Baptist Women in Ministry News
March 2021
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!
BWIM MENTORING COHORT 2021-2023

BWIM is accepting applications for our 2021-2023 mentoring cohort! The mentoring program is a Lilly Endowment funded program which started in 2017.

Baptist Women in Ministry’s Mentoring Program offers new ministers an opportunity to participate in two years of intentional mentoring with a seasoned Baptist minister and a group of peers. These mentoring groups serve as communities of support, encouragement, and guidance.

The BWIM Mentoring program is open to Baptist women who have served in their current area of ministry for less than three years and are ministering in churches, chaplaincy, non-profit work, and other “outside-the-box” settings.

We are currently planning to begin the 2021-2023 cohort with a retreat at Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman, AL on July 19-21, 2021 pending Covid restrictions. For more information click this link-BWIM Mentoring Program

The deadline to apply is March 31, 2021.
BWIM 2021 DISCERNMENT COHORT HAS BEGUN!
BWIM's Discernment Cohort began Monday, Feb. 15 from 7:30-9:30 pm EST. This spring we are adapting this experience of a discernment retreat into a virtual cohort which includes 20 college and seminary women from across the country.

The Discernment Cohort will convene over a ten-week period and include five mandatory Monday night meetings via Zoom. Each participant will be placed in small groups with other college women from across the country and with a leader who is an experienced Baptist minister. Our leaders for this year's cohort are Laurel Cluthe, Lauren Efird, Cynthia Insko, and Natasha Nedrick, and they are joined in cohort leadership by BWIM staff, Julie Long, and Lauren Brewer Bass.

The leaders will guide the participants on the journey of understanding God's call while also reflecting on Lauren Brewer Bass's book, Five Hundred Miles: Reflections on Calling and Pilgrimage.
BWIM Month of Preaching
Continues in March!
Has your church participated in BWIM Month of Preaching? If not, know that it's not too late! We would love to include your participation whenever it happens.

If your church is still having virtual worship services, we hope you will see this as an opportunity to invite a woman to preach online. We are already learning of creative ways churches are participating and we look forward to sharing those stories in the months ahead.

In addition to the bulletin inserts and information we have provided in previous years, this year we added NEW VIDEO RESOURCES that you can use in your worship services as a part of your participation in Month of Preaching. If you are having trouble downloading these videos, please let us know so we can help.

Don't forget to let us know about your church's participation by filling out the BWIM MONTH OF PREACHING PARTICIPATION FORM or emailing us. We would also love to have a picture of every woman who preaches during Month of Preaching so that we can share it on our social media sites.

For those who might be wavering on whether or not your church will participate this year, know that when your congregation participates in BWIM's Month of Preaching:

  • You provide a woman an opportunity to share her gifts and calling in ways she might not get to do on a regular basis
  • You demonstrate consistency in your message of affirmation of women in ministry
  • You encourage your congregation to learn to listen for God's voice through different lenses which helps broadens all our understandings of God and God's work in the world
  • You are able to stand in solidarity with other Baptist congregations who also affirm God's calling on the lives of women in all forms of ministry and leadership

SUPPORTING BWIM
Pictured, Laura Stephens-Reed
All the work Baptist Women in Ministry does and all the ways in which this organization contributes to the shift in Baptist culture happen because of people like you who believe in our ministry and who share in our mission of affirming all those whom God has gifted for ministry.

We hope you will consider making a gift to BWIM so that our shared vision of a church which values and empowers the gifts of women will continue to move forward.

ORDINATIONS
Baptist Women in Ministry has gathered ordination resources that can help with the planning of an ordination service, including litanies, poems, blessings, responses, and charges, all used in previous ordination services.

Our website also has resources for pastoral installation services. We hope these resources will be helpful to you as you prepare for your significant days of celebration.

To send in notification of ordinations or if you have ordination or installation resources that you would like to share with BWIM, email them to lynnbrinkley@bwim.info.
Belmont Baptist Church in Charlottesville, Virginia ordained Dana Peebles on February 15, 2021 during a ZOOM worship service.
BWIM BLOG
Amelia Fulbright, pictured
BWIM continues to share stories of women in ministry and the congregations who support them.

Recently, we shared a blog written by Amelia Fulbright about the numerous "Qualified Women" in ministry waiting to be called! You can read this blog by clicking the button below!
MINISTRY SEARCH RESOURCES
Baptist Women in Ministry offers resources and assistance both to churches searching for a minister and ministers searching for a new position. Churches and candidates in need of assistance may now submit information, job descriptions, and resumes online via BWIM’s Ministry Search Registration Forms. BWIM’s assistance is provided as a ministry, and there are no fees for these services. 
ON THE MOVE
Jenni Chilton, Minister to Children and Their Families, First Baptist Church, Dalton, GA.
Sarah Flack, pastor, River Community Church, Clayton, New York.
Molly Marshall, interim president, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Tiffany Talley, Minister of Music, New Bethesda Baptist Church, Mechanicsville, Virginia.
Melissa Wiser, Interim Minister to Children and their Families-Pritchard Baptist Church-Charlotte, North Carolina.
OPEN POSITIONS
Positions are listed by state, city, open position, church name. BWIM collects these openings from a wide variety of sources, and the degree of openness to women ministers among the listed churches varies. In its effort to advocate, network, and connect, BWIM provides this list as a resource to those searching for ministry positions. 

ALABAMA
Alpine-Pastor-Alpine Baptist Church
Birmingham-Pastor-Shades Crest Baptist Church
Huntsville-Minister of Music-Weatherly Heights Baptist Church

FLORIDA
Gainesville-Pastor-Parkview Baptist Church
Gainesville-Associate Pastor for Discipleship Ministries-First Baptist Church
Palm Coast-Pastor-Hammock Community Church

GEORGIA
Alpharetta-Mobilization Pastor-John Creek Baptist Church
Carrollton-Minister to Students-Tabernacle Baptist Church
Cornelia-Pastor-First Baptist Church
Duluth/Johns Creek-Pastor-Parkway Baptist Church
Forsyth-Pastor-Rocky Creek Baptist Church
Hawkinsville-Associate Pastor to Families and Children-First Baptist Church
Madison-Pastor-Madison Baptist Church
Manchester-Assistant Pastor with a Focus on Youth-First Baptist Church
Troutville-Pastor-Pleasant Hill Baptist Church

ILLINOIS
Carmi-Houseparent Couples-The Baptist Children’s Home

INDIANA
Camden-Pastor-First Baptist Church
Terre Haute-Associate Pastor-First Baptist Church

KENTUCKY
Corbin-Associate Pastor of Spiritual Formation-First Baptist Church
Danville-Minister to Children/Middle School Students-Lexington Avenue Baptist Church 
Mayfield-Minister of Music-Trace Creek Baptist Church
Morehead City-Associate Pastor- Minister of Education, Discipleship, & Missions-First Baptist Church

LOUISIANA
Lake Providence-Executive Director-Together for Hope Louisiana

MISSOURI
St. Joseph-Pastor-Wyatt Park Baptist Church

NEW YORK
Syracuse-Pastor-Bellewood Baptist Church

NORTH CAROLINA
Apex-Associate Pastor of Youth and Young Adults-Woodhaven Baptist Church
Benson- Pastor-Bethlehem Christian Church
Butner- Associate Pastor of Children and Youth Ministries-First Baptist Church
Cary-Greenwood Forest Children's Center-Greenwood Forest Baptist Church
Clemmons-Minister of Youth and Discipleship-First Baptist Church
Durham-Pastor-Hope Valley Baptist Church
Fuquay-Varina-Pastor-Bazzel Creek Missionary Baptist Church
Hillsborough-Pastor-First Baptist Church
Lumberton-Pastor-First Baptist Church
Maiden-Minister for Middle and High School Students-East Maiden Baptist Church
Morehead City-Associate Pastor/Minister of Education, Discipleship, Missions-First Baptist Church
Mount Airy-Associate Pastor for families-First Baptist Church
Mount Holly-Minister of Music-First Baptist Church
Raleigh-Minister of Music-First Baptist Church
Raleigh-Minister for Students and Digital Discipleship-Greystone Baptist Church
Waynesville-Minister to Students-First Baptist Church
Winston-Salem-Ministry Support Manager-Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

PENNSYLVANIA
Mercer-Pastor-Mercer Baptist Church

SOUTH CAROLINA
Columbia-Executive Minister/CEO-The South Carolina Christian Action Council, Inc.
Rockhill-Associate Pastor for Spiritual Formation and Missions-Oakland Baptist Church

TENNESSEE
Knoxville-Youth Minister-First Baptist Church
Memphis-Pastor-First Baptist Church
Tullahoma-Associate Pastor-King's Cross Church
 
TEXAS
Coppell-Worship Pastor-Valley Ranch Baptist Church
Dallas-Children's Minister-Cliff Temple Baptist Church
Harker Heights-Pastor-Trinity Baptist Church
Houston-Pastor-River Oaks Baptist Church
Longview-Minister for Discipleship and Connections-First Baptist Church
Universal City- Children's Minister-First Baptist Church

VIRGINIA
Annandale-Pastor of Youth and Young Adults-Parkwood Baptist Church
Ashland-Executive Director of Missions-Dover Baptist Association
Glen Allen-Director of Communications-Mount Vernon Baptist Church
Hampton-Associate Pastor Children and Youth Discipleship-Hampton Baptist Church
Kenbridge-Pastor-Kenbridge Baptist Church
New Kent County-Pastor-Emmaus Baptist Church
Radford-Pastor-First Baptist Church
Springfield-Minister of Children and Families-Westwood Baptist Church
Suffolk- Pastor-Bethlehem Christian Church
Troutville-Pastor-Troutville Baptist Church
Vinton-Associate Pastor of Youth and Missions-Vinton Baptist Church
Waynesboro-Associate Pastor of Spiritual Growth- First Baptist
State and Regional BWIM
Be sure to connect with your state or regional BWIM group for
events happening near you!
Alabama
Laura Stephens-Reed

Arkansas
Brittany Stillwell

Florida
Tammy Snyder

Georgia
Katie Faison
katienfaison@gmail.com 

Heartland (Kansas/Missouri)
Laurel Cluthe

Robin Sandbothe
robinrsandbothe@gmail.com

Kentucky  
Laura Levens
North Carolina
Ka'thy Gore Chappell

South Carolina
Anna Burch

Mary Frances Thompson 

Tennessee
Eileen Campbell-Reed

Vicki Violette

Texas
Anyra Cano

Virginia
Nancy McDaniel 
Upcoming Events

VBWIM, Coffee Break, March 17, 10:00am EDT

TXBWIM, Virtual Conference Kick-off Event, March 19, 6:30pm CDT

BWIM NC, Preparing a "Passover" Seder Meal, March 26, 11:30 EDT

BWIM SC, Presentation of Woman Minister of the Year Award at CBF SC General
Assembly, April 16 2:00pm EDT