For five years now, Baptist Women in Ministry has sponsored the Martha Stearns Marshall emphasis–asking churches to invite a woman to preach in February. Last year we had 106 churches in the United States and one in Cuba participate.
This time around I have had a few interesting moments as I have collected the information from participating churches. I have had several emails from pastors telling me that they surely will be taking part in Molly Marshall Day because they love Molly. I love Molly too! (but Molly comes a few hundred years after Martha on the Baptist timeline).
I also got a few emails from pastors who shared that their church has yet to have a woman preach on a Sunday morning, but they are working with their congregations and moving toward having a woman in the pulpit.
And I got an email from a church staff member asking me for biblical evidence that women should preach.
Martha Stearns Marshall Month and this emphasis on opportunities for churches to hear women preach and opportunities for Baptist women to preach does provide for some moments of humor but has also reminded me that as Baptists we still have lots of work to do.
For information about Martha Stearns Marshall month, visit the BWIM website!
Pam Durso is executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry, Atlanta, Georgia.