Encouragement
The True Source of Our Authority
“Study Scripture. Paul did not allow women to teach or preach in the churches. Keep studying, God is not liberal.”
It’s unsettling to get this Facebook message from a total stranger. It’s even more unsettling to receive it six times in one day. The unfortunate truth is that most women in ministry receive some version of this in their inboxes on a regular ...
I Grew Up with Two Women Pastors
I was brought up under the leadership of two women pastors, Sister Opal Eckert and Sister Mary Slaughterbeck. It was a small country church, and God chose these women to mentor me in leadership, especially church leadership. These women knew how to serve others, loving and caring for those around them. They knew their Bibles, not only for information but for transformation. ...
Influence Across Gender Lines
I feel a connection with Catherine of Siena, even though she lived in the 14th century. The first inkling I had that we might be kindred spirits was through a “Holy Week Personality Type” chart that imagined how the saints would fall on the Myers-Briggs personality test. Whoever put this chart together decided Catherine of Siena was an INFJ like me. That was just ...
God Calls All Women
Understanding our identity in Christ gives us purpose. God has a specific purpose for each of us, a unique calling for each individual. Our shared and primary purpose is to become disciples (followers) of Jesus Christ. Our secondary callings are unique and are birthed out of our submission to the primary calling.
The body of Christ misses out when we attempt to force all women ...
Make a Difference for the Kingdom
Editor’s Note: As we wrap up Women’s History Month this week, we want to remind you that you have a valuable role to play in God’s plan—even if your name never appears in history books. Today we celebrate all the women who have fought the fight, lived fully, and loved generously without public recognition, and that includes you. —Amy Jackson
When ...
Easter Is Good News for Women Leaders
The Easter story makes me laugh. Namely because it’s so relatable to women leaders in the church. Consider the scene at dawn on Easter morning. All four Gospels record the story, yet there are some differences. Did you know, for instance, that each Gospel lists different women discovering the empty tomb?
Matthew lists Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary.” Mark’s ...
Lead Like Your Introversion Is a Strength
Hello, my name is Angie, and I am an introverted leader.
I confess that it took me many years to make that statement with boldness. For years I thought that to be a good leader, I had to be an extrovert. Most of the leaders I knew seemed to have boundless energy for people, and to be energized by them in return. I, on the other hand, would get tired, irritable, and impatient ...
The Legacy of Women in the Black Church
I am a pulpit preacher. I do not come down to the floor in an effort to connect better with the congregation. I do not wander around the sanctuary with anxious energy meandering through my sermon, like a child in a corn maze. No, I stand firmly in my pulpit. Because when I am preaching from the pulpit, I am standing on the shoulders of women who are the propagators of the ...
Step Out of Fear into Your Calling
The non-denominational church I started wasn’t even a year old when a successful church-planter declared: “Your church will never make it!”
“Why do you say that?” I asked, feeling instantly wounded.
“Because you’re way too insecure!” He thoughtlessly replied.
Ouch. All these years later, I still feel the sting from his words.
On ...
No Need to Downplay Your Leadership
You've heard these phrases. Maybe you've said them:
- It's not me—it's all God.
- I'm nothing. Any talent I have comes right from God.
- Oh thank you, but to God be all the glory!
They sound good, humble, even biblical. But are they?
And why do Christian women, in particular, tend to dismiss commendation and demean their own competence? Why can't we simply ...