The "Ideal" Couple "provides remarkably honest insight into what it meant for one man to keep his same-sex attraction hidden from almost everyone except his wife. . . ."—Melanie Springer Mock, Mennonite Weekly Review

Summary: Married. For life. A man to a woman. Except the man turns out to want other men. The “Ideal” Couple candidly shares the marital dysfunction the Wolgemuths experienced due to Carl’s strong attractions to men he had not shared before marriage. Two wounded souls describe how they developed a friendship, married, and maintained an outward image of blissful normalcy yet inwardly experienced a painful and unusual marital relationship.

"The Wolgemuths' story is both tragedy and blessing, suffering and commitment, mercy and grace." —Ann Showalter, Author, Touched by Grace: From Secrecy to New Life, in the Foreword

"Carl and Marilyn became wonderful friends for Jackie and me during my first solo pastorate. When I learned of Carl’s temptation in the context of a men’s prayer group, it became a matter of caring conversation and prayer for our group. The struggle and defeat he endured, and restoration from sin to covenant with God and Marilyn, is detailed in this book. Read it with care and prayer for them—and for others in similar turmoil." —John Poling, Interim Pastor, Round Rock (Tex.) Presbyterian Church, after serving multiple congregations nationwide

"The Wolgemuths have shared their sorrow, anguish, disillusionment and pain with candor and unflinching honesty with the hope that their story will benefit others. Giving credit to God’s grace, Marilyn and Carl have persevered under extremely difficult circumstances." —Gerry Epp, Academy of Certified Social Workers

"This is a story of homosexual unfaithfulness and sinful responses in marriage while in full-time Christian ministry, without moralizing and without a storybook ending. Carl and Marilyn offer marriage as a model of God's faithfulness." —Gene B. Chase, Free Ministry, West Shore, Evangelical Free Church

"Striking, revealing, courageous. Marilyn and Carl bare their souls in startling ways about their marriage journey. It is a ‘sit up and pay attention’ read." —Stan Smucker, Retired Mennonite Pastor

Market: Congregational study groups, anyone interested in homosexuality as well as how a commitment to marital faithfulness can sometimes endure despite great odds against it.

Shelving: Memoir, autobiography; Counseling – sexuality, marital conflict; Missions; Homosexuality. BISAC: Autobiography; History, Religion.

The Authors: Marilyn J. Minter Wolgemuth, North Newton, Kansas, has devoted her entire adult life to Christian service. Her 59-year nursing career has been in varied settings, including remote villages in Mexico where she, her husband, and their daughter worked among the Isthmus Aztec Indian ethnic group under Wycliffe Bible Translators. Following her years in Mexico, Marilyn spent 15 years as a psychiatric nurse in Texas and Kansas. She helped to initiate a Parish Nurse program at Shalom Mennonite Church and currently serves as one of its parish nurses.

During their years of service in Mexico with Wycliffe, J. Carl Wolgemuth was not only linguist/translator but also spent seven years at Wycliffe’s International Center where he became proficient in the field of computer-assisted typesetting New Testaments in indigenous languages. After returning from Mexico, he received his Master’s degree at age 63 and taught linguistics before retiring.  

Publisher: Cascadia Publishing House LLC
Imprint: DreamSeeker Books
Copublisher: None
Publication date: July 2011
Approximate Pages: 128
Tentative Format: 5.5 x 8.5" trade paper
Prices: $14.95 US/Can. ISBN 13: 978-1-931038-86-7; ISBN 10: 1-931038-86-4