Stumbling Over Women: Stones of Remembrance
On a recent tour of Germany I came across the Stolpersteine Project. Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) are small brass-plated blocks or stones embedded into…
Women in Church History: Footnoted and Forgotten?
Women have always played a crucial role in the establishment of the Christian church, but their contributions are often footnoted and forgotten. In…
Women and Church Politics: Living Outside the Bubble
I never thought I would ever write a book about politics! But as my husband (and co-pastor) and I led our congregation through…
Women & Leadership in Sacramental Churches
When I was a pastor in the nondenominational world, most conversations around gender and church leadership revolved around whether women should preach from…
More Than Footnotes Part 4: Women Leaders in the American Colonies
Here is the fourth and final installment of "More than Footnotes" a series on influential women in church history. With the influence of…
More than Footnotes Part 2: Women in Medieval Christianity
Here is Part 2 in our series on women in church history. According to the small handful of literate monks, bishops, and noblemen…
More than Footnotes Part 1: Women in Early Church History
Many Christians have inherited the supposition that the Church has been built on the backs of men. Masculine, courageous, and often oddly wigged…
Mary and Martha: Sister vs. Sister?
I really never understood the sister relationship. I grew up as the only daughter and only granddaughter on both sides of my family.…
Mary Magdalene: 5 Things You Should Know
There is no evidence in the bible or church history to suggest that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute or the wife of Jesus.…
Phebe Willets: (Woman) Preacher of the 1700s
The most prominent of my ancestors was a cousin, Elias Hicks (1748-1930), who brought Quakerism to a famous schism in North America. Though…
On 1 Corinthians 14 & Women’s Silence in Church
It is all too easy for the loudest and most prolific voices to dominate what a young Christian hears about gender relationships in…
“But What About 1 Timothy 2:12?” Ten Talking Points
1 Timothy 2:12 continues to be an obstacle that prevents churches from moving toward a more robust theology of women. Read…
5 Black Women in History Every Egalitarian Should Know
I recently came across information about the contributions of black women preachers in the 19th century to the quest for gender equality in…
The Origins of Sexism in the Church
Is the doctrine of male authority in the church “God-ordained,” or does it have a more human origin? To answer this question, I’d…
5 (Dead) Men Every Egalitarian Should Know
"My best men are women!" Here is a short list of men who made significant contributions to the Christian egalitarian movement long before…