BWIM’s 2025 Book Picks

By Beth Allison Barr

Becoming the Pastor’s Wife is one of my books of the year because Beth Allison Barr speaks directly into the tension I feel in my own calling—the idea that, for women, becoming a pastor’s wife can feel like the only “acceptable” route into full-time ministry. Barr brilliantly exposes how cultural expectations have boxed women into narrow roles, and she invites us to imagine something far more faithful and freeing. Her words reminded me that my call to ministry is real, worthy, and not dependent on anyone else’s assumptions. (Lauren’s Pick)

By Dorothy Littell Greco

While acknowledging progress for women over the last century, Dorothy Littell Greco describes how misogyny continues to permeate the air we breathe in the US and specifically in the US evangelical church. While the whole book has great value in building understanding of the ways misogyny’s pervasiveness may remain unseen, to me the gift of this book was the last two chapters which offered stories and thoughts on healing misogyny’s wounds and imagining a world without it. Anyone committed to BWIM’s mission will find this book informative and distressing, but also inspiring and motivating. (Meredith’s Pick)

By Sarah Bessey

I chose Jesus Feminist as a BWIM book pick of the year because it captures so beautifully the heartbeat of my work with Baptist Women in Ministry. Sarah Bessey names both the hope and the hard truth of what it means for women to live fully into their God-given callings, and she does so with a spirit rooted in Jesus’ own radical welcome. Her vision of a Church where women are free, supported, and empowered mirrors the world BWIM is working to build every day. This book reminded me why this mission matters, and why I believe so deeply in it. (Lauren’s Pick)

By bell hooks

bell hooks’ The Will to Change is an invitation to imagine a world where men are liberated from the confines of patriarchal masculinity and empowered to love with courage, vulnerability, and justice. hooks’ insights remind us that dismantling patriarchy is not only about advocating for women—it is also about calling men into fuller, freer ways of being. hooks helps articulate why allyship matters, how systems of domination wound everyone, and why genuine transformation in Baptist life requires the participation of men who are willing to unlearn harmful patterns and embrace equity. (Nikki’s Pick)

By Jennifer L. Eberhardt

Personal stories and detailed accounts of recent history are interwoven with neuroscience, social science, and investigative practices in this crucial read to understanding racial bias and learning about strategies for disrupting racial bias. As a white woman, this book was extremely helpful and challenging in understanding where bias may be present in my life and behaviors. As a woman in ministry, this book helped me think about the difference in the experiences of black and brown women in ministry as opposed to my own experience, and gave me tools to consider how I can be a better advocate for black and brown Baptist women in ministry. . (Meredith’s Pick)

By Amy Diehl and Leanne M. Dzubinski

Glass Doors offers a compelling and well-researched look at the subtle, systemic barriers that keep women from fully accessing leadership—barriers that echo what many women in ministry encounter every day. Diehl and Dzubinski’s work names the invisible structures, cultural expectations, and organizational practices that limit women’s thriving, even in communities committed to justice. At BWIM, we work to dismantle these very obstacles by advocating for equity, cultivating leadership, and telling the truth about the challenges women face in Baptist life. Glass Doors not only validates the lived experiences of women in ministry but also equips us with language and insight to push for meaningful, lasting change. (Nikki’s Pick)

By Mel Robbins

“The Let Them Theory invites people to create a world where they are uncontrolled by the decisions of others. This simple yet provocative approach to interpersonal relationships as presented by Robbins can be challenging for many women. At Baptist Women in Ministry, we have found that many women ministers find themselves making professional and personal decsisions based on the perceptions and actions of others. This book offers a strategy to “let them” and be liberated from the frivolity and fragility of other people’s opinions..” (Barbara’s Pick)

By Khristi Lauren Adams

Womanish Theology rose to the top for me this year because it offered a perspective on faith that both stretched me and grounded me in ways I didn’t expect. Khristi Lauren Adams centers the spiritual wisdom of Black girls — their experiences, their prayers, their questions, and their ways of reading Scripture — naming these insights as real, rich theology. Adams’s reframing of “womanish” as a playful, expansive approach to theology challenged the conventional, often white and male-dominated narratives I grew up with and invited me to see how much of God’s truth I miss when I only listen to the same voices. Her stories show how Black girls learn to interpret Scripture for themselves, find meaning in their own lived experiences, and hold onto faith through suffering, joy, community, and resilience. This book reminded me that theology is not limited to scholars or pulpits, but it grows out of real lives, real stories, and real girlhoods. (Lauren’s Pick)