Lay and ordained women have made solid gains in leadership within the American Baptist Churches in the USA, but far too many continue to face obstacles within the denomination and in its churches, Patricia Hernandez told a virtual gathering of women on the opening day of ABCUSA’s online Biannual Mission Summit.
“There has been a movement of women into many roles — pastors, executive ministers, missionaries at home and abroad, and executive roles. We have gained much ground and there is much ground to continue to gain,” Hernandez, associate general secretary for ABCUSA women in ministry and transition ministries, reported to the June 24 American Baptist Women’s Caucus session.
Patrcia Hernandez
The session included live and video interviews with women in numerous forms of ministry across the denomination. The evening gathering coincided with similar events by Black, Asian, Hispanic and Portuguese-speaking Baptists. The virtual summit continues with speaker, worship and business sessions through June 26.
During the Women’s Caucus, Hernandez noted that the position of general secretary of the denomination has yet to be held by a woman and there remain numerous congregations closed to the idea of calling females pastors.
And many of those who have been called continue to be barred from solo or senior pastor roles even though women comprise half the students at American Baptist seminaries, she said.
Just last week, Hernandez said, she spoke with a woman who was denied an interview from one church for an interim position.
Hernandez urged women and men to consider attending ABCUSA’s June 2022 “Radical. Redeemed. Ready.” women’s conference in Green Lake, Wis. The event will celebrate accomplishments, identify challenges and offer resources and encouragement for female clergy.
“Women need encouragement and support and relationships that strengthen us for the journey,” she said. “Women in all kinds of ministry can experience burnout because of the barriers to our callings.”
“Advocates for women who know them and their gifts and capacities need to lift up and endorse a woman for ministry.”
Those who know and support women must be intentional in offering support, including speaking on their behalf in congregations, she added. “Advocates for women who know them and their gifts and capacities need to lift up and endorse a woman for ministry.”
In addition to Hernandez’ presentation, close to 100 participants on the Zoom session watched video reports of women involved in international missions, domestic ministry and church leadership.
Judy Fackenthal
One of those featured Judy Fackenthal, who was interviewed about her Indiana congregation’s experience in the COVID-19 pandemic and how she endured the challenges of taking a mostly elderly congregation into virtual worship and fellowship.
“We have many older members who have resisted technology over the years, resisted owning a cell phone, let alone a computer,” said Fackenthal, co-interim pastor of Garfield Park Baptist Church in Indianapolis. “The challenge was how do you hold them together and connect?”
There were a record number of deaths in the congregation last year, she said. And although they were not COVID-19 related, the pain and grief around them was intensified by the pandemic-induced isolation.
“How much I missed those hospital visits and those nursing home visits and how hard it was to not be there to hug those families when they lost their loved ones,” she said.
Fackenthal said her embrace of spiritual direction helped her come through the ordeal.
“I went through a spiritual crisis where I was floundering and trying to discern God’s leading in my life,” she said. “I sat with a spiritual director every month. That was a holy, sacred experience for me.”
The process helped her not only survive quarantine but also sense a calling into spiritual direction ministry.
The timing was fortuitous, Fackenthal said, because it coincided with a renewed effort by ABCUSA, through the office of general secretary, to encourage lay and clergy Baptists to embrace spiritual direction. It has established an online hub to help those seeking direction or wanting to adopt it as a ministry.
“You know something is of God when it’s happening here and here and here,” she said. “And that’s what’s going on with spiritual direction with American Baptists.”