March 14, 2024

Just this week, I was asked to join a panel of women presenting to a combined group of Girl Scouts. The two troops were different in ages, Juniors and Cadettes, but met that evening jointly to listen to eight women speak about the work they do- educational requirements, salary, description of responsibilities, etc. The last question to address was, for me, the most important: What challenges do you face as a woman in your field? There were an array of women, from helpers to healers, engineers to teachers, insurance agents to truck drivers. In each instance, the women spoke of the role gender played in their occupation. No one could claim that being a woman didn’t factor into their occupation- even the jobs that are dominated by women.

It is Women’s History month, and that provides me an excellent opportunity to reflect with all of you about the shoulders on which we stand. I certainly would not be able to occupy the pulpit every Sunday without the perseverance of trailblazing woman pastors like Rev. Antoinette Brown, (first woman ordained in the Congregational Church), Rev. Beatrice McConnell (first woman ordained in the Evangelical and Reformed Church), Rev. Yvonne V. Delk (first woman of color ordained in the United Church of Christ), and Rev. Anne Holmes (first “out” lesbian woman ordained in the United Church of Christ), among a multitude of other women. I cannot speak loudly enough of the gratitude I have for their dedication to the Word and Church, as well as their endurance in pursuing the work of shepherd, prophet, leader, and comforter. When I am lucky enough to stand in a room with them, I am blessed beyond measure.

I am a member of the Antoinette Brown Society, a group of UCC clergywomen who forward the position of women in ministry, all the while honoring those among us who pioneer and innovate through the work we do. I have found this group of women to be forces of collegial nurture, support, and cheerleaders for the positioning of women clergy in decision making roles. It is my hope, in large and small ways, that the work we do will pave the way for the girls we encounter, be it in pews, seminaries, or elsewhere in the world. In the meantime, let us witness to the work of our sisters in ministry, from those who proclaimed an empty tomb to those transforming the Church today. May we stand together in the name of the Risen Savior who draws us together in one body.