Some married couples have "His" and "Her" bath towels.
The Rasers take it a few steps further.
They have his and her pulpits.
His can be found at Christ Community United Methodist Church on Roselawn Avenue and hers is at First United Methodist Church in Hollidaysburg.
Pastors Peter and Amy Raser, who share a sense of humor for life and ministry, have been serving the local churches for three years.
They met at a pastors' study group 15 years ago in Alabama.
"When she walked in, she introduced herself as the comic relief," Peter said.
The Rasers celebrated 12 years of marriage this year and a pastoral career that has taken them across the South and into Pennsylvania.
They said the United Methodist Church conference has supported their marriage by continuing to place them at churches that are in close proximity to each other.
Amy, originally from Alabama, and her husband describe her style of preaching as warm and personable.
"Her sermons are shorter," Peter said.
"That's true." Amy said, "His are much longer."
Peter, 50, who grew up near Harrisburg, gets to listen to his wife preach more than she gets to take in his sermons.
Amy, 40, associate pastor at First United Methodist Church, delivers the message every other weekend at its five services - two on Saturday and three on Sunday. Christ Community has no Saturday night service.
So Peter and their three daughters - Clare, 9, Alexandra, 7, and Miranda, 3, - attend the contemporary service at First on Saturdays.
On the weekends Amy is not preaching, she worships with the family at the service. And although she is not officially on duty, church members will often seek her out to say hello or enter into conversation.
She and Peter say they are happy to be able to be in church as a family, a rare situation for couples who also are clergy.
On Sundays, the ministers are at their respective churches, but the children have an option.
They can go to Mommy's church or they can go to Daddy's church.
"[The children] really spend an equal amount of time at both churches," Peter said.
Peter and Amy are quick to make jokes about their pastoral roles and the cliches their children face about being preachers' kids.
"You always hear that pastors' kids are wild," Peter said, "So since there are two of us [pastors] we hope that it'll cancel each other out."
While Sundays are a flurry of activity, the Rasers have found ways to emphasize family time during the week.
Fridays are designated as no work days. The couple spend that time with one another and with their children.
A bonus of being married to another pastor is the opportunity to share ministry ideas and talk about the work of the church.
Amy and Peter spend time studying their Bibles together daily, something they both value, Amy said.
"Being together is the most important thing," she said, "We try to go to one another's church events from time to time, too."
Peter said with meetings and other church activities, they occasionally have to make adjustments.
"Family is more important than a meeting," Peter said.
To keep professional and personal activities in order, including Clare's piano and clarinet lessons and Alexandra's tae kwon do, the Rasers look to the Internet.
"Google calendars have saved our lives," Peter said.
He said with Amy's, their daughters' and his calendars, they see where everyone needs to be.
"They intersect, and we can see everyone's life at once," Peter said.
And while those schedules are hectic, Peter and Amy said they do not see any real downsides of being husband and wife serving as pastors.
They simply choose to make it work.
"We're both awesome," Amy teased.
"Yes, we are," Peter said.


