Six Insights I Learned from Women in Ministry

What is your story of serving as a woman in ministry? We asked this question to nearly 100 women ordained by Baptist churches in Atlantic Canada over the past 50 years as part of the Called to Serve research project. Their responses surprised, encouraged, and challenged us.

I believe their words can challenge churches and pastors too—even those that already support women in ministry. Below are six insights I gained from our interviews into how churches can treat women ministers equally to men.

Encourage women in ministry.

Like all people, women need encouragement as they serve in ministry, especially because of the obstacles they sometimes face. Angela Wade recalled, “I remember the first time I preached, and there was this man in our congregation who emailed me to tell me how much he enjoyed the service. Well, my goodness, I kept that email for a long time!” A little encouragement can go a long way, especially for women serving in new or challenging situations. Being the “first” isn’t easy! In what ways can you help encourage the women ministers in your context?

Include women ministers in your networks.

Multiple women we talked with mentioned the loneliness of serving as a woman in ministry. At a ministerial meeting, Andrea Anderson stated frankly, “I see male pastors in this room, [but] not one of you has reached out to me to invite me to have a conversation about ministry.” It can be easy to stick with our established networks, but could these be leaving women out? How can you deliberately include women in meetings as well as social gatherings in your church and region?

Watch your language.

Carolyn Steeves said, “I remember being at a prayer conference and being called to the stage with other pastors, and I was the only woman on stage. This man addressed us and said, ‘men of God’ . . . . I felt so left out. I felt so excluded.” While such language might not have been intentional, it was hurtful. What language does your church use for ministers, for people, and even for God? What message does this language convey?

Take women in ministry seriously.

Audrey Carter served as copastor with her husband. She recalled a male deacon who would always direct his questions to her husband. She said, “It’s like I was sort of invisible.”

Barbara Cochran recounted, “I’ve had some men in the congregation challenge my knowledge, where I know they wouldn’t have challenged a male.” Male pastoral leaders can encourage congregants to take women in ministry seriously through their words and actions. Help church members recognize that women in ministry have typically undergone intensive professional and academic training and are called by God to serve.

Assign titles wisely.

A church assigned Elizabeth Waugh-Olmstead the title of Christian education director rather than pastor. She recalled, “I struggled with the title a bit, because I had the same qualifications as the two male pastors.” Are women serving equally on your church staff, with comparable titles to male pastors? If some staff are called “directors” rather than “ministers,” examine the reasons for this. Are women named and paid equally to men?

Help women in ministry be gentle with themselves.

Gail Whalen-Dunn stated, “Because I was a woman, I felt I had more to prove, and I had to do more.” Hannah Bartlett explained that she put pressure on herself to “be the representative of all womankind” at her church. Many women in ministry face pressure to excel in every area in order to demonstrate that women can serve well. Ease these expectations if you have them and help women in ministry ease them as well. Expect mistakes and consider them learning experiences rather than signs that women should not serve.

If your congregation already supports women in ministry, good for you! Now consider ways that you can build on that support to make ministering a joy rather than a burden for these women. For more ideas or to share your insights, visit Called to Serve.

Melody Maxwell
Professor of Christian History at Acadia Divinity College, Hannah Maria Norris Chair of World Christian History and Women in Ministry, and Director of Acadia Centre for Baptist and Anabaptist Studies.