Abstract:
The United Methodist Church has given women full clergy rights since 1956. Yet many members of the Methodist Church have never experienced a clergywoman leading them. In addition, people who consider themselves Methodists may have not considered what scripture has to say about women leading in the church, even if they have been led by one. This project came out of my own experience with clergywomen and the minimal information I had about what scripture said about women in these roles. I interviewed four women who are serving or have served as pastors of United Methodist Churches regarding their call to ministry and their experience as clergywomen. This was not only to attempt to understand these women and their experiences, but to gain insight from women who have been in a similar place as I discern my own call into ministry.