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In Christianity Today’s article “The Seminary Gender Gap,” Sharon Hodde Miller asks why seminaries continue to be predominantly male, reinforcing the impression that men are preferable for ministry leadership than women.

[Several] factors produce a persistent minority of female, evangelical seminarians with a rather tumultuous seminary experience. Evangelical ...

I sat in the front row listening intently to a woman who taught from the Bible with wisdom, grace, and knowledge. I was mesmerized by her. Like a sponge, I soaked up every bit of wisdom she poured forth. The impact she had on me and hundreds of other women that day was immeasurable as she encouraged us to be more fully devoted to Christ.

This amazing teacher wasn’t ...

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At a recent conference, two speakers caught my attention and caused me to examine my heart and ministry. The first was a well-known pastor. I'd never heard her speak before, so I was eager to hear what she had to say. My excitement faded quickly, though, when she started.

She was focused on putting on a performance rather than teaching well. She told a story about looking ...

Many churches choose men for their lead pastor. More and more are choosing women. And some churches are opting for the best of both.

A growing trend termed co-pastoring, has churches hiring husband-wife pairs to lead together equally as pastors. To better understand the benefits and challenges that come with this emerging movement, I spoke with Robin and Marty Anderson, ...

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Should she be wearing those shoes to preach?

I regretted the thought as soon as it ran through my head. The preacher at the large, ecumenical conference was experienced and well-educated. The narrative of her sermon was strong, and the gospel was proclaimed. But I still couldn’t get my mind past her shoes, which, I must add, would have been appropriate in any office ...

There are many potential leaders who don’t see their leadership potential, and the onus is on us to invite them—and to invite them well. Unfortunately, I’ve seen efforts to do this that were well-intentioned but not carried out well. One such example is an event I attended that finished with this message: “You might see these big names on stage, but ...

Image: flickr/12392252@N03

It was a Tuesday morning when I pulled up to the church for my first Bible study. The parking lot was full, I was late, and I still needed to check in my children for childcare. It was quiet when I entered the room, the teacher’s engaging lesson holding everyone’s attention. The room held more than 100 elderly women, and I was intimidated. But as a new Christian, ...

It’s 100 million degrees in Chicago, and I’m sweating through my shirt. I’ve not showered, I’m sporting a baseball hat and sunglasses to mask this fact, desperately hoping no one notices me. I scurry from my car into the building like an incognito A-Lister—only I’m dashing across the church parking lot to my office.

It’s my day off, ...

“So can you help me? Please? I really need your help.”

As I stared into the eyes of my new Christian friend, I saw her struggling. She was feeling tempted to enter into a serious romantic relationship with a non-Christian. Of course I will help her, I thought. I know just what to do!

I scheduled a weekly one-on-one Bible study with her to examine the book ...