While I had always enjoyed the general activities of women’s ministry, the event-driven nature of it seemed to have a level of primacy that neglected other important aspects of the ministry. When Bible study did happen, it was often accompanied by an attitude of pragmatism. If there was no immediate practical application from a study, or if it required women to dig deeper into the Word for context and meaning, often there was resistance. From my experience, thinking theologically was not a part of women’s ministry, so the story of Mary of Bethany became the vision for my own life, a woman remembered throughout church history for sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning from her Lord. I wanted that for myself! But from that providential day in seminary, my own vision for women sprung forth. Today, my focus is on teaching women how to bring the Scriptures to bear on all areas of their life, in whatever sphere of influence God has placed them. For several years, I have been active in ministry to women in the church, equipping them on a range of topics including women’s ministry and leadership, worldview and theology, and bioethics topics, especially those related to reproductive technologies. Occasionally, I have been heard on radio programs including MBN's Prime Time America and quoted in Today's Christian Woman. As an associate fellow with The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, I serve as a consultant on women's issues, responding to those specific bioethics issues that impact woman’s lives. I also serve as an adjunct professor of ethics at McHenry County College and worship at The Orchard Church in McHenry, Illinois. With my husband and 3 boys, we reside in Harvard, Illinois. M.A. Christian Thought, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2005 The Center for Women of Faith in Culture |
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While attending seminary, I was struck by an intense desire--a call-- to women's ministry. My educational objectives until this moment had been motivated by a passion to teach theology at the undergraduate level. I was intent on teaching young people, especially those entering into ministry, to reflect theologically on the contemporary issues facing church and culture. But in what seemed to be a split-second shift, all that changed. I heard the call to work with women in the Christian community in a similar way—it was a God moment, because ministry to women is not something I would have pursued on my own. 
