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The vision of Advocates for FM Women in Leadership is to help lead the Free Methodist Church USA toward an egalitarian culture in its entirety, including marriage and ordination, theory and practice. Podcasts and Websites Newly Added Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil will blow your socks off with her discussion of stepping into our callings of resisting both sexism and racism. Her wisdom and passion are sorely needed in the FMC today. Rev. Dr. Jill Richardson recently spoke as a guest for FM's Light & Life Podcast on the topic of Advocating for Women in Church Leadership. She gives us five action points--simple steps to take so that we can live what we believe. We are so excited for this invitation and the wisdom she shared. Enjoy! Rev. Dr. Laura J. Hunt gave us an overview of approaches to biblical interpretation that we can use to make sure that our sermons are empowering to women. Check out her five points below! Service Name AWL Jan event Rev. Dr. Laura J. Hunt 00:00 / 52:35 Bible stories that do not seem to empower women might benefit from removing layers of biased interpretations (Samaritan woman, John 4) being seen through the lens of liberation (Syrophoenician woman, Mark 7) being put into conversation with other texts that empower women (Luke 8:1-3 and many others) being used as discussion starters in which women are listened to (Dinah, Gen 34) being passed over in silence until we get a better handle on them (Bathsheba, 2 Sam 11-12). Lead Stories On this podcast, Steph Williams O'Brien and Jo Saxton discuss leadership issues such as burnout, breakthrough, and self-leadership. Check out this one on True Empowerment ! Marg Mowczko Marg does a fabulous job of digging into the Bible and making clear the behind-the-scenes academic discussions about the texts that are used to limit or support women. The Junia Project On this website, Gail Wallace and Kate Wallace Nunneley provide resources on biblical equality, equipping women, and resourcing the church. Holiness in Black & White: Women, Race, and Sanctification Drawing on two decades of research, Dr. Priscilla Pope-Levison focuses on Wesleyan/Holiness women evangelists in the early 20th century, including Emma Ray, an African American who preached in Seattle rescue missions alongside SPU students and went on to become a Free Methodist Conference Evangelist. This was the 2013 Walls Lecture in Wesleyan Theology at Seattle Pacific University. CBE International CBE (Christians for Biblical Equality) is THE website for all things related to the equal partnership of women in the church and church teaching. With 400 audio files , over 2000 blog posts and magazine articles , close to 1000 academic articles , almost 300 book reviews , and 90 videos , not to mention courses , you should be able to find information on all aspects of this topic. Women and Church Standings A quick reference page for various people and denominations who have a stated position on women's roles. Not exhaustive. 2013_05_01_L_Priscilla_Pope_Levison 00:00 / 1:12:21 Free Methodist Feminist Christy Mesaros-Winckles gives us the history of debates around women's roles in the FMC, and the women and men who fought them. Sorry Watch This website analyzes examples of apologies in contemporary culture and measures them against their standards for a good apology . Becoming an Ally: A Roadmap for Men Who Aspire to Advocate for Women by Rob Dixon If you would rather read a written version of this material, see Raising Up Allies: A Standardized Pathway for Developing Men into Allies to Women.

The Month's Events December 2025 Today Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Upcoming Events Bible Translations Matter: How the Ways We Read Scripture Shape Our Theology Mon, Jan 26 Zoom event More info Details

Advocates for Women in Leadership (AWL) Free Methodist Church is a group of women leaders in the Free Methodist Church USA (FMCUSA) who are passionate about creating a culture of equality, opportunity, and safety for women in our churches. Advocates for Free Methodist Women in Leadership (AWL) is a group of women leaders in the Free Methodist Church USA (FMCUSA) who are passionate about creating a culture of equality, opportunity, and safety for women in our churches. We’re here to provide everyone in the FMCUSA with the resources to understand our theology and practice regarding the equality of women in the kingdom of God—in value, role, and function. We’re also here to offer a safe space for women to tell their stories of church experience. This site is curated to assure those stories can be told with authenticity and without fear. We hope all can learn from your experiences. You are welcome here whether you are well immersed in egalitarian ideas, desiring information on what the Free Methodist position regarding women is, or questioning what you think about that position. We pray you will find what you need in these pages. Join Our Next Event! PreacHer Sunday VISION The vision of Advocates for FM Women in Leadership is to help lead the Free Methodist Church USA toward an egalitarian culture in its entirety, including marriage and ordination, theory and practice. MISSION Our Mission is to be a healthy biblical community of Free Methodist leaders supporting one another and assisting the Free Methodist Church USA in understanding the societal distinctives of women in the US in order to fully recruit and empower women among our disciples, leaders, groups and churches. Highlighted Resource: On the Feminization of the Church The feminization of the church movement has argued that men in particular are leaving churches because churches and church practices have been feminized. For a response to these assumptions, two articles and a book may be helpful.

Biblical Interpretation and Tradition Here are just a few of our favorite articles and blogs. Check out more thorough discussions of the interpretations of various passages in some of our recommended books , videos , and websites . Authority and Submission Submission and the Legal Reality of Peter’s Rome by Jill Richardson Chain of Inference: “Seeing” Male Authority as God’s Design in Genesis by Bob Edwards The Bible Teaches the Equal Standing of Man and Woman by Philip B. Payne See also videos on our video page , such as: Humility: it looks different for women and men Theology of Suffering Headship in Ephesians Women Pastors and 1 Tim 2:12 There are Women Pastors in the New Testament by Marg Mowczko Was Paul For or Against Women in Ministry? by Craig Keener “But What About 1 Timothy 2:12?” Ten Talking Points by Gail Wallace Women in Leadership: The Only Thing That Matters is What the Bible Says by Kelly Ladd Bishop Humor: Ten Reasons Men Should Not Be Ordained as Ministers by David M. Scholer See also videos on our video page , such as: Why do women preach? The pushback Adventures in Sexist Hermeneutics Modesty, 1 Tim 2:9 and I Peter 3:3-4 5 Things the Bible Does (and Doesn’t) Say About Modesty by Jill Richardson Modesty: I Don't Think It Means What You Think It Means by Rachel Held Evans Church Tradition Feminine Language for Paul and Jesus in the 11th Century by St. Anselm Modest, Industrious, and Loyal: Reinterpreting Conflicting Evidence for Women's Roles by Susan E. Hylen. Email AWL for full article . "Women and Authority in the Fourth Century" from Chrispina and Her Sisters by Christine Schenk. Email AWL for full article . See also "Holiness in Black & White" on our podcast and websites page .

Teaching Opportunities for FMCUSA As part of our work, we're providing the Center for Pastoral Formation with names of women who would like to be considered for teaching opportunities for FMCUSA at the national level. If you would be interested in being included in that list, please send your name, contact information, current appointment, educational credentials (minimum of master’s degree required), relevant experience, and topics of interest to advocatesforfmwomen@gmail.com We also need help vetting resources. The following books need review: Keeping the Faith by Marie Fortune Making Christianity Manly Again: Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, and American Evangelicalism by Jennifer McKinney Email Us

Articles Articles on issues related to anti-sexism in the church abound. It order to help you find what you need, we have sorted them into the topics below. Each subsequent link will lead you deeper into the topic... Biblical Interpretation and Tradition Is there a particular passage you want to know more about? Click here to learn more. How To's You're convinced that women should be equal partners in the church, but you want to know more about how to make that happen. Click here to learn more. Marriage and Engagement Resources You need resources for your church that support egalitarianism in marriage. Click here to learn more. Abuse and #MeToo Whether you are interested in reading about spousal abuse or clergy abuse, click here to learn more. What else? Is there a topic you don't see here? Let us know! Email

Male Advocacy Event In the fall of 2023, AWL invited 4 male FMC elders that we had seen practicing advocacy to speak at our event. More than 50 people came, and this is what happened. For FMC women: If you want to add your thoughts to those of the women at the end: · What is one thing you wish male advocates knew? · How have you seen male advocates effectively making space for you and other women? comments debug "I wish.." "I've seen.." If you're a Free Methodist Woman, add your own response If you're a Free Methodist Woman, add your own response Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Contact Us If you'd like to contact the team of Advocates for FM Women in Leadership, contact us via the form below. This forwards to our gmail account, and an AWL team member will respond to you within one week. AWL is currently looking for liaisons to represent AWL and advocate for women in your conference. If you are interested, look over the task descriptions and contact us below using the option Become an Advocate . First Name Last Name Email Choose an option Reason for Contacting Message Send Thanks for contacting us! One of our team members will get back to you within one week.

The So-Called "Feminization" of the Church The "feminization of the church" movement, despite the historical marginalization of women from full engagement in life and meaningful work, and their segregation into household and spiritual pursuits, blames women for the failures of an essentially male-led church. These resources will get you up to speed on these issues. The "Feminization" of the Church by Kristen Rosser A Jesus for Real Men: What the new masculinity movement gets right and wrong by Brandon O'Brien (If you do not have access to CT , you can download the full article here .) The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Beth Allison Barr

Need Help? If you need immediate help , our team of women is available to support you by brainstorming your next steps, joining you for a confidential meeting or conversation, or stepping in as an advocate, as the situation requires. First Name Last Name Email Choose an option Reason for Contacting Message Send Thanks for contacting us! One of our team members will get back to you within one week.

How To's Whether you want to better recognize sexism or to put practices in place that promote balanced leadership, the articles below can help. Also check out our book recommendations . What does sexism look like? It's Time to Start Recognizing Sexism in the Church by Janel Apps Ramsey The Subtle Hazing of Women in Ministry by Jill M. Richardson Becoming a Champion of Women: One Pastor’s Journey by Larry Walkemeyer Why Hiring Women is Not Enough: Tokenism and the "Problem" Woman of Colour by Kira Page The Problem When Sexism Just Sounds So Darn Friendly... by Melanie Tannenbaum The Ambivalent Sexism Inventory : Can you recognize the different faces of sexism? We Are Feminine (But We Won’t Fit In Your Box) by Tara Beth Leach The "Feminization" of the Church by Kristen Rosser The abrasiveness trap: High-achieving men and women are described differently in reviews by Kieran Snyder A Jesus for Real Men: What the new masculinity movement gets right and wrong by Brandon O'Brien Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic 3 Female Ghosts that Haunt the Church by Jen Wilkin Roundup of Concerns with the ESV Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers by Herminia Ibarra, Robin J. Ely, and Deborah M. Kolb Organizational Resistance to Women in Ministry by Edward C. Lehman. Email AWL for full article . How can we support women and build egalitarian environments? Local Church Assessment of Women's Full Inclusion Creating Discussion Spaces Where Women Are Heard by Jill M. Richardson Raising Up Allies: A Standardized Pathway for Developing Men into Allies to Women by Rob Dixon If you would rather listen to an audio version of this material, see Becoming an Ally: A Roadmap for Men Who Aspire to Advocate for Women . How to Find a Church that Empowers Women by Ruth Martin Would someone looking for such a church choose yours? The Billy Graham Rule, or Why Men in Ministry Need to Meet with Women Roundup Seventeen Resources on Women and Men in Mutual Leadership by Chris Morton How to Become a Church that Welcomes Women Pastors by Jill M. Richardson Learning from My Mistakes: Being Intentional about Practicing Egalitarianism by Charles M. Metcalf 9 Ridiculously Practical Ways for Male Leaders to Empower Female Leaders in the Church by J. R. Briggs Caring for the Mothers in Our Midst: The Church’s Responsibility 8 Reasons to Stop Saying ‘Men’ When We Mean Everyone by Karl Vaters Interrupting Sexism at Work: What Drives Men to Respond Directly or Do Nothing? (Report) by Negin Sattari, PhD , Emily Shaffer, PhD , Sarah DiMuccio, PhD , Dnika J. Travis, PhD Plus a couple of suggestions from AWL: Make your presenters list as diverse as you want your audience to be. Let Women Ask the First Question in Q & A and Discussion Meetings: How To's for Women in Ministry Six Tips for Taking Center Stage by Jill M. Richardson No Need to Downplay Your Leadership by Jill M. Richardson "Tiara Syndrome" Do you have a tendency to put your head down, work hard, and hope someone will eventually notice and reward you with promotion? Some of us do, too! Here's what that is, and how to do something different. See also videos on our video page , such as: Everyday Sexism Lead Stories and websites such as CBE International and The Junia Project will all have lots of help and support .

Discouragement Sometimes, it’s hard to tell whether our discouragement is related to sexism or not. There’s no sign that clearly announces: You’re discouraged because of ongoing sexism! or instead You’re discouraged because it’s February! So we have included resources that address both. Resources to Face Discouragement Wh at To Say : CBE has a whole series of articles that will give you the tools to respond to discouragement that can come from the people around you. Grit: The power of passion and perseverance Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn't the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of "grit" as a predictor of success. AWL is aware that Angela has a book as well. Feel free to check it out! Contemplative Practices Contemplation has long been a part of Christianity. Here are two websites where you can access resources to learn Christian meditation or to find a spiritual director: Soul Formation Transforming Center Note that we have chosen two centers that have benefited by and provided help for many Free Methodists.