Beth’s Story

It all started when…

Beth connected with Danielle as a speaker at Urbana in 2018. 

“Ten Years- that’s how long it took me to fully embody and embrace preaching!  I deflected my giftings and settled in undervalued roles for far too long. It took years to study and sort theology, gain courage in the face of patriarchy, summon inner confidence, and then timidly “elbow my way” into places to exercise and practice preaching. Although I had initially taken a couple of classes right out of undergrad, it took a decade until I finally stepped into Seminary with the confidence that this training was for me!  Digging into God’s Word and making the connection between the Living Word and listening people has always been the joy and delight of my heart; I finally stopped apologizing for getting so excited about doing what I loved - preaching! 

“What might happen if the roadblocks that keep women out of the pulpit were removed sooner rather than later? What might happen if there was a place where women were coached, not just in high-level academic knowledge, but in heart-level relational ways?  I long to reduce down that 10-year journey to help women embody God’s calling on their life - for their own vitality, the enlivening of the Church and transformation of our world.” 

As women fill our pulpits, I dream about how the Church will come alive, how communities and new generations might build trust with the Church, how much freedom and healing will be released as the Bible is taught outside of a patriarchal lens!

Below is Beth’s Sermon at Urbana: