“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,…
Female pastors: Appointed or apostate? Southern Baptists decide
What roles should women fill in Southern Baptist churches? Worship leader? Youth minister? Senior pastor? A group of Southern Baptists is convinced women who feel called to be pastors must have misunderstood God’s voice. These Southern Baptists will try to…
Women in ministry: Strategically silent?
Growing up in the South, I learned that “children should be seen and not heard.” In too many cases, the same maxim is true about women. Many churches seek to silence women who demonstrate gifts for ministry, believing the Bible…
Where are the women in American evangelicalism?
Where are the women in American evangelicalism? The first answer that comes to mind might be “everywhere.” Women form the majority of evangelical congregations and can be found leading music, participating in small groups, teaching children and planning events, among…
The face of hope
By Melody Maxwell What does the face of a child rescued from trafficking look like? The question raced through my mind as our plane taxied down the runway in Kathmandu. I was one of five women on a mission trip…
Christians and the Miss America competition
By Melody Maxwell On Jan. 15, evangelical Christian Teresa Scanlan was crowned Miss America 2011. When I heard this news, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own experience a few months ago attending the Miss Alabama pageant, a preliminary…