Midwives of a Movement

A STORY OF CHALLENGING BAPTIST PATRIARCHY

On the eve of the SBC’s final vote for a constitutional amendment to disfellowship churches where women serve as pastors of all kinds, BWIM will release Midwives of a Movement which chronicles the stories of the women who boldly birthed a movement to seek greater visibility and opportunities for women in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in the 1970s and 1980s. Despite great opposition, their courage blazed pathways for advancing women in ministry and leadership among Baptists over the last 40+ years.

During a time when women in ministry among Baptists are hearing negativity surrounding their call and service to God, BWIM will join in solidarity with all women who serve among Baptists to share a positive message of affirmation and hope. One that proudly demonstrates that when women are pushed down and marginalized, we always rise up!

The release for free streaming will come after 30 successful in-person screenings across the country.

Mark your calendars for the release and begin thinking about how you can use Midwives of a Movement within your congregation and community to advocate for the full affirmation of women in ministry and leadership in Baptist communities.

“You all have done something big here, something powerful and profoundly Spirit-infused. I believe this documentary and your tour with it to different churches will pay compounding interest. It was so impactful and beautiful for me to glimpse this part of the process of shifting congregational culture.”

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    Recent and Upcoming Screenings

    Do you want to attend a screening of Midwives of a Movement? Find a date and location that works for you and we’ll see you there. Please note that we are still in the process of confirming details for each of these screenings and will update the information as we finalize it.

     

    Date Location Time
    January 7, 2024 Bayshore Baptist Church | Tampa, FL 6:00 PM
    January 31, 2024 Pullen Memorial Baptist Church | Raleigh, NC 6:00 PM
    February 11, 2024 First Baptist Church | Austin, TX 1:00 PM
    February 25, 2024 Boulevard Baptist Church | Anderson, SC 6:00 PM
    February 27, 2024 Baylor University | Mayborn Museum
    Waco, TX | Register Here
    6:00 PM
    March 2, 2024 Grandin Court Baptist Church | Roanoke, VA 3:00 PM
    March 3, 2024 First Baptist Church | Martinsville, VA 3:00 PM
    March 4, 2024 Hampton Baptist Church | Hampton, VA 7:00 PM
    March 5, 2024 Byrd Theatre | Richmond, VA 7:00 PM
    March 6, 2024 University Baptist Church | Charlottesville, VA 6:00 PM
    March 10, 2024 Broadway Baptist Church | Fort Worth, TX
    Register Here for This Screening
    1:30 PM
    March 15, 2024 Mid-Atlantic CBF & McLean Baptist Church
    McLean, VA
    Register Here for this Screening
    7:00 PM
    March 17, 2024 Immanuel Baptist Church | Nashville, TN 5:00 PM
    March 18, 2024 Belmont University | Johnson Center Theatre Nashville, TN 6:30 PM
    March 20, 2024 Ball Camp Baptist Church | Knoxville, TN 6:00 PM
    March 21, 2024 Georgetown College | Georgetown, KY 6:30 PM
    March 22, 2024 First Baptist Church of Christ | Macon, GA 6:00 PM
    March 22, 2024 Ridgewood Baptist Church | Louisville, KY 6:30 PM
    April 3, 2024 Second Baptist Church | Lubbock, TX 5:30 PM
    April 11, 2024 Campbell University Divinity School
    Buies Creek, NC
    3:00 PM
    April 12, 2024 CBF NC- Oakmont Baptist Church
    Greenville, NC
    6:30 PM
    April 13, 2023 CBF NC- Greystone Baptist Church
    Raleigh, NC
    5:00 PM
    April 14, 2024 CBF NC- First Baptist on Fifth
    Winston-Salem, NC
    9:00 AM
    April 14, 2024 CBF NC- First Baptist Church
    Asheville, NC
    4:00 PM
    April 15, 2024 Gardner- Webb University and Divinity School
    Boiling Springs, NC
    7:00 PM
    April 21, 2024 Oakhurst Baptist Church | Decatur, GA 1:30 PM
    April 22, 2024 Wilshire Baptist Church | Dallas, TX 6:00 PM
    May 4, 2024 Parkway Baptist Church | Duluth, GA 4:00 PM
    June 8, 2024 Trinity Episcopal Cathedral | Little Rock, AR 12:00 PM
    June 18, 2024 College Park Baptist Church | Greensboro, NC
    *If you are in town early for the CBF General Assembly, please join us!
    7:00 PM
    June 23, 2024 Richmond’s First Baptist Church | Richmond, VA
    Register Here!
    12:30 PM
    July 7, 2024 Madison Heights Baptist Church
    Lynchburg, VA
    4:00 PM
    July 14, 2024 Northminster Baptist Church | Monroe, LA
    July 18, 2024 Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America/ Bautistas por la Paz
    BPFNA Peace Camp- Mars Hill University | Asheville, NC
    2:00 PM
    August 11, 2024 First Baptist Church | Raleigh, NC
    August 21, 2024 First Baptist Church | Savannah, GA
    September 11, 2024 Crescent Hill Baptist Church | Louisville, KY
    September 15, 2024 Northminster Baptist Church | Jackson, MS
    September 22, 2024 Auburn First Baptist Church | Auburn, AL
    September 22, 2024 Fredericksburg Baptist Church
    Fredericksburg, VA
    September 25, 2024 Crescent Hill Baptist Church | Louisville, KY
    September 29, 2024 Baptist Church of the Covenant | Birmingham, AL 4:00 PM

    Film Synopsis

    Midwives of a Movement features interviews with eleven women who were active in the early days of the women’s movement within the Southern Baptist Convention in the 1970’s and 1980’s, archival material from these years, and commentary from Baptist Women in Ministry Executive Director, Meredith Stone, and Baptist Historian and Baylor University professor, Mandy McMichael.

    The feature documentary film begins with a prologue of reflections on the beginnings of the women’s movement within the Southern Baptist Convention through the 1978 SBC Consultation on Women in Church Related Vocations in Nashville, Tennessee. Following these reflections, the women interviewed tell of how they came to feel called to ministry within the Southern Baptist Convention, the opposition they faced, and what they needed as they began seek opportunities to live out their calling.

    The chronological aspect of the film picks back up in 1983 as women began organizing to form an organization that would serve their needs and advocate within the SBC. They reflect on the successes of their movement and organization in 1983, but also describe the backlash against them that occurred within the SBC in 1984. Despite the opposition, however, the movement only grew.

    Like any movement, there were ups and downs as well as areas of conflict on which the women offer retrospective insight which resounds with the continued story of advocating for women in ministry. The film ends as each of them reflect on what their involvement in this movement means to them today.