One morning last week I had coffee with a young Ph.D. student in our congregation. She is brilliant, an honors graduate from UMass. I have known her for years because she was a member of Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, when I was pastor there. I baptized her. She is now a member at my church, First Baptist, Austin, Texas.
This young woman has seen Barbara Oliver serve as our associate pastor. She has heard me and then Chuck Poole speak for women’s clergy roles. She has watched as Courtney Allen went off to attend Wake Forest University Divinity School. She has been influenced by the current women clergy at Northminster.
During our conversation, she told me that she will be applying to Duke and Wake Forest in order to go to seminary. And then she said something that jumped out at me. In an off-handed way, she said, “I’ve never known any obstacles to pursuing ministry as a woman.”
I said, “Say that again.” “Why?” “Because I’m not sure you understand what a beautiful statement you just made, and I want you to own this deep in your spirit.” She repeated it and said, “I’m not sure I understand.” “That’s okay, ” I replied, “but the power for me is that we have reached a new level when the next generation finds the pathway much more open.”
We are part of something that is alive, something moving that will not be stopped.
Roger Paynter is pastor of First Baptist Church, Austin, Texas.