A Thread:

For the last 10 years, our ministry has provided free practical ministry training for Women's Ministry Leaders/Teams. Interdenominational, we leave spiritual formation to their churches & we focus on practical ministry (budgets, systems, etc.)

Recently, one of our very first attendees contacted us to thank us for the past several years of investment into her leadership, but that she would no longer be attending. Of course, this prompted me to reach out and ask why.

She explained to me that her church had a new Pastor. He not only saw no need for her to attend our trainings, but no need for a Women's Ministry at all, and the whole thing was being shut down.

As we talked about that, knowing Women's Ministry was important to her, and something she has been invested in for nearly 40 years, I wanted her to have a chance to just speak her heart freely.

She shared her frustration with the decision, and it was placing her into an awful position of deciding if she was going to stay with her church of 40 years or if instead she was going to move to a new church. This was not the only change at the church mind you.

But, Women's Ministry was something that she saw value in for the women in the church, felt called to lead in Women's Ministry, and ultimately saw the value it had for the community and church at large. She shared the amazing things her Women's Ministry had done over the years.

What she confirmed for me, in our conversation, is the dedication women have to their churches. You see, until she made the decision to go... as long as she was staying there, she was going to submit to the authority of her Pastor. She would not attend our meetings, nor

would she plan any ministry events for the women. Women, overall, have a very deep desire to act for the kingdom under the authority of their church. Over the last 10 years, any time we have invited a new leader to one of our meetings, they always run it by their Pastor 1st.

I have been asked for our statement of faith, examples of meeting content, etc. so that they can share it with their Pastor and get his approval to attend. Since we are not doing any spiritual development, this is really like asking your Pastor if you can take a leadership

course at the local college. But, none the less they ask and seek the approval. I was heart broken for this wonderful sage woman, who was facing this struggle. The struggle between being submissive & connected to her church of 40 years AND the desire to be obedient to the

calling the Lord put on her heart. It is a battle I have faced, and I've yet to meet a woman in leadership that doesn't understand that struggle to some degree.

If a woman is leading a ministry outside of her church, before you judge her for being "out of authority" or "out from under the umbrella" consider that she may not have had a choice. That her ministry may have been rejected. But the calling from the Lord, and being

obedient to Him is her priority. Then consider meeting with her again, to talk about that ministry work. Maybe you didn't understand it, or it's need/value. Perhaps you could invite her ministry as part of the work, or at least give her your blessing to go forth. (/End Thread)