Faith of our Mothers

Mary & Elizabeth

John Wesley stood at the intersection of Acts 1:8 and Galatians 3:28 and found himself conflicted by the direction his movement should take regarding women in leadership. Officially, he asked women not to preach or lead men. Unofficially, however, he encouraged them to organize class meetings, teach in those meetings and conduct evangelism. Raised by a strong and outspoken mother, Wesley was never able to embrace a complete ban of women from the pulpit. In his explanatory notes on 1 Corinthians 14:54, he would say that women ought not preach except by “an extraordinary impulse of the Holy Spirit.’’
Nonetheless, Methodist women found it difficult to be constrained. And rightfully so! And women in this tradition should continue to be difficult to restrain.

So, here is a brief introduction to 10 women, both from within and outside the Methodist tradition. What they initiated, challenged, and accomplished is an ongoing inspiration to divinely anointed women and men—especially those involved in church planting as teammates or point leaders.

Read more at this link.