Last week I had the opportunity to speak to a gathering of Baptist moderate leaders. The focus of my presentation was on the challenges we as moderate Baptists face as we move into our future. One challenge I addressed is the question: “What do we say to our Baptist daughters who feel called and who are gifted to serve as pastor?”
And here is an excerpt from my remarks . . . “I think we have at least two options as moderate Baptists. The first option . . . we tell young women to stop waiting for existing churches to change. We encourage them to move outside the traditional framework for their future in ministry. In essence, we advise them to give up on looking for open pulpits and existing churches that will embrace their gifts. And instead, we call out young women to plant new churches, churches which from their very foundation will be inclusive of women, affirming of their gifts.
A second option is to challenge our young women to stay in their churches, to be proactive and make change happen, to be reformers, revolutionaries. We advise our daughter to work from within our existing churches but to be vocal and strong in their call for change.
Two options. The more I ponder these two options the more I am convinced that the answer is YES. Yes to both options. We need to call some of our daughters to new work, outside the box work, and we need to prepare them with new skills that will ensure their success. And we need to call some of our daughters to stay the course, to minister in our existing churches, to be change agents from within. I am convinced that we cannot do either/or, BUT we must do both/and. We must live out both options.
And let me make one side note . . . if we advise our daughters to plant churches, to start new work, are we not then obligated to provide financial training for them about budgets and accounting, to offer them leadership and managerial education, entrepreneurial coaching? Do we need to make sure that women in seminary are taught business skills so that they will know how to organize new churches, found non-profits? Do we need to teach them to raise money, manage account, and create new paradigms for leadership?”
What has unfolded for me in the last few days as I have thought about this gathering is that the conversations we shared about our future together have energized me. Talking together about hopes and dreams but also sharing about concrete plans and priorities gave me a new sense of hope and an even greater commitment to the mission of Baptist Women in Ministry—“to be a catalyst in Baptist life, drawing together women and men in partnership with God, to illuminate, advocate, and nurture the gifts and graces of women.”