By Aaron Weaver
June 29, 2023
ATLANTA — When your church states that it supports women in ministry, does the congregation have a biblical foundation for understanding why? How does your church put that support into action?
Cooperative Baptists gathered around tables Thursday morning to discuss these questions during an interactive plenary session, and learned about Equally Called, a new 4-session video and curriculum resource from CBF and Baptist Women in Ministry (BWIM) to help congregations articulate the biblical and theological basis for affirming the calling of women and nurture a culture that more fully welcomes their leadership.
BWIM Executive Director Meredith Stone shared about the impetus for the new Equally Called resource. She explained that last summer BWIM released its most recent “State of Women in Baptist Life” report featuring statistics from the fall of 2021, and while the report provided some cause for celebrations, the metrics for progress were slim.
“The report revealed that women continue to have far less opportunities to express their God-given callings in Baptist ministry than men,” Stone said. “In the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, there were even fewer women serving as senior pastors or co-pastors in 2021 than there were in 2015.”
“And for women who do find opportunities, they continue to experience obstacles, discrimination and even harassment as they minister and lead,” Stone continued. “Though many Baptists profess support of women in ministry, though they state a belief that there should be no barriers or limitations placed on the ministry and leadership of women, the lived experience of women in those places often does not match the stated belief. With good intentions, we have tried to make a little bit of space for women at the table as it has always existed, but we have to acknowledge the table itself was built so that women would not fit.”
Stone challenged attendees to consider what a new table looks like.
“More than pulling up a few new chairs, or even some men giving up their chairs so that women might fill them, we need to think about what a new table looks like, how we might transform our congregations and Baptist life to be tables, places where women in ministry can thrive, where women and men share in every aspect of participating in God’s work here on earth.”
Equally Called is a curriculum designed to walk congregations through biblical support for women to minister and lead freely in the church, and to place that support in dialogue with the current experiences of women in ministry throughout the Fellowship, said Stone.
“Our hope is that people in CBF congregations might consider how women’s experiences are contradictory to the picture of shared ministry that the Bible portrays, and to examine how their congregation might grow an environment of increased empowerment for women,” she added.
Attendees seated at tables previewed video clips from the Equally Called resource and spent time discussing questions such as: How has the role of women in ministry and leadership changed in your congregation over time? What systems in your church were set up by men for men, with the assumption that women will not be in ministry or leadership? What would be different in your church if women and girls know their full value to God? What is your first step in moving in that direction?
Learn more about Equally Called and access the free digital and video curriculum at www.cbf.net/equallycalled.
Watch the Thursday morning plenary session below:
Celebration of Student Scholars
CBF Leadership Scholars and Vestal Scholars were recognized during the Thursday morning plenary. In the past academic year, CBF awarded 49 scholarships totaling $196,000 to students at 18 theological schools. Each student receives a scholarship of $4,000 plus a travel stipend to attend General Assembly.
“The presence of CBF Leadership Scholars among us inspires us and challenges us to keep making space for their gifts and their voice,” said Devita Parnell, director of CBF’s Young Baptist Ecosystem.
Parnell shared that since 1998 CBF has awarded over 1500 scholarships totaling 6.5 million dollars.
“We are a part of a Fellowship where God’s spirit is alive and active,” Parnell told the crowd. “One scholarship is far greater than $4,000. In God’s economy, one scholarship is an investment that extends well beyond the initial gift. Thanks be to God for exponential growth!”
New Vestal Scholars were also honored. First-year seminary students Antonio Vargas of Yale Divinity School and Laure FitzSimons of Candler School of Theology at Emory University were recognized as the 2023 recipients of the Daniel and Earlene Vestal Scholarship, the Fellowship’s most prestigious scholarship named in honor of former CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal and his wife, Earlene, to further CBF’s commitment to theological education.
Former CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal encouraged the new scholars to keep growing and learning.
“Keep on growing in your faith in Christ and your ministry God is calling and gifting to you,” Vestal said. “Keep on learning. Keep on staying connected to CBF and this Fellowship of Baptist Christians and Baptist churches.”
Read more about Antonio Vargas and Laure FitzSimons here.
Watch a video about the Vestal Scholarship and learn how you and your congregation can support this scholarship initiative’s goal of doubling the number of recipients.
Find news, photos and videos from the 2023 CBF General Assembly at www.cbf.net/assembly2023
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CBF is a Christian network that helps people put their faith to practice through ministry efforts, global missions and a broad community of support. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.