Jo Ann Deasy is an ordained Covenant pastor currently serving as the director of institutional initiatives and student research at the Association of Theological Schools in Pittsburgh, PA.

On Monday, August 24, 2015, we lost one of the pioneers of women’s ordination in the Evangelical Covenant Church. Sherron Hughes-Tremper, the first woman ordained in our denomination, passed away at the age of 70 following a full life of ministry dedicated to those on the margins. (To read her obituary click here here)

Sherron did not spend many years pastoring in Covenant Churches. The path was too new at the time and churches were not ready for her gifts and calling. Instead, she found other paths, chaplaincy, the United Methodist Church. Yet she remained committed to and connected to this denomination, despite the pain that came with being ordained into a community that could not find a place for her.

I am a not sure when I first met Sherron. My clearest memory of her is at the Covenant Annual Meeting held in 2008, the 30th Anniversary of Sherron’s ordination. I was honored to work with Carol Lawson in the Department of Ordered Ministry and Ruth Hill from Women Ministries on a video marking the occasion. The video included honest reflections of women serving in ministry in the Evangelical Covenant Church, both the joys and the struggles, as well as statements of support by several denominational leaders and faculty members. Continue Reading »

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Rev Mary Putera is currently serving as the Pastor of Sunset Covenant Church in Oregon. Rev. Putera is also working on her doctorate with the European Graduate School.

To “offer oneself”, to bring and give freely of who one is, in a foreign context, amidst the complex circumstances of recent systemic trauma, ongoing societal struggles and the emerging qualities of resilience, is to give in to God’s call to be vulnerable. I am going, and I struggle with going. I struggle to settle into vulnerability. Make no mistake, going is a constant wrestling for me, until my feet pass through security, and then surrender is the only option.

In 3 weeks I will return to Nepal as a trainer and teacher of Expressive Art Therapy and Community Art Practice. As a pastor, part of my call is to bring word of God reaching out to the world. God reaches out to the world as the Living Artist, reminding us all of the inherent beauty residing in each of us as “imago Dei”. As theologian Garcia-Rivera points out, the Greek word for “beauty” has two forms; hallos (noun) which means to call, and Kalon (adj) which means “the called” (1999) Garcia-Rivera expands this definition writing; “Theological aesthetics attempts to make clear once again the connection between Beauty and the beautiful, between Beauty’s divine origins and its appropriation by the human heart”(1999). Continue Reading »

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Cathy Kaminski is the lead pastor at Trinity Community Church in Cincinnati, OH. She is a self proclaimed jogger, coffee-lover, corny joke enthusiast, and sinner saved by grace.

Earlier this summer I was getting ready to take some of our high school students to a youth conference known as CHIC, (www.chic2015.org). While every pastor is different, when preparing for a week away I feel the need to overcompensate by delegating even the most minute tasks. It was in this attempt at organized chaos when one of the church-goers informed me, “It’s ok Pastor Cathy. I’ll be the pastor this week.” This church-goer happened to be a seven year old girl.

I stooped down, smiled and encouraged, “Sounds like a plan! Do you want to preach too?” She laughed and told me next time. But to tell you the truth, I wasn’t joking. In that moment I was filled with a sense of joy and I couldn’t quite place why.

Throughout the course of the following week, while ministering to students and seeing God move in unimaginable ways, I took time to reflect on other instances when filled with that same unexplainable joy. There was a time around Christmas. A mom shared a story of her youngest daughters. They had received toy microphones as presents. How did they decide to play with these microphones? One might think: be a pop star. A comedian, perhaps. But no, these girls decided to pretend to be “Pastor Cathy.” Their mother informed me they welcomed the family to church, gave announcements, led songs, and even gave mini-sermons. My heart was filled with these precious little ones.

But it was more than love for these little girls that was causing my heart to swell. It wasn’t until an afternoon at CHIC that the picture finally became clear. I had the privilege of partnering with another youth group to embark on the adventure that is CHIC. Our three students joined a church with twenty and together we enjoyed the conference. Towards the end of the week, the other pastor, a male colleague of mine, shared an unexpected benefit of joining forces. In his context, many of his students have not experienced the leadership of a female pastor. Being able to minister well, love, and care for these students expanded their understanding of God.

His insight opened my eyes to what God had been stirring in me for months. Why am I so overwhelmed by these little girls pretending to be pastors? Because they are growing up knowing that God can use them in every single capacity of church leadership. It hit me that I might be the only lead pastor they remember from childhood and their understanding of God and women in leadership will forever be impacted by that fact.

A little of my story: I used to be a complementarian, (meaning I did not affirm women in leadership). I had never seen it. Never experienced it. And often had doors slammed in my face if I challenged it. It was a long journey towards answering the call to pastoral leadership. This is a life I could have never imagined and was unable to dream for myself.

But these little girls, these student, male and female, for all of the parishioners I am privileged to pastor…for them a female pastor is normal. Seeing a woman preach, teach, administer communion is not questioned, but celebrated. I get to be a part of a witness that opens people’s eyes to how God calls humanity to serve. I struggled for so long because I could not picture what female head leadership could look like. Now I get to paint that picture!

I don’t know your context. I don’t know your story. But I do know that empowering women to serve in all aspects of church life does more than affirm their call. For all of us it deepens our love and understanding of God and helps us to dream.

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Jeff Ondrey is a nursing home adminstrator in Western New York and is a member of the Commission on Biblical Gender Equality. 

This past weekend, I had the fortune to be able to visit my little grandson and his family in Washington, DC.  My wife and I took part of a day to visit some of the monuments that we had not seen in over 35 years.  What an inspiring place that has memorialized some inspiring quotes from some inspiring men and women. Our morning began at the Jefferson memorial where the irony unfolded that I had just finished reading the following quote by Thomas Jefferson when a rag tag group of people brandishing confederate flags made a visual spectacle on the steps of the memorial.

While my own intolerant mind tried to be gracious to allow them the freedom to express themselves, (and I knew my own limitations on this and did not linger to listen to them) I wondered if they had taken the time to read the words on the four massive engravings surrounding Jefferson’s statue. Continue Reading »

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Catherine Gilliard is co-senior pastor of New Life Covenant Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

My heart is breaking and my resolve has strengthened. With each newscast about another encounter involving an abuse of power or another incident where systemic injustice remains unchallenged, I have become more aware of the silence of women of faith. Let’s be real, my sisters, women are gifted, relational and influential. Yet somehow our voices are missing from these critical conversations happening across our nation right now.

Shaped by the words of Proverbs 31:8-9 women who lead and serve in the church can move from silence into this unique season where gifts of organizing, advocacy and leadership are so needed. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

We should paste these words on our mirrors as a reminder to us as we wake each morning that each day will bring with it an opportunity to speak for the voiceless, to understand the facts so we can judge fairly and to move into action in defense of the poor and needy. Seasoned with our own stories of struggle, women of faith can name the faceless nature of evil. Our own life journeys give us an unique ability to recognize the intricate ways in which marginalization and class distinctions weave strong webs of isolation and domination. Women who lead and serve in the church are called to speak words of truth that are seasoned with love and to connect the dots for others who have the power to release those who are oppressed and denied access to needed resources by systems of injustice. My heart breaks, but my resolve is strengthened to inspire women to join the national conversation. Our voices are needed, our perspectives required and our stories must be included if we are to break the collective silence women of faith on issues of injustice. Continue Reading »

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Veronica Gilliard is a member of New Life Covenant Church in Atlanta, Georgia. She also serves as secretary of the Southeast Conference Women Ministries Executive Board. She is also currently a student, pursuing her PhD in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Higher Education. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, bowling, and reading.

Groups that are ascribed inferior status are often delegated less power in the public eye. Women, in 2015, are still a perfect example of this notion. Whether we are discussing being paid cents on the dollar, still being rejected in some aspects of church leadership, or consistently being portrayed by the media as both hypersexualized and less intelligent than our male counterparts, the world has been clear in it’s message: women are second-class citizens, a means to an end.

As frustrated as women are with the misogyny and patriarchy of our world, many of us are equally, if not more frustrated with an unlikely group – other women.

God made no mistakes when making us women. And God’s choice to do so makes us daughters of the King Most High, in short, princesses. While some of us think of this identity as a gift that vests us with agency, what we often witness when relating to other women about their own agency, or lack thereof, is more reminiscent of the typical fairy tale princess who is trapped and awaiting a dramatic rescue from her macho male hero.

While women will undoubtedly need male partners on this long journey toward equality, we ought not trade their voice for our own. Women must not prod men to speak up for them, on their behalf, in pursuit of equality, while they themselves remain quiet. Instead, we ought to partner with men while also unashamedly advocating for ourselves. But how do we effectively advocate for ourselves? It all goes back to relationships. Continue Reading »

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Brian Wiele is Lead Pastor at River Ridge Covenant Church in Olympia, Washington, and serves as Chair of the Commission for Biblical Gender Equality for the Evangelical Covenant Church, which exists to equip the church to articulate the truth about Biblical equality regarding gender; and to advocate for women in ministry and leadership in all possible venues within the church. He recently spent time at CHIC (Covenant High In Christ) a youth conference of the ECC which takes place every three years.

I had every intention of sleeping on my flight to CHIC. I’m not a fan of flying before 6AM, but I felt it was best to accompany with the nine people attending from our church. My primary reason for participating in CHIC, however, was not to serve as one of their chaperones. Representing the Covenant’s Commission on Biblical Gender Equality, I was praying that God would direct me into meaningful encounters with students and leaders who sensed that God was calling them into vocational service.

Little did I sense that the first person would be on that flight.  Sitting in the row with me was a teenage girl heading to CHIC with her church from Redmond, Washington. A delightful young woman reading a very interesting book, she and I engaged in mostly small talk. I learned later, however, that on the next flight, she asked her youth pastor’s wife (Ali Hormann) about me.  She was thrilled to learn that there would be opportunities at CHIC to explore ministry, as she is sensing God’s call on her life.

This was just the first of several opportunities that surfaced during the week. The rest centered around the little table in The Hub where I sat each afternoon.  Admittedly, I was “luring” some to speak to me with the promise of a $15 I-tunes card.  Students were encouraged to write about why they love having a woman pastor or youth pastor, with the plan of giving out three cards on the last day. One of the winners, Pastor Kathy Kaminski of Trinity Covenant in Cincinnati, is pictured with some of her students. The other winners were Julie Portillo of Faith Covenant in Manistee, Michigan and Dawn Burnett of Celebration Covenant in Omaha, Nebraska. Continue Reading »

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Evelmyn Ivens was born in Mexico and moved to the United States during her teenage years. She graduated from North Park Theological Seminary in 2013 with a MA in Theological Studies and works at the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) in Chicago. Evelmyn has lived in Los Angeles, CA, Washington, DC, and Chicago, IL, enjoys traveling and learning about other cultures. She’s passionate about issues of immigration, hunger, poverty, and human trafficking.

The other day I was leaving home to meet a friend for dinner and on my way out the door, one of my roommates asked whom was I meeting? I said “a friend, who is really more like a mentor.” My roommate said, “Oh I wish I had a mentor!” I stopped for a moment and thought, how cool it was to have someone like this friend, someone that I look up, and ask for advise, but who encourages me, and pushes me in a good way, to continue writing, and dream together about continuing my education. This friend has become more like a mentor. In my first post on this blog I shared about two of my friends who inspired me about pursuing seminary education and about following God’s call into my life. But then there’s been other women who along the way have impacted my life and who continue to be of support.

In 2009 I had the amazing opportunity of doing an internship at Bread for the World. Bread is a Christian advocacy organization that focuses on issues of hunger and poverty. It was there that I became friends with a woman who since then has influenced my life so much, and whom I love dearly, Sister Margaret Mary Kimmins, a Franciscan nun from New York City. Before getting to know Sister Margaret Mary the image I had about nuns was completely different, I always thought all nuns wore habits and lived secluded in convents. But what a surprise! Sister M as my friend Dulce calls her, does not wear a habit nor lives in a convent. She actually loves city life. It was through her that I learned about Catholic Social Teaching because she not only talked about it, but she lives it. A woman who lives her faith and loves people, she was everyone’s favorite person at Bread. She’s so much fun and I loved working with her, there was never a dull moment. It was because of her that I stopped drinking bottled water, for example, and learned to be more conscious about the use of water, which is a very strong Franciscan value. I also learned about her justice work, and even had the chance to participate in an immigration rally with her. Continue Reading »

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Jon Lemmond is Pastor for Congregational Life at Montecito Covenant Church, Santa Barbara, CA and an adjunct professor at Westmont College. Jon received a M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in early modern European history from the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research focused on the issue of domestic abuse during the Protestant Reformation. He is married to Marianne Robins, a full-professor at Westmont College, and they parent four children: Jeremie, Emma, Jordan, and Lea.

We live in a world where our bodies are often experienced as burdens – a world where advertisers seek to alienate us from our own bodies by describing them as always lacking, desperately in need of some fixing or enhancement. Unfortunately, this is also true of many churches where sin is so closely defined by our bodies and where our souls and minds are envisaged as being our true selves. More than ever, the church needs to find ways to embody and reclaim the Biblical truth that our bodies, all bodies, are wonderful creations of a loving God. As a pastor and parent, I have come to learn that we will never be able to come close to gender equality without attending to the sacredness and vulnerability of our bodies. The ability to see one’s whole self as loved and empowered by God needs to be more than a mental task but also connected to tangible practices which help us envision all aspects of our lives as sacred.

The beauty of the body is everywhere found in the Scriptures. The Old Testament is replete with praise and wonder at our bodies as God’s good creation. Even a cursory review of the Psalms acknowledges the myriad ways our bodies are spiritual vehicles made for relationship with God: flesh longs for God (Ps. 63:1), can come to God (65:2), cry out for God (Ps. 84:2), and bless his holy name (Ps. 145:21). In one of the most well-known Psalms on the body (Psalm 139) – Leslie Allen translates vss. 13-14 – “Indeed you yourself created my kidneys; you wove me together in my mother’s womb. I give you thanks because you are awesomely wonderful, so wonderful is what you have made.” The wording of Leslie Allen’s translation is helpful. The Psalmist does not praise God because he (the Psalmist) is wonderful. He says that we are wonderful because God is – “you [God] are awesomely wonderful, so wonderful is what you have made.” God, the Psalmist declares, is the One who is the source of wonder for our bodily life. This means that bodies are not precious because they are beautiful or thin, well-groomed with straight teeth, muscular, controlled, or sleek. Your body – every body – is precious because it is the Lord’s. This shouldn’t detract from a sense of wonder about yourself – you are wonderfully made – but vs. 14 says that the wonderfulness of your body connects directly to God. So the task of the church is to help people creatively connect, love and serve one another in a way that protects the body, delights in the body, and cherishes the body as part of God’s good creation. Continue Reading »

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David Bjorlin is a pastor of worship at Resurrection Covenant Church (Chicago) and adjunct lecturer in worship at North Park Theological Seminary. He is currently working on his Ph.D. in liturgical studies at Boston University where he focuses on hymnody, the connection between liturgy and ethics, and children in worship. He recently published Incorporating Children in Worship: Mark of the Kingdom with NPTS professor Michelle Clifton-Soderstrom.

Growing up as a pastor’s kid in a Pentecostal church in northern Minnesota, I spent an inordinate amount of time in church. And in that tradition, sermons were not a fifteen-minute homily but at least a forty-five minute ordeal. With an attention span that usually ran out just as the preacher was working his way out of the introduction (in this tradition, it was always “he”), much of my time in church was spent looking for creative but quiet ways to pass time that seemed to have slowed to a crawl. Sometimes this was accomplished through vivid daydreaming; I would later resonate with the Wendell Berry character Jayber Crow who noted, “Some of the best things I have ever thought of I have thought of during bad sermons.”

But one of my favorite pastimes during sermons of indeterminate length was to grab the unused, dusty brown hymnal in front of me (the Assemblies of God’s Hymns of Glorious Praise) and leaf through its contents. During one of these forays into the hymnal, I noticed that one name seemed to recur with some regularity: Fanny J. Crosby. During a particularly long and arduous sermon, I set out to count how many hymn texts were written by this ubiquitous woman (21, in case you were wondering!). The search also brought to light hymn texts by Cecil Francis Alexander (“There Is a Green Hill Far Away”), Frances Ridley Havergal (“Take My Life and Let It Be” and “Like a River Glorious”), Louisa Stead (“’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”), and those translated from the German by Catherine Winkworth (“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” and “Now Thank We All Our God”), to name but a few. While at the time I didn’t notice the irony, I later came to realize how strange it was that in a tradition where women were banned from the pulpit, we had a hymnal chock-full of texts written by women. Continue Reading »

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