Time. Talents. Treasures. Many a church stewardship campaign have been run with these three words at the heart of the campaign message. And somewhere along my own journey, I internalized them as ways to show my commitment to and passion for particular ideas and communities.
Time. Talents. Treasures. Three ways of giving yourself to the places, people, and movements you love. Each way as impactful as the next. All three needed to make a non-profit like Baptist Women in Ministry run.
As a woman in ministry, giving my time and talents to BWIM is an innate part of my ministry. As long as I am giving my time to share my talents in ministry, I am furthering the cause of women in ministry. By sharing my voice either through the pen or behind the pulpit, I lift up the cause of BWIM and offer my voice to the cacophony of those working to shatter the stained-glass ceiling.
Six years ago, as a fresh seminary graduate, I decided to offer my financial treasures to BWIM on a monthly basis as well. Even during difficult times for myself and my family financially, I continued to give to BWIM, because uplifting women in ministry is one of the biggest priorities in my life.
Over the course of the last decade as a seminary student and minister, BWIM has been a source of encouragement to me, either directly through the caring presence of Pam Durso or through the network of female ministers that have formed around the mission of BWIM. This community has inspired me to live into my calling even on the most difficult days of pastoring. The stories of other female pastors paving their ways in a culture and denomination that largely has not supported them has given me the courage to help break down more barriers and envision a new day where the percentage of female pastors breaks into the double digits.
I give to BWIM, because it gives me the freedom to dream, the audacity to hope, and the tools to continue working toward greater acceptance and celebration of the gifts of women for pastoral ministry.–Emily Holladay has served churches in Georgia and Kentucky and now enjoys spending her days with her eight-week-old son
Baptist Women in Ministry currently has 123 individuals, churches, and organizations that give monthly to our work. We would love to have 140 monthly supporters, and we hope to add seventeen more donors to our giving list this week! Small monthly gifts of $10 or $20 or larger monthly gifts of $50 or $75 make a significant difference! Join Emily in being a monthly giver!