January 2023 News from BWIM

Heather Deal is excited to bring her nearly 15 years of experience in fundraising to Baptist Women in Ministry. For the past four years she served as the Director of Development for the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University. Prior to her time at Baylor she served in various fundraising positions for Habitat for Humanity NYC, the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, and Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York City. She received her Master of Divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor and her Master of Social Work from the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Social Work from the Garland School.

Heather will begin her work as BWIM's first Director of Development on January 18, 2023. If you would like to welcome Heather, you can email her at heatherdeal@bwim.info.

BWIM is celebrating our 40th anniversary in 2023!

We are planning two special events as a part of our celebration. First, instead of hosting our annual gathering prior to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's General Assembly, we will have a banquet at the Hyatt Regency, Downtown Atlanta on Thursday evening, June 29, during CBF General Assembly.

Then, on October 2-4, we will return to where it all began in 1983, Louisville, Kentucky! We will remember and honor our first 40 years while also looking forward to how our history might inform our ongoing work toward women thriving as they minister and lead within Baptist communities.

Stay connected to receive more details about these two events in the days ahead. We hope to see you there!

We’re inviting you to take the next step in affirming, valuing, and elevating women in ministry among Baptists in March 2023. BWIM Month of Preaching is now BWIM Month of Advocacy!

BWIM Month of Advocacy is different from BWIM Month of Preaching in three ways.

We are still encouraging churches to invite women to preach during the initiative. But we are also urging churches to choose an additional way to further their advocacy. We provide a list of suggested ways to advocate for women in ministry on the BWIM Month of Advocacy webpage.
In addition to church participation, individuals can also participate by engaging one of the forms of advocacy we suggest or by creating a way to advocate for women in ministry in their context.
BWIM Month of Advocacy will be in March instead of February to align with Women's History Month. We encourage churches to promote initiatives related to racial justice and reconciliation in February which is Black History Month.

Go to Month of Advocacy webpage to read more about the why behind the changes and to find more information on how you can participate.

Learn more about BWIM Month of Advocacy

The next BWIM Book Club will be reading When God Whispered My Name: Stories of Journey Told by Baptist Women. Books can be ordered most places where books are sold. Order your copy today and we will share more details about the dates of the Book Club around the first of the year. Consider reading this book and participating in the book club as a part of your BWIM Month of Advocacy participation!

BWIM has partnered with Baptist News Global (BNG) to celebrate and promote the strong writing voices of women! BWIM is advocating for women's equal representation in Baptist media by uplifting women's writing and encouraging women's increased participation in shaping Baptist life, culture, and theology.

To find out more about BWIM's partnership and to read articles written as the result of the partnership, click below. If you are interested in becoming a potential writer for BNG, email Laura Ellis for more information at lauraellis@bwim.info

Learn More Here

MINISTRY TRANSITIONS

Amanda Allard, children’s minister, Westwood Baptist Church, Cary, NC.

Ann Carter, pastor for youth and music, Glen Allen Baptist Church, Glen Allen, VA.

Emily Floyd, associate pastor, music and worship, First Baptist Church, Asheville, NC.

Darie Lee, associate pastor for children, Glen Allen Baptist Church, Glen Allen, VA.

Nita May, pastor, Saluda Baptist Church, Saluda, VA.

Taylor Miskel, associate pastor for youth, Westwood Baptist Church, Cary, NC.

Dorryce Ann Rudd, interim pastor, Woodland Heights Baptist Church, Richmond, VA.

Heather L. Saunders, pastor, Antioch Baptist Church, Unionville, VA.

ORDINATIONS

We Want To Celebrate Your Ordination!

If you know a Baptist woman who has been ordained or will be ordained, please email names and pictures (if possible) to lynnbrinkley@bwim.info. BWIM wants to share in celebrating congregational affirmation of all women in ministry, and it helps us to keep records of all of the women in Baptist life who are ordained.

RECENT ORDINATIONS:

Regina Johnson (pictured) was ordained Saturday, January 7, 2023 at First Baptist Weaverville, Weaverville, NC.

OPEN POSITIONS

BWIM posts information online for any church/organization who contacts us directly to advertise their open position so that candidates can have access to a current list of open positions.

Find positions posted with BWIM HERE!

New positions posted online since the last newsletter include:

Associate of Youth and Families / University Chaplain, West Baptist Church, Danville, VA
Minister for Children, Youth and their Families, Hope Valley Baptist Church, Durham, NC
Lead Pastor, University Baptist Church, Waco, TX
Senior Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Frankfurt, KY
Ministry Coordinator, Texas BWIM