By Bob Allen The only predominantly African-American Southern Baptist church in a rural county in Tennessee risks losing its house of worship for calling a woman as pastor. News Channel 5 in Nashville reported Oct. 15 that Greater Tabernacle Baptist…
Women in the world of the Pope
By Molly T. Marshall A bit of sadness crept over me as I watched the departing ceremony of Pope Francis. His presence in our midst has called each of us to a more joyous and merciful way of living. As…
Searching for Sunday: A review
When I was fifteen, I was called into ministry. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God wanted me to be a minister. There was only one problem. I was a Southern Baptist who happened to also be…
CBF Northeast coordinator reflects on attending U.N. Women’s Conference
By Phyllis Boozer On Friday, March 13 I had the opportunity, thanks to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Baptist World Alliance, to attend a United Nations Women’s Conference in New York. This was part of a two-week series of meetings,…
The chaos of waiting
Clearly there had been some mistake. Mark was thirty-four-years old and healthy. He had never even spent a night in the hospital. We had a two-year-old son. We had plans for a vacation and our careers and our family. How…
How do we change history?
By Nora O. Lozano On Feb. 28, many CBF Baptists rejoiced for Dr. Pam Durso’s ordination to Christian ministry. Since the initial announcement, I followed the news with great interest because Pam and I share some similar experiences. We both…
Texas Baptist Women in Ministry group organized
By Ken Camp With the formation of Texas Baptist Women in Ministry, Texas joins nine other states in creating an organization to encourage women who serve in Baptist churches and advocate for expanded ministry opportunities for women. More than two…
Scholastica: A saint for women called to ministry
Women breaking new ground in ministry need a network of peer support. February 10 is the Feast Day of Saint Scholastica, the twin sister of Saint Benedict and founder of the first Benedictine convent for women. These “holy twins” were born…
Calling a woman as pastor
From time to time, I receive a call from a member of a pastor search committee that is considering a woman as their senior pastor (which is a term that I don’t find anywhere in scripture, but I understand the…
What happened on the way to my funeral
Facing a new year, many of us reflect on our lives. You may be shocked that I would suggest that we talk about death, but after years of training in pastoral care in seminary and Clinical Pastoral Education, and more…
There’s something about Mary
Women have had a long, rich, and complex relationship with Mary the mother of Jesus since the beginning of Christianity. As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, this collection of reflections invites us to pause and ponder the young woman at…
Struggles prepared her for ministry, says pastor of Hispanic congregation
By Jeff Brumley By all accounts, nothing rattles Alina Carbonell. She has survived communism in Cuba, the leukemia death of a beloved sister, an abusive marriage and a nasty divorce. Throw in a near-bankruptcy while raising two boys on her…