This post is the second in a series on conflict. Read the first On Ending Up in the Middle of Conflict. It took me a long time to realize I was the source of theological conflict for friends and family when I answered a call to preach. It took me as long to realize that this […]
On Being the Source of Conflict Read More »
The second Wednesday I was serving as Interim Pastor, I made the mistake of asking how many people at the church had had a woman pastor before. Only two raised their hands. Honestly, it surprised me because the congregation was so willing to accept and support a woman pastor. Suddenly, the responsibility of being their
My Pastor’s Pregnant Read More »
Last week was pretty momentous in my life as a woman, a minister, and a wife. On Wednesday, Sam and I found we were pregnant and expecting a baby in November. The next morning dawned my 30th birthday. My twentys were filled with school and searching (in America and in Germany) for who I was
On Being Thirty and Expecting Read More »
When I came to Emmanuel as the Interim Pastor, I didn’t know that this was a congregation who was breaking stereotypes and setting the stage for what it means to be an open and affirming congregation. What I did know was that they were brave enough to ask a non-ordained student to be their Interim
On Pastoring an Open and Affirming Congregation Read More »
The Spring of my student teaching, I was interviewing for my first job as a bona fide school teacher. I was terrified and excited and hopeful and nervous. I had chosen to ask for a student teacher placement in Spartanburg, over an hour drive from Furman, because I wanted to work in Spartanburg school districts
On Ending Up in the Middle of Conflict Read More »
Part of being a minister is to bear people’s burdens and to walk beside them as they walk through life. And that burden can be a lot to bear, especially if you consider the number of people that a minister ministers to, but there is something absolutely mysterious about being invited to be there for
On Being Asked to Be There for the Important Moments Read More »
We have now published 3 books in print and after agonizing after each and every detail of the formatting and book cover, it makes it hard for me to read other books. I notice things I didn’t notice before. (Is it just me or are all the copies of Ken Follett’s Edge of Eternity printed
Why It’s Hard for Me to Read Books Now Read More »
I did it. I actually renewed my books before any fines were incurred. This sounds simple, especially since the options for renewing your library books are endless: by phone, in person, online. Why I haven’t been able to do it effectively is beyond me, but it has gotten to the point that my husband won’t
My week this week has involved a couple of different hospital systems. Each time I find myself wandering aimlessly in the hospital halls, I inevitably run into hospital staff and doctors all of whom are extremely helpful. None of the people I encounter in the hospital doubt or question whether I am minister (although I
One of These Things Is Not Like the Other Read More »
I’ve recently gotten brave enough to ask some of my female baptist minister colleagues, who have been ministers much longer than I have, what the norm is for salaries and benefits and overall packages for female baptist ministers. Notice I said female baptist ministers, not baptist ministers because unfortunately the norms are not the same.
Assuming Baptist Women Ministers Are Covered Read More »
