06/15/2026
From Pastor Becky:
This week at East Ohio Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church we celebrated the 70th anniversary of women's ordination in the Methodist Church, and the 265th anniversary of women being licensed as preachers in our tradition. During this same week, the Southern Baptist Convention voted to advance a ban on women pastors, with nearly 75% of delegates voting for the ban.
I am proud to be part of a tradition that celebrates the gifts and calling of women, but sad that so many people still fail to do so, despite the fact that the first-ever preacher of the Good News was a woman, Mary Magdalene. After the resurrected Jesus appeared to her, John 20:18 says "Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: 'I have seen the Lord!' And she told them that he had said these things to her." I like to say on Easter morning that it was the most beautiful and succinct sermon ever preached.
Here is a photo of many of my clergy sisters in the East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church. I am proud and privileged to be among them.
