohistic pride and stubbornness would not let her give in.
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CHAPTER 4
On Sunday morning, they went to church — separately, as usual — he in his Lincoln and her in her Bentley. Everyone had nothing but good things to say about the conference of that past week. Immediately after services, Pastor Gillespie called a special meeting with his main deacons who, though older than he, had a high respect for him. His assistant, Bro. Martin, was also present.
