Coronavirus Response

  • Home
  • A-Z List
  • About
    • About the NCC
    • Connectional Table
    • Staff
  • Calendar
    • Events
    • Google Calendar
    • Past Events
  • Churches
  • Contact
    • Find Us
  • Districts
    • District Office
    • Beacon
    • Capital
    • Corridor
    • Fairway
    • Gateway
    • Harbor
    • Heritage
    • Sound
  • Employment
  • Search

NC Conference

Healthy Congregations and Effective Leaders in Every Place Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World

  • Discipleship
    Developing Disciples
    • Christian Formation
      • Children
      • Church & Society
      • College
      • Creation Care
      • Differently Abled Persons
      • Older Adults
      • Spiritual Formation
      • Status & Role of Women
      • Young Adults
      • Youth
    • Church Revitalization
      • Coaching
      • Disciple Making Way
      • Evangelism
      • Grants
      • MissionInsite
      • Shift
    • From the Bishop
      • Church Transformation
      • Conflict Transformation
    • Multicultural
      • Anti-Racism
      • Asian
      • Hispanic-Latinx
      • Native American
      • Strengthening the Black Church
    • Stewardship
      • Apportionments
      • District Remittances
      • Financial Discipleship
      • Grants
      • Insurance
      • Mission & Service
      • Pension
      • Treasurer Training
  • Leadership
    Strengthening Leaders
    • Bishop’s Office
      • Appointment Book
      • Church Transformation
      • Conflict Transformation
    • Office of Clergy Life
      • Board of Ordained Ministry
      • Called to Ministry?
      • Extension Ministries
    • Board of Laity
      • Certified Lay Minister
      • Lay Servant Ministries
      • Local Church Lay Leaders
      • United Methodist Men
      • United Methodist Women
      • United Methodist Youth
    • New Faith Comm.
      • New Room Society
      • Our Communities
    • Conference Offices
      • Center for Leadership Excellence
      • Christian Formation
      • Communications
      • Conference Secretary
      • Connectional Ministries
      • Information Technology
      • Multicultural Ministries
      • Outreach Ministry
      • Treasurer’s Office
  • Service
    Ministering To The World
    • Local Outreach
      • Afghan Refugees
      • Church Construction
      • Church Loans
      • Congregations for Children (C4C)
      • Creation Care
      • Cross & Key Prision Ministries
      • Health Ministry
      • Restorative Justice and Mercy
      • Seed Funds
      • Mission Projects
    • Global Outreach
      • Love for Liberia
      • Missionaries
      • NCC UMVIM
      • Project AGAPE
      • Sierra Leone: Mission of Hope
      • ZOE
    • Disaster Ministries
      • Donate to Storm Response
      • MERCI
      • Response Plan
      • Response Team
      • Training
      • UMCOR Kits
    • Giving
      • 2021 District Christmas Offering
      • Advance/Rainbow Covenant
      • Apportionments
      • Give to Storm Response
      • Mission & Service
      • The Gary Wayne Locklear Mission Endowment
      • New Room Society
      • Special Sundays
    • Ministry Partners
      • Boy Scouts of America (BSA)
      • Camps & Retreats
      • NC Institute for Spiritual Direction and Formation
      • Partners In Ministry
      • Robeson Co. Church & CC
      • UMF
  • Resources
    Supporting Ministry
    • Conferences
      • Annual Conference 2021
      • Annual Conference 2022
      • Charge Conference 2021
      • General Conference
      • Pilgrimage
      • SEJ Conference 2016
    • Media Center
      • Catalog
      • Labyrinth
      • Ministry Tools
      • Online Resources
      • Weekly Newsletter
    • Online Resources
      • Anti-Racism
      • Archives & History
      • #BeUMC
      • Church Lookup
      • Green Church Initiative
      • Online Data Collection
      • Online Learning
      • Pastor Lookup
      • Ramus: Web Hosting
      • Video (Vimeo)
    • Publications
      • Appointment Book
      • Bible Study
      • Conference Directory
      • Conference Journal
      • Every Day Grace
      • Lenten Reflections
      • Mission & Service
      • Podcasts (NCCUMC.FM)
    • From UMC.org
      • Agencies
      • Communications
      • Discipleship
      • Finance & Administration
      • Global Ministries
      • Graphics Library
      • Relief
      • Status & Role of Women
  • Leadership Excellence
    • About the CLE
  • Upcoming Events
    • Moral Leadership in Public Life
    • Crisis Planning and Strategic Response
    • Audiences and Messaging
    • Dealing with the News Media
    • Archive of Past Events
    • Paid Video Content
  • Programs
    • Leadership Fellows Program
      • Apply Online
      • Online Recommendation
      • Curriculum and Schedule
      • Meet Our Faculty
      • Alums Share Their Thoughts
      • Past and Present Leadership Fellows
    • The Colossian Way
    • Impact: A Rural Church Development Program
    • Manna
      • Register
    • Other Programs and Collaborations
  • Encouragements
  • Partnering Congregations

An Encouragement for October

October 10, 2019 Leave a Comment

Almost from the beginning of Methodism, women have found opportunities to lead and to exhort and eventually to preach. Although he did not initially endorse their preaching, John Wesley believed spreading the gospel often required exceptional practices, and he honored the gifts, call, and “holy boldness” of women, including Mary Bosanquet Fletcher, at least partly because of his mother Susanna’s example.

Read: In her journal, Mary wrote:

“… I am conscious how ridiculous I must appear in the eyes of many for so doing. Therefore, if some persons consider me an impudent woman, and represent me as such, I cannot blame them… Besides, I do nothing but what Mr. Wesley approves; and as to reproach thrown by some on me, what have I to do with it, but quietly go forward saying, I will be still more vile, if my Lord requires it.”

She also wrote:

“If I have a word to speak from [God], he will make my way. If not, the door will be shut. I am only to shew the meekness of wisdom, and leave all to God.“

Reflect: When have you been criticized for answering the call to ministry? How has God empowered you to “be still more vile” and to exercise “holy boldness?” Are you able to “leave all to God?”

Take Action: If you have not done so, examine the written record left by some of these “impudent” Methodist women. Consider keeping a journal to record your own experience as a woman in ministry. Encourage the girls and women where you serve by pointing towards these women whose bold witness are part of our Methodist DNA and share the stories of these extraordinary women of God.

In partnership,
Center for Leadership Excellence and the Commission on the Status and Role of Women

We are grateful to the Rev. Donna Fowler-Marchant for writing this month’s issue of Encouragements. If you are interested in contributing to a future issue of Encouragements, please email josey.snyder@nccumc.org.

If you are not receiving the monthly Encouragements emails and would like to, sign up for the mailing list here.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Encouragements

Questions?

For more information, or if you are having trouble accessing a virtual event, reach out to cle@nccumc.org.

NC Conference of The United Methodist Church · 700 Waterfield Ridge Place · Garner, NC 27529
Phone: 919.779.6115 · Toll-free: 800.849.4433 · Fax: 919.773.2308

Copyright © 2022 · Privacy Policy · Powered by WordPress · Site Admin