The voices on this page represent women who are addressing the issues of female participation in the life of the church in honest and meaningful ways. Primarily by doing the work anyway.
They speak truthfully about their experiences, are knowledgeable about the subject, and clearly communicate how God is using them even in settings where are they may not be welcome simply by being a woman.
I know some of them and others I hope to meet. If you want to learn more about this discussion and want to encounter amazing women who are doing the work of Christ in the world today, then I recommend you start by reading the works of one of these women.
Beth Allison Barr is associate professor of history and associate dean of the Graduate School at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she specializes in medieval history, women’s history, and church history. She is the president of the Conference on Faith and History and is a member of Christians for Biblical Equality. Barr has written for Christianity Today, the Washington Post, and Religion News Service, and is a regular contributor to The Anxious Bench, the popular Patheos website on Christian history. She is the author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth.
You can follow Beth Allison Barr on Facebook and on Instagram.
“This is a book unlike anything I’ve read before. Drawing on her extensive research into the history of Christianity, Barr upends everything you thought you knew about Christianity and gender. This fervent, bold, and sweeping history of Christianity and patriarchy is an absolute game changer. Any future debates will need to reckon with Barr’s contention that the subjugation of women has nothing to do with gospel truth.”
Sarah takes a light touch with a difficult topic. She speaks with grace and beauty, with full knowledge of her topic and her experiences with the church. She speaks in love but also calls people out on their outdated and fundamentalist tendencies. She shows grace in dealing with those who seek to discredit her, while holding firmly to the faith in which she now finds herself.
Sarah has the ability and the voice to reach those that might not be reached by someone else. Her demeanor and approach is to be respected. Her understanding of women and the church is thorough and well balanced. If you are new the the topic, Sarah is a great person to start the journey with.
You can learn and read more about Sarah at http://sarahbessey.com/. You can follow her on Twitter @SarahBessey. You can see pictures from her life on Instagram. Sarah is also one of the Co-Hosts of Evolving Faith.
“Our big and good God is at work in the world, and we have been invited to participate fully—however God gifted and equipped and called each of us. One needn’t identify as a feminist to participate in the redemptive movement of God for women in the world. The gospel is more than enough. …But as long as I know how important maternal health is to Haiti’s future, and as along as I know that women are being abused and raped, as long as I know girls are being denied life itself through selective abortion and abandonment and abuse, as long as brave little girls in Afghanistan are attacked with acid for the crime of going to school, and until being a Christian is synonymous with doing something about these things, you can also call me a feminist.”
Nadia had become one of leading female voices in the church today. Her directness, honesty, and ability to tell a compelling story draws people into the life of the pastor in today's world. While, as stated below, she would rather not focus on the femaleness of being a minister, her work gives voice to countless women who struggle to have a voice in the church.
HFASS is a beautiful community of people that meet in downtown Denver, CO. They are intentional about meeting the needs of the community around them and make it clear that everyone is welcome to worship with them.
To hear more of her story and reflection, you can read her blog at www.nadiabolzweber.com and you can also find her on the Patheos network at www.patheos.com/blogs/nadiabolzweber. She tweets at @sarcasticluther
“But as we know, there are still countless churches across the country where women, like myself and Elizabeth Eaton, would not be allowed to preach. As much as I long to never again be asked to speak about being a woman in ministry, and as much as I want the day to come when the gender of clergy is not in any way interesting, we are not there yet. There are still little girls in white, Sunday school shoes who will never hear a voice that is like theirs speak the Gospel, who will never see curves like the ones they will have under the robes of the one raising bread and wine behind an altar and speaking ancient, holy words of promise and forgiveness, who will never know without reservation that she is made in the image of God in all her glorious girl-ness.”
Kathy Escobar is a Co-Pastor of The Refuge in Broomfield, CO. An authentic healing community of believers that walk together in the journey of faith. Kathy is the author of Faith Shift, a book about walking through our faith transitions. She is also co-host and creator of The Walking Wounded, a mixed media class on dealing with wounds received in the church.
Kathy is an amazing woman. Joy and grace flow out of her, even in the face of difficulty in being a woman in ministry. She is an inspiration to those around her.
You can learn more about Kathy at kathyescobar.com. You can follower her on twitter @kathyescobar.
“My prayer and hope is that more and more spaces & places would be created where women and men were working freely alongside each other as equals, friends, brothers & sisters, and co-creators of wholeness and hope.”
Rachel Held Evans is best known for her book A Year of Biblical Womanhood and had a large following on her blog. She regularly wrote about issues surrounding faith, women, and the church. She confronted stereotypes, bad theology, and critics. She is a bold example of how living a life guided by Christ plays out in today's world. She was a voice for women and the church.
You can read more about Rachel at rachelheldevans.com. Rachel died in 2019.
“When female executives, entrepreneurs, academics, and creatives are told that they have to check their gifts at the church door, many turn away for good. And while our sisters around the world continue to suffer from trafficking, exploitation, violence, neglect, maternal mortality, and discrimination, those of us who are perhaps more equipped to respond with prophetic words and actions—women of faith—are being systematically silenced in our own faith communities.”
From her website: Linda Kay Klein is a storyteller for social good best known for her work on purity culture. She provides deconstruction & purity culture recovery coaching for both individuals and groups and is and the founder & president of Break Free Together, a nonprofit storytelling organization dedicated to helping people release shame and claim their whole selves. This work was born out of Linda’s 16 years of research for her award-winning book, Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free.
You can follow Linda and subscribe to her newsletter at lindakayklein.com You can follow her on Instagram.
“Linda Kay Klein’s PURE is an important book for this moment in history, as women come to the collective understanding that the institutions we spend our lives serving are not created to serve us. Women are canaries in religious coal mines—and PURE emboldens us to escape toxic misogyny and experience a fresh breath of freedom.”
Jory Micah works tirelessly to defend women's equality in the Christian church at large. She is a regular blogger and contributes to several online forums including Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE) and The Junia Project. She is a adjunct professor at SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary and is currently working on planting a new church community called Beloved.
Jory is a team player and is constantly encouraging other women to speak out and use the gifts that God has given them. Jory makes the web a better place. You can follow her on Facebook, on Twitter @jorymicah, and on Instagram @jorymicah.
You can also read her Master's Thesis on Women in Ministry here.
“Within the first and second century, it is clear that females occupied every office of leadership within the Christian Church. Their ministry was vital in its foundations and remains strategically needed within the continuous growth of Christianity today.”
Marg is an ever present voice in advocating for the equality of women in the church. She is gracious and knowledgeable when talking about this topic and has become a go-to voice in knowing what the Biblical text actually says about women in the Bible.
Marg has been published in various places. Several of her articles have been published on the websites of The Junia Project and Christians for Biblical Equality (International), and on Scot McKnight’s Jesus Creed. Some of them are listed as Additional Resources recommended by Yale Bible Studies.
You can see more of Marg’s work here: margmowczko.com and you can support her work through Patreon. You can follow her on Facebook @margmowczko and on Instagram @margmowczko1
“Anyone with an interest in biblical gender equality will flourish from the work of Marg Mowczko. Her well-researched biblical reflection richly informs women called to ministry, pastors reflecting on women’s role in marriage and ministry, or anyone curious about women’s leadership and Scripture. An accessible writer committed to excellence in biblical scholarship, I consistently promote the work of Marg Mowczko.”
Danielle is a theologian engaged in the emerging church discussion and the changes happening in the evangelical landscape. She served as pastor for 8 years at Journey Dallas and is a published author. She has a major theological crush on Jürgen Moltmann and her first book reflects her appreciation for his work. She is a dynamite presenter and wonderful person. You can't go wrong sitting at Daneille's feet to learn more about this crazy journey of faith.
You can read more of her writing at danielleshroyer.com. You can follow her on twitter @DGShroyer.
“Jesus has always made room for us, even if the church not always followed suit. We have lived as holy pillars, our arms pressing up at the ceiling and reaching for the heavens, even as we have our feet planted firmly on the ground.”
Janel is the Editor at Women and Church and enjoys helping women tell their stories. She is also the C0-Editor of Women Experiencing Faith, a collection of 50 essays on the experiences of women in the church. She integrates women’s equality into all of her efforts whether podcasting for Brew Theology or representing women at inter/multifaith tables. Janel is a climate advocate and believes that helping women find equality also helps us all fight the climate crisis.
The conversation in conservative religious circles around women’s rights and voices can be really discouraging. At the same time we find many stories where women find their way through the noise and are encouraged to speak, lead, and teach. Janel’s hope is that women who want their voices to be heard will have that opportunity. That is why we talk about Women and Church.