IRVING, Texas ? Equipping women to implement successful women’s ministry programs in local churches is the key to meeting needs and revitalizing the spiritual walk of women. As the theme “Make me, mold me,” attests, the 2003 regional conferences hosted by the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention encouraged Texas Baptist women to allow God to create and shape their ministry.

The first of its kind, the convention offered three separate conferences for women: Mar. 7 at Ameila Baptist Church in Beaumont; Mar. 28-29 at Parkhills Baptist Church in San Antonio; and Apr. 11-12 at First Baptist Church in Post, Texas. Registration for the event totaled over 500 women from across the state including 135 in Beaumont, 278 in San Antonio and 111 in Post.

“We are trying to help women understand at the local church level [how] to organize themselves not only to meet the needs in their church, but also in their communities,” said SBTC Women’s Ministry Consultant Shirley Moses on a KBMT Channel 12 News report during the Beaumont conference, adding that women’s ministries is not a new concept. “Women have been ministering to other women since the beginning of time.”

During the Mar. 28-29 conference in San Antonio, Moses added that even though God has always used women in the church, there is something special about the nature of God’s movement among women today.

“Women are beginning to branch out and do things in ministry that even 10 years ago they wouldn’t have thought they’d been able to do,” Moses said. “[God] wants to do something through you to be a part of his kingdom. And being part of that is indescribable. If you ever once experience it, you’ll be there when he calls.”

Moses encouraged women to be obedient to the call of God in creating a personal ministry at home, in their neighborhood or in the local church. Using Jeremiah 18:6, which states: “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in mine,” Moses used the acronym M.O.L.D. to illustrate to women “how to get in shape for ministry.”

Making the right move

The first letter in the acrostic signifies an initial response to God’s call.

“Ladies, you are going to have lots of opportunities to disciple the women around you and help them to get in shape for ministry,” Moses said, noting that Jeremiah “made the right move” when God said “Arise” to the prophet.

Moses stated that a call can often be discerned by burdens placed on a woman’s heart.

“What has God given you a burden for? Write down the first thing that comes to your mind. Is God asking you to lead a Bible study or is he asking you to join the choir? Or maybe working with the children or possibly be involved in a mentoring relationship in your church?” she asked. “So when you hear that still small voice telling you to make a move, God is saying ‘I’m getting ready to do something. Will you make the right move and join me in doing something around you.

Obedience

Referring to the Jeremiah 18:3-4 and the process of creating pottery, Moses said the beauty of the pot depends of the ability of the clay to yield to the potter’s hand. “Have you ever seen someone making pottery? He moves the wheel with his feet, but he never takes his hand off of the clay. The most important quality of the clay is that it yields and yielding is the very first step in our lives toward obedience,” Moses said. “We must learn that God is there. He wants to help us, but he is not going to do it until we learn to yield and obey.”

Moses said her first test of obedience in shaping herself for ministry came not long after she became a Christian. Burdened to start a Bible study in her home church, Moses petitioned the board of deacons to purchase 80 books for a women’s study.

“They didn’t really believe I’d be able to get rid of all 80 books, but they allowed me to do it. I started publicizing it, and I knew the Lord wanted me to take it to the community,” Moses recounted. “The day before the Bible study, I [handed out] 79 books.”

Moses said she still felt God stirring in her heart that one more book needed to be given away. As she was walking out the door to lead the study, her phone rang.

“It was the girl down the street said she said, ‘Shirley,

AMARILLO, Texas?Spring Break Trip. Those words automatically paint a mental picture of a place where the ocean is blue, the sand is white and the sun seems to shine 365 days a year, far away from work and school.

Mission Trip. These words focus our mind’s eye on ministering to people in a strange land where languages and customs make sharing the gospel a challenge.

For most people these two types of trips aren’t even mentioned together in planning sessions. Spring Break is a time to get away from school. Missions Trips are meant to get away and practice the Great Commission across the globe. Some youth ministries, however, are beginning to look for ways to use the yearly weeklong respite from school and work to do something productive, something that could affect eternity.

The youth group at Lifeway Fellowship in Amarillo decided to spend their Spring Break sharing the love of God, not in a jungle, but in their own backyard working with Second Baptist Church. Chris Hurt, student pastor at Lifeway Fellowship, said the group has participated in mission trips before, including a trip working in the inner-city of Dallas-Fort Worth. This year the group stayed at home to conduct a sports camp to attract young children and teens to the church to learn about sports, discipline and the love of Christ.

The groups arrived at the church each morning, split up and canvassed the neighborhoods around the church to invite kids to come and participate in the camp. During the day, the kids worked on different soccer and basketball skills by participating in basic drills ? ball handling, dribbling, passing, etc. After the drills, the campers gathered for a time of Bible study where the gospel was presented.

Hurt said he was pleasantly surprised by the turnout of the camp, with about 40 attending each day. But by the end of the week that number swelled to about 200.

After lunch, the group of 40 Lifeway Fellowship students and sponsors made their way to the next mission project. From 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. the group ministered to residents at the Amarillo Garden Community apartment complex. The group spent a few minutes at the beginning canvassing the area, inviting kids to come and be a part of the Backyard Bible Club. Their mission for the BBC was the same as mission efforts across the world: make the love of Jesus known to those who may not know.

“We went out and played with the kids and told them about Jesus,” Hurt said.

The Lifeway group was one of three different groups on six properties across town the same week. Jeff Parsons, multi-housing ministry facilitator for the Amarillo Baptist Association, said this was the first year for Spring Break mission efforts in Amarillo. The multi-housing ministry is about a year-and-a-half old. Last year, Parsons said, the ministry wasn’t ready to do this type of mission work. This year they were ready to give the local kids a chance to minister.

Hurt said his group took a mission trip to St. Louis last year. The destination of the trip was kept secret from the kids to spice things up a little. Campers weren’t told the location of the mission trip until it was almost time to go. When this year’s Mystery Mission Trip signups began, kids rapidly signed up.

“You should have seen their faces when we told them we were staying in Amarillo,” Hurt said. As the week went on, however, he said the group was glad they decided to stay home.

As with any mission trip the week wouldn’t have been complete without a little rest and relaxation. On Friday the group was rewarded for the service with a trip to Oklahoma City, where the group went to one of the area malls and enjoyed time off with one another.

The sacrifice the kids made proved to be fruitful. Hurt said over 30 kids made some type of decision for Christ at the Second Baptist Sports Camp. Four others made decisions at the Backyard Bible Club at the apartment complex.

Since the mission, some group members have returned to the complex to check on the children that attended the week’s events. Both groups seemed to find some satisfaction in the interaction.

Sarah Cullum is a 19-year-old college student at Amarillo College. She wants to be a social worker, which she believes is her calling. Cullum grew up at Lifeway Fellowship. As she prepares for her career by taking classes in school, Cullum knew that she needed some hands-on experience that a trip like this could give her.

Her job was to help with the arts and crafts with the kids at the apartments. But her job responsibilities weren’t limited to gluing construction paper hands on paper plates. She wanted to show God’s love to the kids. “We just loved on the kids and played with them,” Cullum said.

Cullum said she was surprised when the first group of 40 kids showed up that first day. She wasn’t expecting quite that big a turnout. It surprised her at the willingness of the kids at the apartment community to participate in the festivities.

“The kids jus

DALLAS, Texas–After three sleepless nights of sitting alone in the dark “stewing” over injuries due to a near-fatal motorcycle accident, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention President George Harris picked up a large-print Bible commentary. With a magnifying glass he read Psalm 116:15: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”

Harris realized that his Nov. 23 motorcycle accident, temporarily leaving him without sight and the ability to speak, was strikingly similar to the near-death experience King David endured urging him to pen a song of “thanksgiving for deliverance from death” found in Psalm 116.

At a recent SBTC Executive Board meeting, Harris, who recently retired from the pastorate of Castle Hills First Baptist Church in San Antonio, shared his testimony and results of his accident.

During a ride through the hill country in South Texas, Harris saw the taillights of other cyclists in front of him blink on. In what he describes as “reflex,” he stepped on his brake, failing to use his hand brake as well.

“Before I knew it I’d lost it,” Harris recounted. “Life becomes meaningful when you see your bike crossing the guard rail, and you aren’t on it. I had enough sense to know I wasn’t going to ride that motorcycle to its end, so I let it go. But the minute I hit the ground, I catapulted in the air and came down on my face.”

Harris suffered 84 broken bones in his face with the roof of his mouth breaking in four different places. His teeth were pushed back, his eyes were pushed down into his head and his skull was fractured. Other than injuries to his face, Harris sustained no other injuries. He noted that even his jacket went unscathed.

Harris spent 17 days in the hospital and another eight weeks at home recovering from the accident and numerous reconstructive surgeries to implant 11 facial plates.

Although he stood before the board without a scar on his face, Harris said the weeks following his release from the hospital would bear the fruit of much pain and confusion.

“At home, I wrestled with the tracheotomy, and I had difficulty breathing. I couldn’t speak and couldn’t see because my eyes were damaged. For eight weeks I slept in a recliner” Harris said, adding that he was “perplexed with God.”

“One night I couldn’t sleep, and I was having a talk with the Lord. I said ‘Lord I don’t see where Rom. 8:28 has anything to do with this,” he said referring to the verse which states, “All things work together for good.”

“’Lord, this is the way I feel, allow me to say this. Either I don’t love you or you have something you really want to show me in all this.’ I was angry. I couldn’t sleep, talk, eat. That night I sat there and stewed with the Lord,” he said. “The next night the same thing. I hated nights, because it seemed every night was a month long.”

It was on the third night that Harris finally heard an answer from God. Reading Psalm 116, he saw God working in the life of David in a similar situation.

“I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. Because he has inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call upon him as long as I live.” Psalm 116:1-2:

Harris said he realized the Lord heard and answered his internal cries for help during the aftermath of the accident by sending two men. One man traveling with the church group was a policeman from San Antonio.

“He knew I was in critical condition and put pressure on my face and neck to hold the bleeding down,” he said, adding that the off-duty officer called an ambulance as well. “That guy took one look at me and knew I needed to be air-vaced. That young policeman probably kept me from bleeding to death.”

While en route to the hospital via a helicopter, Harris said a young doctor knew Harris would probably not survive unless an emergency tracheotomy was performed.

“God again heard my cry. He took an old practice that many of the doctors didn’t know about. He pried my mouth open and crammed [the trache] down my throat, and he performed a tracheotomy on my throat in the hall,” Harris said. “I came to the realization that the Lord loved me, and I was going to call upon him the rest of my life.”

“The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and he saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.” Psalm 116:6-7

After experiencing the mercy and grace of God referred to verses 3 and 4, Harris said he recognized that “God had to bring us down to a lowness before we can ever rise to what he wants us to do.”

“We are nothing without him. We need to quit relying upon our degrees, finances, and talents. It’s only when we become so low that he is able to reveal to us his attributes – his graciousness, faithfulness, mercy,” he said.

Harris also noted that in verse 12 David is unsure of how to respond to such mercy and grace.

“In the final outcome, David says ‘I’ll take up the cup of salvation.’” Harris noted. “Salvation is not just forgiveness of sin – it is preservation from our difficulties.

Along with the sovereign had of God, Harris also expressed appreciation to his wife, Lynda, who also sustained him with loving care at home.

“Did you know there is a difference between taking a vow and paying a vow?” He asked, referring to verse 14 which states “I will pay my vows to the Lord.”

“For about eight weeks she paid those vows, listening to me cough, cleaning my trache, rushing me to the hospital. That was the ‘for worse’ part of the vow,” he said. “The psalmist says ‘I’ll pay my vow.’ He has come through the death experience.

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. O Lord, truly I am your servant.”  Psalm 116:15-16a

Harris said that even while he was in flight to the hospital he felt the presence of God.

“I never felt fear, even when two guys said ‘We’re going to lose him.’ I sensed the presence of God,” he said, adding that the presence of God would prepare him for the dark nights ahead during his recovery phase in which Harris would “discover what I had preached and heard about and talked about.  I’m not interested in going to somebody’s church for cultural performance of religion where there is not power or presence of [God.]”

Although Harris has regained his eyesight and ability to speak, the months following the accident rendered him unable to fulfill many speaking engagements.

“I’d been very busy. I haven’t had an open date from June to Nov. and had 18 engagements that I had to cancel, but God laid this on my heart and I am no longer open to taking engagement.” he said.  “I’d rather sit in the dark, blind and mute and meeting with [God] than to go through the motions of playing church.  The ritual of going through church had left my soul empty.  Those nights, instead of being angry with God, I experienced something in 50 years of ministry I hadn’t experienced—the power of prayer and the sweetness of being still.”

FORT WORTH?The day after announcing his retirement as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Ken Hemphill released a statement acknowledging that many people had expressed “conflicted feelings” relating not only to his departure, but for two professors whose tenure status remains unsettled.

“Grief, anger, confusion may be just a few” of the “conflicted feelings,” Hemphill said in the April 8 statement that also was recorded on the seminary’s telephone extension 8250. “Such feelings are not only related to my departure but have been elicited by concern for Drs. Bullock and Stookey.”

Karen O. Bullock is a professor of church history and serves as associate dean of the Ph.D. program. Stephen M. Stookey is an associate professor of church history. Some students have expressed concern that no action was recommended regarding tenure for the two professors at the recent board meeting.

Hemphill said the seminary has a process of tenure review that is being followed. “Any of us have the right to differ with the conclusion reached, but none of us should judge the motives of those involved. No man can see into the heart and God’s Word prohibits such human speculation.”

He praised both professors for having made a great investment in the lives of numerous students. “I encourage each of you to tell them of your love for them, and to relate to them the impact that they have had on your life,” Hemphill stated.

Academic Affairs Committee Chairman Denny Autrey of Lindale, Texas, said, “There was no report from administration” offered to the trustees regarding tenure for any faculty member. Thus, no action could be taken in regard to tenure for the two professors, he explained.

“The provost did present an updated proposal concerning tenure for all faculty,” Autrey told the Southern Baptist TEXAN. “That was discussed with academic affairs and the bylaws committee,” he said, adding that the full board received copies of the proposal.

The board voted to review the manner in which tenure is granted to faculty and report on the review at the next semiannual meeting of trustees. “We will revisit that issue in the fall meeting,” Autrey confirmed.

Hemphill said in his release, “We cannot publicly discuss the specifics of any personnel matter. This serves both the interests of the individual and the institution.” He went on to commend the two professors for having made “a wonderful investment in Southwestern,” stating that they “will always be a part of our legacy.”

He added, “I know them well enough to know that they share my conviction that God works through every circumstance for good to those who love him and are the called according to his purpose. I know they will continue to serve God faithfully. Such is their character and calling.” He told those interested in the situation, “You will best honor them by being faithful to your calling.”

Hemphill said, “In days of difficulty and challenging circumstances we can either become bitter or beautiful. As you crush a rose petal you serve only to release its beautiful fragrance. I pray that would be true for all who are feeling somewhat crushed by recent events.”

He spoke of having read in John 12:27-28 of Jesus glorifying God the Father at a time when his own soul was troubled. “Jesus had a singular focus. Glorify thy name,” Hemphill recounted, adding, “The ringing answer from the Father, ‘I have glorified it and I will glorify it again.'” He urged others to “stay the course” and glorify God’s name in the process.

EL PASO, Texas ? With word that as many as 12 soldiers from the 507th Maintenance Company from Fort Bliss are missing following an ambush by Iraqi forces on March 23, Southern Baptists and other Christians near the Army post stand ready to minister to the families of those affected.

Pastor Rix W. Tillman of Exciting Immanuel Baptist Church in El Paso called his congregation to prayer at 4 p.m. Sunday to intercede for those deployed. “We have a tremendous amount of military people in our church, so there’s a very heightened awareness there,” he said. “Whenever there’s a need we address it.”

During fierce fighting near the southern Iraqi town of An Nasiriyah, the Iraqi militia captured the Fort Bliss soldiers. “We’ve just been praying all day and listening to the news,” Maria Cervantes said Sunday night in an interview with the El Paso Times. Families were called to the post Sunday afternoon where they were told that an officer and chaplain would come to the homes if death notifications had to be made.

Members of the group are a part of the 5th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade that was deployed to Kuwait just over a month ago. Fort Bliss officials reported that the company was “involved in an incident while engaged in maneuvers with the 3rd Infantry Division.”

U.S. congressmen from the west Texas and eastern New Mexico region, both with military experience in Vietnam, praised the family support group at Fort Bliss for the manner in which they are addressing a difficult situation. The U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center, in conjunction with the Army Family Liaison Office, established a toll-free family assistance hotline at 1-800-833-6622 to give Army families information, resources and referrals. It is available only to family members of soldiers on active duty and those in the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve who are on active duty.

Iraq war commander Gen. Tommy Franks described the Fort Bliss logistics support troops who were captured as “highly trained” and “highly motivated” following a report on an Arabic television station showing the captured soldiers under interrogation.

The names and faces of some of those captured were broadcast Sunday through interviews with Iraqi television. Major U.S. networks refused to play additional footage of the captured soldiers, showing only still images of prisoners and obscured angles of four bodies.

Fort Bliss spokeswoman Jean Offutt admitted that morale is low at the post. “The mood of course is very tragic. We regret this,” she was quoted as saying to the El Paso newspaper. Another soldier stationed there described the reaction as “shock and disbelief” while adding that he is certain the post “will band together.”

A volunteer youth worker at Exciting Immanuel Baptist Church is currently stationed at Fort Bliss and has been assisting families dealing with the anxiety surrounding such events. Tillman said the youth team led the church in worship Sunday as they contemplated the anxiety many are facing and prayed specifically for those needs.

“They’ve got a lot going on at the base with the chaplains,” Tillman added, explaining, however, that a heightened alert status now prevented his participation in such ministries. The chaplain ministry teams of Fort Bliss offer a comprehensive program in support of commanders, unit ministry teams and the total Army community at the base through worship, pastoral care and community outreach. Chaplains emphasize the “ministry of presence” that is particularly crucial in such a time as this, according to officials at the base.

A volunteer staff member who coordinates the church’s prayer ministry has a son deployed with an infantry unit, Tillman said. Another member of the church’s praise team was recently deployed as part of a judge advocate general’s office. Many relatives of church members are serving with the Patriot anti-missile defense system in the Mideast.

When Tillman began his ministry in El Paso eight years ago, the church had 12 retired colonels. “There’s a higher level of awareness,” he said, prompting an increased focus on ministry to the military. As the church begins a “Forty Days of Purpose” emphasis, he said, “A lot of the small groups we are beginning will have military men and women and we’re going to be reaching out to them.”

Mountain View Baptist Pastor Gib Allen of El Paso broke the news of the capture of locally based troops to many in his congregation Sunday morning. Fort Bliss is only a 10-minute drive from the church, and two-thirds of the congregation are retired military, Allen told Baptist Press.

“There is a lot of fear, especially yesterday morning in our services in sharing that one of the Fort Bliss maintenance batteries had been captured and assaulted. People were really upset about the whole thing. Some

IRVING, Texas ? For Baptist women excluded from the senior pastorate, why spend time and energy training for ministry in the local church at a Southern Baptist seminary? This question, often asked by critics of the Southern Baptist Convention, is being addressed by all six seminaries supported by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program.

The backlash against the article on the church in the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 engendered a feeling that Southern Baptists believe women do not play an important role in the church, said Heather King, one of two females that served on the committee to revise the historic confessional statement.

“In authoring the statement on women serving in the local church, the committee fully realized that both Scripture and the testimony of Jesus designates women as integral ministry initiators and coworkers,” said King, who was recently named women’s program coordinator at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Louisville. “That is why it is so important for women to be present in seminary classrooms, so they can be equipped for ministry.”

Critics of the confessional statement expected female attendance in Southern Baptist seminaries to drop in the post-convention meeting media blitz that labeled the SBC as misogynist. However, statistics from all six schools indicate female enrollment has remained the same or is growing. For example, in 1991 Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary reported 85 female students on its main campus. In 2002, the number jumped to 506, a 495 percent increase in total female student population at the Wake Forest, N.C., school.

The irony of this situation is not lost on Terri Stovall, women’s program director for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth as female enrollment at SWBTS has remained steady, up from 670 females enrolled last spring.

“I have seen local churches opening the doors to women for all types of ministry opportunities. The BF&M 2000 affirms and empowers women to discover the gifts, talents and passion that God has given her and then seeking out where best to use those gifts in the local church,” said Stovall, who also serves as assistant professor of adult education and aging in Southwestern’s school of educational ministries. “I know of women and have friends who serve as church administrators, music worship leaders, educational ministers, student ministers, children and preschool ministers and yes . . . even women’s ministers.”

In the fall of 2002, 692 women were enrolled in classes on Southwestern’s main campus, 178 of which were pursuing the Master of Arts in Christian Education degree. This degree, which offers a concentration in Women’s Ministry, is comprised of 70 hours and has been in place at the seminary since 2000. The degree includes 14 hours of seminary core classes, 12 hours of theology classes and 32 hours of courses within the school of educational ministries. The concentration in women’s ministry includes courses such as women’s issues, adult development psychology, counseling with Scripture, and speech and oral interpretation.

Stovall, who helped design the curriculum for the women’s program at SWBTS, stated that the degree equips women to fulfill “a myriad of leadership roles” as a lay leader, church staff, denominational employee, or missionary.

“My vision is that the women’s ministry programs at SWBTS equips women to make a difference for the kingdom of God in whatever context they are placed,” Stovall said. “My dream is to begin to take this training to other states and even other countries. A number of my students are international women who want to impact the families from their home country and often the best way to do that is woman to woman.”

The seminary also offers a certificate program to train women currently ministering in the local church, but who are unable to attend classes full time. SWBTS also seeks to equip the wives of students to be partners in ministry with their husbands. This year, the Texas seminary established a leadership certificate in women’s ministry with new courses being added each year in the area of women’s ministry, teaching and counseling for women.

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., is also creating new programs for women. In 2002, the seminary hired King as its first full-time women’s program director.

“The growing trend is toward large churches hiring both part-time and full-time women’s directors. Even more important, the next five to seven years will be pivotal in Southern Baptist life as many state convention women’s directors are nearing retirement,” King said. “As women answer God’s call to serve and seek out specific programs to equip them for ministry, the pool of seminary-educated women grows. This not only benefits the local church, but the denomination as a whole.”

King is also working to implement 15 hours of academic courses to prepare women for ministry in the local church and church agencies. The women’s ministry courses are a part of the master of arts in Christian education degree or the master of divinity degree, allowing full-time students to receive “specialized preparation for woman-to-woman ministry.” Theology, communication and leadership skills, missions and evangelism, and the practical application of ministry skills are all emphasized in this program.

Another new development on the seminary’s collegiate level is the introduction of a Women’s Ministry Institute that will equip women unable to enroll as full-time students. Because courses will be held in three to five day workshops, King said the institute will benefit women who are currently ministering in their church but seek supplemental training. In 2001-2002, women outnumbered male students enrolled in Boyce College, 51 to 49 percent. Women enrolled in Boyce college also outnumbered other women enrolled in graduate degree tracks in the seminary such as theology, music, church ministry, and missions and evangelism.

Additionally,

When secular reporters write about women in ministry in the context of Southern Baptist life they don’t bother calling Susie Hawkins, Simone Monroe or Kathy Sibley. Instead, they pick the rare woman who pastors what is typically a small congregation with few ties to the SBC. That phone call will provide comments about male-dominated leadership oppressing and silencing women who make up the majority of the 16-million member denomination.

If you had a chance to hear from the three Texas women who spoke at a recent Criswell College forum, you’d hear about the opportunities they’ve had to minister to groups small and large, locally and internationally, influencing women and men. Between the three women, they recounted 30 different types of ministries they have conducted in the context of Southern Baptist life.

“Women participate equally with men in the priesthood of all believers,” stated Monroe, an administrative assistant at Criswell College. “Their role is crucial. Their wisdom, grace and commitment are exemplary. Women are an integral part of our Southern Baptist boards, faculties, mission teams, writer pools and professional staffs. We affirm and celebrate their Great Commission impact.”

“Few subjects have generated as much heat, though often with as little light as the subject of the proper role of women in ministry,” stated Kathy Sibley, a former Southern Baptist missionary who now serves as assistant to the president of Criswell College. “For us, the starting point for any discussion is not societal standards or cultural norms?it is the authoritative Word of God.”

The three women cited their own ministries that involved music, hospitality, mission education, administration, discipleship, mentoring, evangelism, radio and television broadcasts, Christian education, church planting, retreat ministry, teaching, writing, counseling and work with students. “We have also served as wives, mothers, grandmothers, students, missionaries, pastors’ wives and on church staffs as pianists, young married ministry director and women’s ministry directors,” Monroe told the audience of students.

The overwhelming passage of a revised Baptist Faith and Message doctrinal statement in 2000 drew increased media attention to the role of women in ministry within the SBC. While the revision affirmed women as being “gifted for service in the church,” reporters and critics zeroed in on the clarification that “the office of senior pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

“Nowhere does it say that women can’t proclaim the gospel,” explained Hawkins in an earlier interview, careful to distinguish between women serving in an authoritative pastoral role and women proclaiming the gospel.

“In our own Southern Baptist tradition we have the obvious examples of missionaries Lottie Moon and Bertha Smith who were used greatly by God.” Answering those who use Mary Magdalene as an example of a female spiritual authority, Hawkins reminded, “She was their co-laborer, their partner in spreading the gospel.”

When the BFM Study Committee on which Hawkins served specified the restriction on the office of senior pastor, they chose not to comment on women performing a preaching role outside of local church life.

“Upon the discussion of the issue of women in ministry, I am eager for others to know that the men on the committee were more than willing to hear the women’s perspective.”

In her presentation at Criswell College, Hawkins reminded listeners that when Shubal Stearns influenced early Baptists in America with his preaching at Sandy Creek, his sister Molly Stearns Marshall was also delivering sermons on the frontier before and after the Revolutionary War. Much of missionary heroine Lottie Moon’s church planting efforts in China involved proclaiming the gospel, and yet, she anxiously discipled newly converted men who could assume leadership of local churches.

International Mission Board President Jerry Rankin retraced the steps of Moon throughout China and wrote an account of his study of her life. “It is very clear and well-referenced that as Lottie Moon went on itinerant witnessing tours to the villages, teaching the Bible and yes, probably preaching, that she would not allow any men to be present.” That didn’t prevent men from being saved through her ministry, Rankin noted, as they listened through the window to her message.

He added that Moon called upon a male Chinese evangelist to work alongside her, performing baptisms of converts and other pastoral roles. “Nothing prevents a woman from engaging in any kind of church-related ministry,” he said, noting the scriptural restriction against holding a church pastorate as the only limitation.

When Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President Richard Land needs an example of a woman ministering scripturally he cites Shannon Royce who serves as the ERLC’s legislative counsel and director of government relations. Royce’s mother, Barbara O’Chester, a Southern Baptist pastor’s wife from Austin, developed a model for retreat ministry that has been embraced by Southern Baptists.