Submitted by:
Pastor Gricel Medina (OWS)
BGE Chairperson

The other day, I was reminded of the many times God sends the wind. As I came out of a restaurant with friends,  we were suddenly welcomed with a night wind. It was a special delight to me since I had been out and about driving in the Texas sun.

Windy days come in every season. During the winter they propel us to move briskly forward. In the autumn they make us reflect on the changes that are about to come. The spring  winds empower us to enjoy the beauty of growth and new developments. They also compel us to replenish and plant.It is the summer winds that refresh us the most. They revive us from the hot, humid and sometimes unbearable sun. The summer winds alleviate the weariest of travelers.  Summer is not just for vacations. It can be a time of reflection and setting visions into motion. Continue Reading »

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Written by Cindy Wu

I started dreaming about my wedding day long before I was even interested in boys. As a little girl, I started imagining my wedding dress, picking out my wedding ring, choosing my bridesmaids, and planning the ceremony. As I grew older and started attending friends’ weddings, I made mental edits: change the entrance song, hire a live band instead of a DJ, cross Susie off the bridesmaids list.

By the time my actual wedding day arrived, none of my choices matched my childhood designs but by then it didn’t matter—part of the fun was in the dreaming. Dreaming about one’s wedding day is a natural inclination. A wedding is a sacred day, the beginning of a new journey, and worthy of great attention. Continue Reading »

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Written by Rev. Gricel Medina (OWS)
BGE Chairperson

Recently I was curious of how exactly do stones become smooth. Weather and erosion are just some of the causes and effects. However, it is the tumbling around other rocks that causes the stones to become smooth on all sides. I love how God gives us such vibrant visual life lessons.

We all have stories to tell of seasons that have tumbled us. Dealing with difficulties in life is about making quick adjustments. David in the Bible was a tumbler. His encounter with Goliath is a story many children learn in church.  It is not just about defeating a great big giant. David was overlooked many times. FYI…especially during his formidable years by his own family. He overcame great adversities. Continue Reading »

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Here is a link to a recent post in the weekly newsletter of Christian’s for Biblical Equality, Arise.  This article by Rev. Mark Whitlock, Jr. was originally published in the Los Angeles Sentinel.  It is short and simple and a good reminder to all of us that we must pray for God to end discrimination in our pulpits, board rooms and pews throughout the world.

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Sometimes the direct approach is the best.  In his blog, Preston Yancey (an author, painter, and baker soon to be doing doctoral work at St. Andrews in Scotland) forcefully challenges the church to “put a woman behind the pulpit”, so we can see the whole picture of what God intends and God is doing.  You can access Preston’s blog by clicking here.

Submitted by
Brian Wiele, CBGE member

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By Rev. Gricel Medina (OWS)
CBGE Chairperson

Entitlement comes in many forms. It is often so ingrained that we can be so oblivious to its offensive odor. Jesus went through various forms of discrimination, so why are we so surprised in the church when issues of race and gender come up? The reality is that when people are excluded from the table of decision by omission it is a form of discrimination. Ignorance does not exonerate us. I have encountered people who are deliriously mesmerized with self importance. They hold on for dear life to positions and advocate for the exclusion of others out of fear.

Making the mistake of not including others because of gender, race or any personal bias from the mission of the church, can be costly. Unfortunately, I have experienced the pain of listening to sermons that are eloquent, yet carelessly use language that is gender and/or racially disrespectful. Continue Reading »

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The Evangelical Covenant Church has affirmed women for ordination and leadership in the church since 1976. So part of me asks why do we even need a Commission for Biblical Gender Equality any more? Yet as I speak with colleagues in ministry and hear some of the rhetoric that continues in the wider evangelical church, I realize that there continues to be barriers to women in ministry in many places – even in our denomination.

Some of those barriers appear to come from unwritten laws or things better left unsaid. An example: many churches follow the lectionary, a three-year cycle of Scripture readings which can be used to provide a wide overview of the Biblical narrative, such that over the three years, congregations and preachers work through a broad base of both the Old and New Testaments and their teachings. While this means that we are exposed to a wide range of texts, there are some things left unsaid: in particular, those more difficult texts (thanks, Paul!) about the roles of men and women in the church.

The unspoken message for me is that some texts are simply too hard – so let’s ignore them and not get in a fight about it! Yet I find myself asking whether that’s healthy. Shouldn’t we go to the hard texts and ask the questions? Shouldn’t we read the texts together, seeking understanding and empowering God’s people for ministry? As we journey together through God’s word, we learn to love God and each other more, despite differences. So let’s take those passages on women in ministry that we might prefer to ignore (I know I sometimes do) and do the hard work of theology – of really seeking to consider the teaching, and its relevance for our church today. Only if we address the texts – to go through them rather than around them – will we move on from the unspoken rules and the unasked or unanswered questions that lead to unseen barriers to women in senior leadership in our churches and congregations.

Blog contribution by A Hague.

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To say many women are in a place of transition is an understatement. I heard this week of several gifted women who cannot find placement in churches as lead pastors due to this unspoken code of women in authority. It angered me to be reminded that this still goes on.

As a former church planter, my ministry life has been a series of deserts, valleys, storms and mountain views. Writing has been a great source of healing and spiritual directives. I am constantly reflecting on what to discard and what to preserve.

In the midst of it all I have had many doors of opportunity. Doors that have brought out a creative and innovative part of me into visibility. My heart is overwhelmed with the faithfulness of God. Doors have opened in the secular school system and corporate businesses in my community. My passion for evangelism has found many outlets in these marketplaces. It has been a time of seed planting and harvest. Continue Reading »

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Dr. Kurt Fredrickson is the current director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Fuller Theological Seminary and a former Covenant Pastor.  We recently provided a link to his presentation at the 2012 CATS Women’s Association Gender Panel.  Dr. Fredrickson graciously agreed to provide the following blog post on Advocating for Women in Ministry.

Contributed by:
Kurt Fredrickson, PhD
Fuller Theological Seminary

I affirm the full participation of women in the ministries of the church. Women, just like men, are called and gifted to serve in the church. This affirmation emerges from the testimony of Scripture and has been lived out by the church in many ways throughout its history. Paul puts it this way in Galatians chapter three: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Since 1976 the Evangelical Covenant Church has been ordaining women, recognizing that gender is not a barrier to a person serving in any capacity in the church. The Covenant states that “the biblical basis for service in the body of Christ is giftedness, a call from God, and godly character—not gender.”

Advocating for women in ministry was a significant struggle in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Great strides were made to affirm the service of women in all aspects of the life of the church. With the rise of the neo-Reformed movement, and the influence of fundamentalist leaning churches, it is vital to be intentional and deliberate about affirming the full participation of women serving in the church again. Continue Reading »

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As candidate for Associate Pastor at my first church out of seminary, I stood throughout the evening question and answer hour. After about twenty minutes, the chair of the church apologized, but said he had to ask for the church’s sake (over the microphone): “What were our plans about having children?” We had rehearsed the answer, but were surprised it came in a large official group and not someone driving us to a meeting. My husband stood and we both responded, saying “We have worked long and hard to get through seminary and medical school and look forward to finally being able to work in those professions!” Amidst some light chuckling a question was yelled out from the back row; “Well, but are you ever going to have children?”

As candidate for Interim at my most recent church, a 5 or 6 year old girl stood, took the microphone and asked, “Do you like animals?”

 *** Continue Reading »

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