FRANKLIN, Tenn. — After 35 years of ministry at Thompson Station Church, Leighann McCoy is embracing a new season of life following her retirement in January 2024. In a recent interview on the Tennessee Golden Hour with hosts Matt Tullos and Beth Moore, McCoy reflected on her decades as a pastor’s wife, prayer ministry leader, and author while offering candid insights about spiritual warfare and family trials.
“Being a pastor’s wife is like the most wonderful, terrible, amazing, awful thing ever,” McCoy said, describing the unique challenges of ministry life. Having served alongside her husband Tom McCoy at Thompson Station Church, she experienced the full spectrum of church growth—from eight members meeting in a converted honky-tonk to leading a thriving congregation.
McCoy highlighted loneliness as one of the greatest challenges for ministry spouses. “Any kind of separation feels a little bit lonely, and all of leadership has a little bit of that sense to it,” she explained. Though developing close relationships within the church community proved difficult, McCoy found purpose in writing and deepening her relationship with God during periods of isolation. The church’s early years were supported through partnerships including the Golden Offering for Tennessee, which helped sustain their ministry during the foundational period.
As the founder of Prayer Clinic ministries, McCoy developed practical resources to help churches establish vibrant prayer cultures. What began as informal prayer meetings with women in the early years of her church evolved into a structured approach to prayer discipleship. Through Prayer Clinic, McCoy created tangible tools including scripture-based prayer cards and tracking systems to guide believers in consistent, faith-filled prayer.
“The biggest thing about prayer is not what you’re saying, it’s what you’re believing,” McCoy emphasized. Her program equips church members to lead prayer ministries without requiring extensive training—only a genuine belief that God answers prayer. “We give out bracelets that say ‘God’s got this,’ so they remember that no matter what’s going on, God’s got it.”
McCoy’s teaching on spiritual warfare stems from personal experience with significant challenges, including a battle with cancer diagnosed the same week she signed her first major publishing contract for a book titled “Spiritual Warfare for Women.”
“I said to my prayer partners, ‘I don’t know what is going to happen with this cancer, but whatever happens, whether I live or I die, I want it to be done to the glory of God,'” she recounted. Though initially diagnosed with stage one colon cancer that was surgically removed, the disease later recurred with a tumor in her liver.
During this difficult season, McCoy was also navigating what she calls her “prodigal story”—a painful period when her daughter entered an abusive relationship and rejected her parents. “She gave us a pink slip as parents,” McCoy said, noting the situation forced her to confront cracks in her own faith when “God didn’t behave the way the God I had believed in was supposed to behave.”
This experience has led to her latest project—an online course called “Perfecting the Art of Parenting Our Prodigals,” which she developed with input from her now-reconciled daughter. The course, scheduled for release on June 2 to coincide with the World Day of Prayer for Prodigals, aims to help parents through similar journeys with practical, compassionate guidance.
McCoy encouraged pastors to prioritize women’s ministry within their churches, noting that women often comprise the majority of both congregants and volunteers. “Don’t think of that as a peripheral place where women get together to make pretty table displays,” she advised, stressing that discipleship can happen in unique ways through gender-specific ministries.
As she transitions into this new chapter, McCoy continues to expand her ministry through writing, speaking, and now bringing her husband into her prayer ministry work. Her influential books include “Spiritual Warfare for Women: Winning the Battle for Your Home, Family, and Friends” (published by Baker Books in 2011), which provides practical tips for identifying the enemy’s strategies and exercising the power that comes from God. She also authored “A Woman’s Guide to Hearing God’s Voice” and “Spiritual Warfare for Your Family,” sharing personal experiences of faith through cancer and family challenges. Through these works and her ongoing ministry, McCoy ensures that the wisdom gained through decades of faithful service reaches an even broader audience.
To hear the full interview with Leighann McCoy, visit the Tennessee Golden Hour podcast on YouTube. The podcast features in-depth conversations with ministry leaders and provides valuable insights for those serving in church communities across Tennessee and beyond.
