Preacher's kid

Preacher's kid (abbreviated as PK) is a term to refer to a child of a preacher, pastor, deacon, vicar, lay leader, priest, minister or other similar church leader. Although the phrase can be used in a purely descriptive way, it may also be used as a stereotype.

Children of clergy often experience pressure due to the expectations placed on them, and may develop feelings of isolation and inner conflict as a result. Parental workload (which, by definition, includes working on the weekend) may also be a source of stress.

Some writers suggest that there is a "preacher's kid syndrome", in which children of clergy reject religion and the church. Such rebellious children of the clergy are a stock figure in the Southern literature of the United States, and this view is seen as a stereotype. One literary example occurs in Eugene O'Neill's play "The Iceman Cometh" when the traveling salesman Hickey describes his life: "You see, even as a kid I was always restless. I had to keep on the go. You’ve heard the old saying, “Ministers’ sons are sons of guns.” Well, that was me, and then some."

Other writers note that children of the clergy (both Protestant and Jewish) may often become clergy themselves.Martin Luther King, Jr. (son of Martin Luther King, Sr.) and Franklin Graham (son of Billy Graham) are examples.

Children of clergy may be more exposed than their peers to the defining events of life. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown recalled that he learned much about life, death, poverty, injustice and unemployment as the son of a Church of Scotland minister.

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