Episode 22: Empowering, Equipping, and Encouraging Women in Ministry in Southern Baptist Churches. SBC Women in Ministry. Complementarian Ministry

#22. On today's episode, we finish up a great interview with Dr. Cathie Smith, who is the  Great Commission Association Women in Ministry Ambassador. If you are following the news, this is a timely conversation for us, as the nation's largest Protestant denomination, the SBC, grapples with the role of women in ministry. Today, we talk with Dr. Cathie about how pastors should seek to enlist qualified and gifted women to serve in leadership roles and invite them to speak into sermon topics, schedules, etc. To give them a voice at the decision-making table. We also discuss practical ways to entrust and release women into areas of ministry in the church that are Bible-honoring, people-encouraging, and church-building. I think you will find the conversation to be both very practical, but also encouraging and inspiring, because Dr. Cathie does a great job of pushing pastors to see the women of the church as an often tragically untapped reservoir for dynamism, health, and flourishing. Seven Ways to Empower Women In the Church 1. Engage them.  Engage them in discipleship and making disciples.  See them, connect with them, open doors of opportunity for them as God allows. 2. Encourage their giftings. 3. Exhort God's calling in their lives and give them opportunities to respond to what God is calling her to do – commission/send out 4. "Equip women for ministry and disciple-making. This includes education. Educate women in theology, hermeneutics, and other Bible teaching skills to help her to be able to adequately handle the word of God. 5. Establish ministry pathways for women – both for equipping and serving in her gifting. This will involve a cost in resources, personnel and energy.  6. Enlist qualified and gifted women to serve in leadership roles and invite them to speak into sermon topics, schedules, etc. Give them a voice at the decision-making table.  Partnership not just permission.  7. Entrust and Release Women in your church – Champion/Co-Workers/Celebrate