Ph.D. Rhetorician. Wife. Mom. Christ-follower. Political junkie. Author of “God Forgive Us for Being Women: Rhetoric, Theology, and the Pentecostal Tradition.”
Tomorrow, women will teach, counsel, mentor, preach, and shepherd. They will do so with titles like Director because as long as you don’t call her a Pastor it is acceptable for her to operate in her gifts. Make no mistaken, however, she is pastoring. She is a Pastor.
Last night I tweeted that I wished I could talk to my mom about the challenges of life and leadership. Tonight I was going through some papers and this dropped out. You don’t believe God hears our heart’s desire? He does. And he answers. You can trust him. He is faithful.
I want to respond to
@DavidAFrench
essay and argue how wrong he is to link his arguments to Pentecostalism, but I can’t. There is something deeply concerning about conspiracy thinking & nationalistic fervor that has taken hold over our tribe. We have to address this now.
Every denomination that gives even an inch of ground to women pastors apostatizes within a few generations. Every single one.
If we care about the SBC or other conservative denominations, we must fight on this issue.
I am already a mess this morning. The resurrection changes everything. Death does not have the final say. Not today. Not ever. I am so profoundly grateful. Our God is RISEN. Our salvation complete. How great a God he is!
Conservative Evangelical friends…is this what you stand for? Is taking the name of the Lord in vain acceptable so we might have influence? Please, I am begging you, repudiate this rhetoric and walk away. You don’t have to support the other team but this cannot be our witness.
If ever there was an argument for the value of the liberal arts we are literally living in it. The lack of moral imagination, ethics, and philosophical/theological reasoning as well as thoughtful communication is alarming.
I am a Pentecostal. This is the age of the Spirit. Our comforter. Our guide. Our empowerment. I believe in the gifts of the Spirit and the power given through the Spirit to break the chains of darkness, bring healing, and build the Kingdom of God.
That this even needs to be said is unreal. Bizarre is a kind word. Women, made in the image of God, get their own relationship with God that nothing to do with any man.
Women of the faith, you get to have your own relationship with Jesus and love him with your whole MIND as well as your heart and soul and you dang well can study theology without permission from a man. This has gotten so bizarre. Go ahead. Knock yourself out with insulting
Being a female leader in Evangelical spaces is not for the faint of heart. Pray for the women you know who navigate the role and the culture. Reach out with some encouragement today.
Shortly after Trump was elected, I was told by a Pastor’s wife that “all men talk like that.” I turned to her husband and asked: “Do you?” When there was nothing but silence I responded that their moral authority was lost and I could no longer trust them or their ministry.
Eric Metaxas explains how he started supporting Donald Trump during the furor over the Access Hollywood tape, where Trump was heard bragging about sexual assault
A vast majority of Southern Baptists—88%— voted against Saddleback's appeal to return to the SBC after being disfellowshipped for having female pastors.
#SBC23
@bethallisonbarr
@DennyBurk
@colinsmo
This is getting out of hand. Is there no one in the lives of these men to hold them accountable? Shame on them and all in authority over them.
The hallmark of the prophet is tears. It is not reading the tea leaves or predicting the future. What is missing in the US is tears. Weeping before the Lord.
#socialmediaprophets
@JJ_Denhollander
We do most of our giving through Convoy of Hope. Their work both stateside and internationally is top notch. Their President
@HalDonaldson
is a man of great integrity and character. We don’t support SP for the reasons you list & the way they have been politicized by FG.
I have been very vocal about the failures of the SBC re: sexual abuse in their midst. I have admonished leadership in the AG to get in front of whatever is in our own closets. I cannot be silent because it is my tribe. This is a failure of leadership and cannot go unaddressed.
College ministry leaders at multiple Texas schools continued to send students to be counseled by a man they knew was a sex offender.
At his home.
Overnight.
Now, more allegations of grooming and sexual abuse are coming to light. My latest for CT:
A few thoughts after listening to the latest
#MarsHill
podcast with
@MikeCosper
. I think this is one of the best podcasts around & the long form journalism spectacular. However, I think mainstream Evangelicals need a better understanding of Pentecostals and the movement. 1/
@brettmccracken
@butlerjosh
@TGC
If this is the best Evangelicalism has in terms of thinking about gender/sexuality we are in trouble. This work is disturbing at best. It is terrible theology. It is dangerous for women. Is this really what the Keller Center/TGC is all about? If so, one more nail in our coffin.
Ministers in my timeline on FB defending militia groups plans to kidnap and try a sitting governor are more than I can take tonight. What have we become?
I am a 4th gen. Pentecostal. I have been studying rhetoric/Pentecostalism for 20 years. I did my dissertation on women/Pentecostalism. It was published as a book. But yes, please tell me again how I don’t understand what the issues are regarding women’s roles in our movement.
To my sisters who pastor:
Your calling and service to the Kingdom along with your faithfulness to the God who saved you and called you are once again being debated in the public square. I am so sorry. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. He will never leave you or forsake you.
I will confess that I had mixed reactions to the
@HeGetsUs
campaign but that washing feet ad was just perfection. Jesus washed feet. That is good news. Great work, friends. That is it right there.
I am a big fan and regular listener of
@HolyPostPodcast
but I just have to say my favorite part of the broadcast each week is
@JaseRuggy
laughing in the background. Jason has the best laugh around. It is pure joy! Thanks, Jason!
Everything’s bigger in Texas, including worship service. This is just a taste of the grand scene inside First Baptist Church, where Mike Pence is set to speak any minute now.
I actually have started to believe this. It is what makes me want to lose my mind, but it is true. He is not their lesser evil. He is who they want. That is just the reality. It will never make sense.
I’ll save you the analysis. It’s because Republicans genuinely like Trump and the things he says and does. Not just “more than the alternatives.” But just period. It isn’t more complicated than that.
I had the great honor of being ordained by the
@AG_USA
last evening. To have
@dougclay
and my pastor
@brentonfessler
lay hands on me and endorse my call was overwhelming. God has been so gracious to me & my family. What a gift it is to bear his name & proclaim the good news!
Had a woman not preached and church planted, my family would never have come to know the Lord. I owe my heritage to her. I am so done with men like this who call themselves ministers who would deny my family salvation because of who told them about Jesus.
Complementarians disagree cheerfully about much.
One thing we have massive agreement on: women do not preach on Sunday to the church. Doing so is functional egalitarianism.
We will not capitulate here.
Why we won't:
A resource:
Shout out to my sisters in the Iowa Ministry Network & the Iowa Network of Women Ministers. When I wear it I pray for you! I hope I can be with you in person soon!
Honestly, Pastors…do not make jokes at the expense of women or make women out to be dangerous in your messages. It is not funny. It is gross. And from that point on you lose me for the rest of your message.
My Southern Baptist preacher friend after a whole two weeks of live streaming said, “I am dying over here. I have this divine calling to pastor people and lead staff and preach God’s word—but I am not allowed to. It’s torture!”
And a thousand women preachers stood up and said,
We told Evangelicals that you cannot be a Christian unless you are a Republican. We made conservative political ideology same as conservative theology. None of this should have shocked us but some still believed that character & integrity were greater than party. We were wrong.
Today, the
@AG_USA
elected a female leader to a regional executive role that was not specific to women or ethnicity, etc. Appointed positions created representation & the body acted. It matters. It is good. This makes me proud to be a part of this fellowship!
#gc21
@NDTwinsfan
@RoyBlunt
It never mattered to him. When I was a constituent who called his office to register my thoughts on issues his staff told me as much. They would literally tell me my thoughts didn’t matter to him. He could care less about Missouri or her people.
We have to be more clear and tell a better story of who we are & what we believe. We cannot allow mainstream Evangelicals who are not interested in that to frame the narrative. There is a lot more but my initial reaction. 7/
I will not post or repost things by our former President (45). But let me just say this…othering is one of the primary means by which we justify all sorts of atrocities. Calling fellow Americans vermin is dangerous. They were never just mean tweets.
You have’t been good shepherds. You let the wolves into the flock & called them godly. You kept silent on rapists, pedophiles, abusers to protect “conservatism.” You blame women for your failures. You are the unfaithful ones. Repentance is available. Turn from this wickedness.
Weeping once again.
@BethMooreLPM
testimony speaks so deeply to my own pain and shame. The way
@drmoore
asks the questions are caring and pastoral. And above all Jesus again emerges as Savior, King, and maybe most importantly…father. I am so deeply grateful.
@DPCassidyTKC
@DavidAFrench
@charisma_news
For a lot of us Pentecostal academics, we have warned about this for years.
@charisma_news
was the National Inquirer of Christian Media & as such happily embraced Trumpian Ideology. They now peddle in the darkest corners & yet are still taken seriously among too many.
Today, I was paid a great honor. I was asked to pray over our
@AG_USA
colleges/universities and Christian Higher Ed from the floor of the General Council. What a gift to ask the Lord to bless the work of our hand. I am so grateful for the opportunity & for my fellowship.
#gc23
I didn’t set out to be a gender scholar or an activist for women’s leadership. I am just a woman, called by God, determined to not see another generation of God’s women silenced because of bad theology or straight up misogyny. I don’t always get it right but I will not be quiet.
The work of the Spirit is empowerment for service and the building of the church, not spectacle. Have I seen healings? Yes! Amazing! Have I experienced signs/wonders? Yes! I know them first hand. However, they are not for focus on us, but on the glory of God. 6/
Let me remind my dear brothers in the SBC that there is a major sexual abuse issue in your ranks.
@BethMooreLPM
is the least of your leadership issues. That plank in your eye is blinding.
Mark Driscoll is not and was not Pentecostal & his demon trials may make him dabble in the charismatic but again, it is more about him than engaging the Spirit & seeing signs/wonders. It is abuse and manipulation. 3/
Christian, if your church does not have women preaching regularly, as women have done since the resurrection, hear me very clearly:
You should find a new church.
@EWErickson
Come spend some time with us in the
@AG_USA
where we have ordained women from the beginning. We haven’t always lived into our beliefs but our policy and position remain. We are growing and ordaining more women!
@RepMeijer
I want my elected officials to be decent people who legislate, engage in negotiation, and compromise. I want them to put the good of the country ahead of their personal ambition. I want them to stop acting like toddlers get together and work it out. Then we all benefit.
On this week's
@HolyPostPodcast
,
@BethMooreLPM
explains that she wasn't shocked by Trump's behavior but by the behavior of evangelical leaders who did not speak up for women & the vulnerable. Don't miss her riveting interview w/
@KaitlynSchiess
.
This morning, with the re-election of Melissa Alfaro, the Executive Presbtery of the
@AG_USA
is majority women & people of color for the first time in our history! This is worth celebrating! Give God praise!
#gc21
Sister Beth lives rent free in so many minds in the SBC. Why? Because she has lived/served with integrity and character. She loved her fellowship,gave her life in service of the call of God. The SBC on the other hand has shown little integrity especially where she is concerned.
If you thought we'd go an annual meeting without a dig at Beth Moore, you'd be wrong. Messenger complains about
@lifeway
selling her material.
Pres
@BenMandrell
: "Have you read Beth Moore's memoir?" A mix of cheers and boos from the crowd.
#SBC23
And just for the record, I think the allegations against Biden should be fully investigated and he should be held to the same standard as Trump and Kavanaugh.
I appreciated the discussion on
@HolyPostPodcast
on Pentecostals, Christian Nationalism, and false prophets. I think it would be wise for
@philvischer
&
@SkyeJethani
to have some actual Pentecostal guests and scholars on to talk this through further.
The emphasis on signs/wonders, and demon hunting makes for entertainment but is only one aspect of what it means to be Pentecostal. Most of the emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit is focused on the Spirit itself & not calling out other spirits. 5/
The first female Executive Presbyter was succeeded today. Dr. Beth Grant served for 14 years with distinction. Dr. Melissa Alfaro, a pastor and rhetorician, will carry on this important role. The
@AG_USA
believes God calls women and elevates their role.
#gc23
I am not a Baptist, Southern or otherwise, but I am paying attention to the SBC in Anaheim this week. It is important for my work but also because there are a lot of people I love who are Baptist or were and they deserve to see some real change. That is my prayer.
@drmoore
@NappNazworth
But is it, really? This is who he is and what he stands for. What remains unbelievable are those who continue to support and promote him.
Timothy J. Keller, husband, father, grandfather, mentor, friend, pastor, and scholar died this morning at home. Dad waited until he was alone with Mom. She kissed him on the forehead and he breathed his last breath. We take comfort in some of his last words...
You know you have reached the big time when you are seated on the floor in the back of the panel! So great to be with
@kkdumez
in the front at the table and in the back on the floor!
#cfh2022
@laurambarringer
@bethallisonbarr
I just taught on Piper’s perspective in a grad class. Some of my students who are unsure where they land theologically found the gymnastics to get to this position was unfathomable.
I am immensely grateful to be a part of the
@AG_USA
who has ensconced in our Constitution & Bylaws the leadership of women at all levels of ministry. We don’t always live up to our ideals but we have laid it out for all to see. Our daughters will know they are called by God too!
We have a State Champion! Inaugural winner in the podcast category for Soren’s work on the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. We are so proud of this boy and his hard work!
#nhdca22
You come for
@bethallisonbarr
you come for me. I wrote my own scholarly work to set the record straight on Pentecostal theology & practice so women can lead in fullness. The harvest is ready and the workers are few. We are here to do what God has commanded of us.
I have three things to say.
1. I didn’t write
#MakingBiblicalWomanhood
for me. I wrote it to help women trapped in an ungodly system that is damaging the Gospel of Christ. I threatened an entrenched power structure, and they are trying to take me down….
I am not interested in a religious left any more than I am a religious right. There are people of faith across the political spectrum and the co-opting of that faith for political expediency only harms the witness of the faithful.
Tonight we celebrated actual miracles. Contracts offered, loans forgiven, rest coming miracles. This season has been relentless, but I would just repeat…you have done it before, you will do it again. Miracles. To God be the glory GREAT things he has done!
@DineshDSouza
why make a disparaging remark about appearance? Can you not make your point without being personally demeaning? You demean the image of God when you do so and that is shameful.
That said, Pentecostals & Charismatics have problems we have to grapple with. Derek Prince and his lot are made for TV but hardly representative of the movement or theology. Discernment ministries are equally as problematic. We have to address this in our own camp. 4/
In the
@AG_USA
we don’t just ordain women, we elect them as Executive leaders. So grateful for Donna Barrett and her leadership. Re-elected with 93% of the vote!
#gc23
We have a within rank promotion system as well as between rank. Today I was notified that I have achieved Associate Professor 3. Next stop Full Professor. Grateful every day for the opportunity to serve and to grow!
When you are willing to do the work on subjects like patriarchy, racism, abuse, etc. there will be fierce attacks because these are spiritual issues as much as anything. But here I stand. You can take everything I have—all of it — but you can never take Jesus. He is faithful.
@profsamperry
I made the mistake of reading some of those tweets. I wish I was surprised. In my PhD program a man openly argued that women receiving the vote started the destruction of the family. Pre-19th it was a “family” vote cast by the husband.
The folks interviewed this week are not Pentecostal in any traditional sense. There are actual historians of the movement & theologians. People need to learn from them. This episode is reductionist at best on that. 2/
COG - Cleveland Sisters:
I grieve once again with you today. Men debating and voting on “the woman question” makes me want to rise up as our Pentecostal mothers did before us and proclaim that God Almighty is no fool! Should we ask ask God to forgive us for being women?
I never understood those who wanted to go to the events in Brownsville or Toronto. But there is something deep inside me that wants to go to Asbury. Like the woman with the issue of blood I long to touch the hem of His robe.
This is ONLY a loss to the SBC. Saddleback made the right decision and God will honor this church and her leadership. Thank you
@RickWarren
and all those who continue to stand for a God who calls women made in his image to lead in his church!
Breaking: Saddleback Church, the megachurch long led by Rick Warren, has been ousted from the Southern Baptist Convention for naming a woman to its pastoral team, against SBC teaching.
@BethMooreLPM
I am not a theologian but a scholar who has written on women’s roles and theology. The backlash and spiritual warfare is unrelenting. Grateful for you and
@bethallisonbarr
and all those who continue to trod this path. The truth will set people free but the casualty list is long.
@mwestramke
Because all we need is to take women and make them the reason why men abuse their power. And if we refuse to address abuses of power for what they are then we will have women behaving the same way.
It is a privilege to have contributed to this story on the
@AG_USA
and our doctrine of women’s leadership. We have much work to do but we are living into our convictions and theology more now than ever before. Women are called, empowered, and sent! Thanks be to God!
My Pentecostal ancestors and the aging Pentecostals who mentored me were mystics. The gifts were for them holy ground phenomena you did not mess with or subvert or take for granted. You never **used** them. Instead, they transfigured *us* in rare moments of sacred manifestation.
I have been waiting for this one! So ready to dive in! In other news Amazon sent me two books on error. Reply to this tweet and I will randomly select someone to receive a copy!
I am a puddle. My daughter is in the kitchen singing Oh Holy Night. My mama’s song. She sang it every Christmas Eve. I am in the next room and it just got to me. I miss her so much this time of year.
Women are becoming dechurched. They are walking away. This talk of the Jezebel spirit/feminine power is harming women & it is an abusive trope.
@cb_johns
I heard from a former student of mine last night. A 3rd generation Church of God pastor. She has been raised to lead and to minister the word of God from the time she was born. Yesterday, she was made to sit behind a curtain. You read that right. Sit behind a curtain while…1)
We have to say goodbye to this sweet girl today. My theology of pets is not well developed but we are grieving deeply. God sees every sparrow that falls and he knows our Madeleine too. Love you, puppy. You were the best girl.
I then began to list the men in my life who did not and could answer quickly they do not. But my ease of trusting has been diminished since those days.
@sometimesalight
As one who grew up on SNAP in a rural context I resonate with thid deeply. My mom shopped at early hours of the morning so our friends wouldn’t know she used food stamps and other assistance. I feel this even now.
Just so we are clear...there is a
@POTUS
account and a
@WhiteHouse
account. These are the official accounts of the President. If he needs to tweet to the American public he can. He should never have kept the personal account while in office.
I know these things should no longer shock me but as long as the endorsements from those claiming Christ continue, I will continue to speak up about it. This is idolatrous and anyone who supports this message is engaging in idolatry. It must be rejected.
This tracks the messaging that comes from his rally stages from pastors - that God has chosen Trump to battle the Deep State. This is also a ripoff of the ad Casey Desantis made for Ron’s reelection campaign. This also says Trump goes to church on Sundays when he never goes.