What does it look like to keep fighting for your marriage when life gets hard? In this powerful episode of the Ministry Wives Podcast, host Amy Petersen sits down with Steven Curtis Chapman and Mary Beth Chapman to talk about the reality of marriage after more than 40 years together. Marriage can feel like a great adventure—beautiful, meaningful, and deeply rewarding—but it can also be far harder than we expected. For ministry wives and couples serving the church, the pressure to appear like everything is fine can make those struggles feel even heavier.

Steven Curtis and Mary Beth share honest stories from their decades of marriage, including the role of grace, forgiveness, prayer, and perseverance in sustaining a relationship through both the great joy and deep grief. Drawing from their new book Still Here: Life Together on the Long Way Home, they remind us that lasting marriage isn’t about perfection—it’s about choosing to remain faithful, even when the road is long.

This conversation offers encouragement for ministry wives, pastors’ families, and any couple wondering if their marriage is worth fighting for.

• Why lasting marriages require learning to “bear with one another in love”
• The real challenges behind long-term Christian marriage
• How grace and forgiveness sustain a marriage through conflict
• The role of prayer and faith in navigating grief and hardship
• Why staying committed matters even as people change over time

• Still Here: Life Together on the Long Way Home by Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman
• Show Hope

Connect with Steven Curtis Chapman
Website // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter

Connect with Mary Beth Chapman
Website // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter

Connect with Amy Petersen
Facebook // Instagram // Podcast

Connect with NAMB
Facebook // Instagram