I knew what God was calling me to, but I didn’t know where to start. Being a woman in full-time ministry was a foreign concept to me, and yet I found myself desiring to make this a reality. There were women in my local church, and in my community, who had been reaching out to me for biblical counsel amidst the pandemic and brewing tensions in our country in 2020. I had been working at our church in a more behind-the-scenes role for eight years, and hadn’t thought of myself as anything more than the “graphics girl,” so why were they reaching out to me? As I prayed and sought counsel from my pastor and other trusted friends, I knew I was stepping into unknown territory…but I was all in.
The natural transition into becoming the director of women’s ministry at my church came easy at first, but over time, I was faced with having to teach the Word, something I had not done outside of a Life Group setting with my husband. Even though I had a good understanding of Scripture, I still felt inadequate, and in some ways inferior to the male pastoral staff. I grew up in a world where women were often told what they can’t do in the church with little room for what they can do. Things like serving in the nursery and making meals were certainly not my personal gifting, so where did I fit?
During a normal day at the office, I found myself scrolling through the Charis Women website when I stumbled upon something interesting: Credentialing. In a moment of courage, I clicked on it and read the description:
“Are you a leader who is a faithful follower of Jesus who wants to serve with recognition and belong to a national leadership network? This may be you, but…you have an inner voice raising doubts about God’s desire to use you as a leader because of either your gender or limited leadership training. As you continue to serve Jesus, you just wish you had credentials that acknowledge your abilities as a woman to contribute to the building of His Church.”
Yep. That was me. I marinated on the idea for a few weeks before approaching my pastor with the desire to be credentialed in ministry. So many fears and doubts swirled in my head. Who was I, a woman who had never been formally educated in the things of theology, to want to be considered for such a recognition? After sheepishly bringing up this desire to my pastor, I was encouraged with not only a resounding “Yes!” but a commitment to lead me through the process, Bible and textbooks in hand.
The credentialing process began with an application. I needed to introduce myself, my family, tell my testimony of salvation, share my experience in ministry, and explain why I desired to be credentialed. After I was accepted into the program, the studying began. I spent the next several months reading through books on systematic theology such as Basic Theology by Charles C. Ryrieand Christian Theology by Millard J. Erickson, along with many other resources. My pastor developed a study guide for me to work through as I studied the Evangelical Core of the Charis Fellowship. Next up was familiarizing myself with and studying the Charis Identity statements. Lastly, and likely the most challenging, was to study and develop a biblical stance on the role of women in ministry. Thankfully, Encompass World Partners has a fantastic resource for this topic: A Missional Mosaic: Working Toward a Robust Theology of Women on Mission. All of these studies would eventually pour out into a twenty-page paper outlining and explaining my studies and beliefs from Scripture on these topics.
Studying was just the tip of the iceberg. It’s great to have information, but how do you apply this information in everyday ministry scenarios and in personal life? That’s where the help of a mentor came in. Meeting with my mentor each month helped me stay accountable to my study and writing. She also challenged me in my personal walk with Christ. I had to be mindful of how I was living out these beliefs that I was proclaiming.
Once my paper was written, edited (several times), and finalized, I sent it in and awaited an interview. At this point, my pastor took me under his wing and led me through mock interviews. The goal was not to simply spew back information, but to articulate biblical truths as if I were teaching them to someone who had little to no knowledge of the subjects. Finally, the day came to be interviewed and I was ready! After four hours of intensive theological questioning, discussing the Charis Identity statements, and defending my view of women in ministry from Scripture, I was approved by the interviewers and the Charis Women board to be credentialed in ministry. The process took about two years from start to finish.
Credentialing took me on a ride that I will never regret. Digging deep into Scripture and theology, learning how to articulate and teach the truths of which I believe, is something for which I am so grateful. Credentialing gave me a new-found sense of belonging in full-time ministry as a female. Gone were the roadblocks of things I could not do as a woman and doors flew open in all the areas of what I could do. I feel better equipped to handle the Word in not just a women’s bible study, but in the late-night phone calls and Starbucks meetings with women who are fighting through their faith.
We must consider the value of credentialing women in our local churches. It is the duty of church leaders to train up the Body of Christ, including women, and release them to use the gifts the Spirit has uniquely given them to spread the Gospel (Ephesians 4:11,12 & 1 Corinthians 12:7). Commissioning women in ministry is a direct reflection of God’s heart for the work women provide to build His everlasting Kingdom. It is one way to recognize women as vital partners in this mission within the Church. Pastors, who are the women in your church that could benefit from this? Are you encouraging women to step out in obedience to the Lord to use the spiritual gifts given uniquely to her? When we stop focusing on the “cannots” and begin encouraging the “cans” of women in ministry, we unleash the untapped potential of many people courageously stepping forward to answer the call God has given them without shame. Think about what that could look like within the walls of our churches and in our communities!
Women, do you feel the Lord leading you to further study to be better equipped to serve Him through your local church? You may not know who God has lined up in your life to receive the ministry for which He has created you, but they are there, waiting for you to take this step. Speak with your pastor, send the interest email, open your Bible, pray, and know there is a network of women within Charis Women who are cheering you on and are eager to come alongside you as you pursue your full redemptive potential in Christ.
Written by Sarah McMahon for the Year in Review 2023–2024. Sarah lives in Northfield, Ohio, with her husband, Brian and two children. She and her husband have dedicated their lives to ministry at Western Reserve Grace Church where she is the director of women’s ministries and he as an elder and worship leader. Sarah longs to cultivate biblical sisterhood, equip women in the Word of God, and empower them to share the love of Christ in their daily lives. When she’s not at church, you can find Sarah drinking good coffee, listening to folk music, and being a full-on boy mom.