Widows Link: Ministering to Widows, Offering Connection

Following 25 years of marriage and ministry alongside her husband, Marlene Craft, endorsed Chaplain with Chaplaincy Ministries, needed to heal and process her own grief after his sudden death in 2011. As she looked for help to walk through the grief, Craft began to notice the gap that existed in helping widows through this painful process. The more she looked for help and healing, the more she realized there was a great need for local churches to more intentionally minister to the widows in their congregations.

“It turned my world upside down,” she says. “I looked to the church, even some larger ones, but found few resources.”

Her heart for pastoral ministry longed to help, but at the advice of a pastor friend, she realized her own loss needed to be healed before she could help others. She attended a GriefShare small group several times, and eventually became part of the team leading that group at Kingwood Church in Alabaster, Alabama.

What appeared to be the first step in her own grieving process would become the spark of a ministry that now touches churches around the United States.

The lessons Craft learned in that small group led to a divine desire to see small groups for widows all across the nation. In just a few short years, Craft was appointed as an Assemblies of God U.S. missionary with Chaplaincy Ministries to widows. Widows Link now helps churches to begin reaching widows in their congregations and local communities.

The Widows Link ministry has grown and expanded over the years, providing fellowship through special events such as banquets and retreats. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Craft hosted daily online streams to offer hope and healing to widows who were isolated by the lockdowns.

One of the most unique and successful events the Widows Link team has put together is the annual Widows Link Cruise, where dozens of widows from across the United States enjoy fellowship, encouragement, connection, and relaxation. Each year, this is a highlight for all involved.

Widows Link’s primary mission is to provide resources, teaching, and help for churches who are committed to the Biblical command to help widows (James 1:27) but are not sure where to start.

The Widows Link team, which now includes several regional directors, helps churches develop a program that reaches and assists widows in several important ways:

Some churches may feel like their widows have family to take care of them; however, some do not, or not close by. Craft’s heart is also for the hundreds outside the church walls who desperately need hope to make it without their spouses. Most widows who know the Lord will tell you they could not have made it without Jesus. Widows ministry is a successful side door to bring in those who need someone to walk with them and point them to Jesus.

Getting started doesn’t have to be complicated, says Craft. It can be a simple dinner at a church, or perhaps a few area churches joining together, and that meeting could be a steppingstone to a small group.

As a pastor’s widow, Craft understands that those widows face particular challenges. A pastor’s widow not only loses her husband, but also faces losing the opportunity she is accustomed to in using her own gifts and talents in the church. Much of her personal identity was wrapped up in ministry specifics, and now she must figure out who she is outside of that partnership.

The church, including the widow, may be unsure how to navigate the relationship as the church brings in a new pastor and spouse. Widows Link is in the process of developing retreats specifically for pastors’ widows, eventually expanding to include those who serve their denominations at state and regional levels.

“Marlene is doing an amazing job helping churches be equipped for ministry to widows,” says Bob Cook, National AG Senior Adult Ministries director. “Having been widowed suddenly herself, she has the ability to connect well, plus knowing church culture as she does, she is gifted to come alongside church leaders and give excellent assistance.”

While there are widows of all ages, those 65 and older represent a large segment. The positive response and large turnout for the recent widows/widowers fellowship held during the AG Senior Adult Ministries conference showed how eager seniors are for connection.

Cynthia J Thomas

Cynthia J. Thomas worked for Assemblies of God U.S. Missions for six years before becoming primary caregiver for her father, a World War II veteran. She has served as a counselor for victims of domestic violence and women facing crisis pregnancies. Cindy and her husband, Phil, a schoolteacher, volunteer in youth outreach and have three adult children and one granddaughter.