Beth, I do remember you. I would love to hear what you are up to. Thanks for stopping by.

Jim, yep you just keeping doing “something” moving forward. Thanks

I don’t know if you remember me, but I am the girl from Texas who met with you last summer over a Greek salad! Our visit was brief, but simply listening to your story encouraged, blessed and challenged me in many ways.

Interestingly, our chat made me feel normal; that these crazy passions to lead, to preach and reach people are not just the domain of men. The lack of role models can really mess with your head! Anyway, I left Seattle with newfound courage to follow God into new and scary places.

I just wanted to stop in and tell you how much I appreciate this post and the leadership you bring to this ongoing conversation.

Keep talking!

Lots of fun - huh?

i have not had a chance to listen to the podcast yet…can’t wait to do that. But I loved how you worked at setting up the meeting time with Rob…so smart! I found Rob’s remarks interesting and revealing, “then he told me that we (women) should not go where we are not welcome”. In part, that kind of makes sense, but if you look at other significant social shifts where there was a power imbalance and injustice, there always had to be a group of people who stood up and gave the prophetic critique regarding the structures…not just shrug and walk away and find where they are welcome. That is the really hard, painful, and sometimes very confusing work of bringing significant structural change that backs up a shift in theology.

Thank you for your voice Rose!

I so appreciate you and all the courage you have exercised in walking the path before you. You are one of my heroes.

Whenever I hear these stories — like this one and the one you documented previous regarding how many women were in leadership at the Vineyard converence in IL last month — I wonder if I made the right choice to step out of the traditional American evangelical church (and thus the standard struggle from women as pastors) and into a nontraditional mode of ministry on the margins.

Part of me so wants to stand next to you and with you in the struggle to effect change — and it’s THRILLING to hear that the conversation has moved to a discussion of systemic structural change. (Which, IMHO, is what is so desperately needed, and what people-in-power often don’t grasp.) I mean, really REALLY ThRILLING! I’m so proud of you and how you have used your wisdom and grace to bring that conversation to the level it has now reached! (And proud of Jim too! Remember how we used to have to bug him about not making us be Vanna’s? He really stuck with the cause and found new ways of functioning. Such and innovator!)

Sometimes I feel guilty for abandoning that struggle — then I remember you saying to me “Rachelle, this is not going to change in your denomination in your life time. The question you need to ask yourself is, ‘Can I function healthfully within that reality?’” (I think this was at the last pastor’s conference I attending in w/you in Vancouver.) When you said that, it was as though time stilled for a moment, and everything within me said, “No, actually, I cannot live within that reality without anger taking dominance in my life.” So, within a few months, I had to walk away.

I don’t know why I am recording all of this other than to say, ‘thank you.’ Thank you for giving me permission to live and be who I was meant to be. And thank you for continuing to fight the good fight in places were the structures are still in much need of repair. I’m so grateful to have you in my life, to see your example, and to learn from your heart.

It’s humbling to see people with a prophet’s eye AND a shepherd’s diligence. I wish both of those things resided within in me. (I seem to have only landed the former and not the latter — an explosive combination, I’m sure.) And I’m grateful, so grateful, that they both dwell within you–and that you have offered me a window into a world were both of these traits can work together to right injustice and bring about kingdom (shalom).

All my love,

Rachelle