Recent literature indicates that ministers' families face not only the normative developmental stressors of other families, but an additional set of stressors created by the interface between the family and the church systems. Based upon the Double ABCX model of family stress, particular ministers' families will vary in their ability to adapt to stressors based upon a variety of factors including: the particular stressor event; the family resources; the family definition of the stressor; the amount of family crisis resulting from the event, the resources, and the definition; the pile-up of prior strains and current hardships; the resources and support; redefinition of the situation; and coping skills. Implications of this model may be considered at these levels: (1) church leadership may seek to reduce stressors while providing resources to help families; (2) seminary training and continuing educational opportunities for ministers and their spouses can emphasize that stress is a normative part of life and ministerial lifestyle requires a special type of family/occupational coordination; (3) workshops for those currently pastoring churches can emphasize that stress is a normative part of life and provide suggestions for coordinating family and occupational concerns; (4) written materials to minimize stress while maximizing family and occupational effectiveness can be published; and (5) diagnostic tools can be developed for assessing stress and adaptation in ministerial families. (Author/ABL)