Is it better for a minister to be single or married?

If you haven't already read this first:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/us/22pastor.html

Since we're currently in the midst of a minister search, this caught my eye and was an interesting article. I have often wondered if certain ministry opportunities have been opened or closed by my marital status and whether or not I had kids. What do you think? Are single people unfairly discriminated against by churches?

For what it is worth here's my opinion: (FYI - this is just random my thoughts rather than an in depth study)

As a minister who is married with kids, I understand how having a family benefits me personally in my work, and why a church might want someone with a family in a specific context. I won't parade through a list of comparisons but I think it is safe to say I see things from a different perspective from someone my same age who is not married or does not have kids. Does that necessarily make me a better minister than the other person? No, just a different one with a different perspective and probably better suited to meet certain needs that are closer to my life.

Hypothetically, if I were not married or had no kids I think I would be just as valuable as a minister, but with different responsibilities and experience to bring to the table. Basically I would be a different person and I expect I would perform different ministries than I am right now. I might be more likely to pursue situations that were more risky or in remote places because I would not have the responsibility to care for and provide for my family. That is not to say that I have been unwilling or unable to take risks or go to relatively remote places with a family, but as a husband and father I am not able to make a decision without considering how it affects my wife and kids who depend on me. My desire to be a good husband and father is a unique ministry in itself, one that I feel is vital and valuable to the world. With the time and effort ministry to my family takes a single person could accomplish other important needs that I would never be able to.

So I think the specific needs of a particular ministry will always lend themselves to different people in different walks of life. I don't think it's wrong for a church to make a judgment on what type of person will be most effective as a leader in their context. In fact I think it's their responsibility to consider that for the sake of everyone involved. The minister, whether married or single, should be more concerned about finding the place and people they are uniquely called to serve, rather than attaching their value to whether or not they can get hired as the Senior Minister of a church. I don't think it's wrong for a minister to make a judgment on what type of church or ministry setting is most effective for them.

I do think it is wrong for a church (or minister for that matter) to discriminate against hiring someone (or taking a job) based on superficial appearances or assumptions. I suspect that I have at times been both the victim and beneficiary of such discrimination and I do not doubt that many of the claims made in the above article fairly represent that there is probably an unfair preference in many churches towards hiring a minister who is married with kids in many churches, even when that doesn't make the most sense for a certain context. I wonder how many churches would have turned down men like Paul and Jesus based on their credentials and marital status, although ministry in a church setting was not what they were called to do.

I for one have never regretted being married with children in ministry, and have enjoyed the adventure of family. I hope all of my brothers and sisters in Christ, whether married or single feel the same way about whatever path of life they have chosen as well. I think God will lead you wherever he needs you, and if a door closes to you, shake off the dust and move on. I pray that our church leaders, who make such decisions about hiring a minister, will have wisdom and discernment to make God honoring choices that look beyond someone's marital status.