How To Address a Pastor and His ‘Professor’ Wife?

     How do I address a thank-you note to a pastor and his wife when both hold doctorates and she is a college professor?
     — Lucy Hendershott, Great Falls, Virginia

Dear Ms. Hendershott:
    If it’s a thank-you note ..  it’s social correspondence (as opposed to official correspondence to one or the other’s office) so it’s easier …. because you don’t use their post-nominal initials on social correspondence.
    Put each name a line of its own … so each gets their full name just right
            The Reverend Dennis Winslow
                and Dr. Marilyn Winslow
                        Street Address
                            City, State, ZIP
    His name would be first …. as a member of the clergy. Clergy has higher precedence than a private citizen. Even as a professor with a doctorate … she’s a still private citizen.
    You definitely want to avoid forms such as The Reverend and Dr. Winslow orThe Reverend Dennis and Dr. Marilyn Winslow
    “The Reverend” always precedes a full name. …. and since she get’s “Dr.” she’d get her own name. If she didn’t have a doctorate .. then this would work:
            The Reverend Dennis Winslow
                and Mrs. Winslow
                    Street Address
                        City, State, ZIP
            — Robert Hickey     www.formsofaddress.info 

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