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Clergywomen Looking For Love

Religion: Clergywomen Have God, Looking For Love Got God? Clergywomen looking for love struggle on the dating scene.

Reposting From YourTango.com Blogger:

by Lois Elfman

When Erika Crawford told her college boyfriend she had decided to go into the ministry, he broke up with her. "I was 21 and heartbroken. I wondered if this was a sign of things to come," recalls the 35-year-old ordained minister of the African Methodist Episcopal Church located outside New York City. Unfortunately, after her college breakup, the men she met through friends and colleagues continued to tell her that though they didn't mind her being religious, but that, in not so many words, the idea of dating a minister turned them off. 3 Ways To Change Your Bad Dating Attitude
Crawford's experience is indicative of the difficulties clergywomen find when they enter the dating sphere. Powerful, professional women in general often have difficulties finding love, but do these women of God have the toughest road to hoe? It's a relatively recent question. Though women have informally served in pastoral roles for centuries, in 1956, the the United Methodist Church became the first American Protestant denomination to approve full ordination and clergy rights for women. The Episcopal Church, of which the current presiding bishop is a woman, approved women's ordination in 1976. The first female Reform Jewish rabbi was ordained in 1972, and Hebrew Union College (with three U.S. campuses and one in Jerusalem) had 552 ordained alumnae as of 2008. Conservative Judaism has ordained women since 1985. There's no hard evidence documenting their dating struggles, but anecdotal testimony certainly points in that direction. Summarizing her own experience and that of her colleagues, Crawford says, "Statistically speaking, I was looking at being single forever. That was tremendously hard. Your relationship with God doesn't negate the fact that you're a woman and that you want to be romanced." Dear God, I'm Ready To Meet The One Despite the challenges, Crawford has held firm to who she is�a woman who likes to wear high heels, makeup and jewelry. She says she would have no problems being a supportive wife to a husband, as she believes God commands. "But it's hard to find a man who is strong enough to deal with a strong woman," she says. "I know who I am and I know what God has called me to do. I don't make any apologies for that. I'm not going to dumb it down." The other difficulty clergywomen face is the constant scrutiny of their lives: "You have to live under a microscope. Everybody is going to be watching," says Crawford. "As I've dated since I've been pastoring, I don't bring anybody around my congregation or my students at the university." (In addition to pastoring a church, Crawford is also a university chaplain.) She has always been resolute not to date a congregant. When she speaks at other congregations and men approach her, she has passes up those connections. "I don't want to be seen as someone who comes into a church and hooks up," she says.

Church of England To Ordain Women Bishops!

Reporting From BBC News:

Is ordaining women as bishops a mistake?

The General Synod of the Church of England is proceeding with plans to ordain women as Bishops - though the first female bishop is not expected until at least 2014. Here, two commentators from within the Church argue the case for, and against ordaining women.

The Church's tradition is always changing, says Christina Rees

IN FAVOUR: Christina Rees, Women and The Church

The Church's tradition is always changing, says Christina Rees.

The Church of England's theology and tradition both support ordaining women as bishops.

We believe that men and women are made equally in the image of God, equally responsible for our actions, equally given the abilities and qualities for ministry and leadership and equally called to be Christ-like in service to the world.

Keep Reading!

Another First --Clergy Woman Gives Inaugural Sermon

Rev. Sharon Watkins Will Deliver
Sermon At National Prayer Service

(CNN) -- The Rev. Sharon Watkins will deliver the sermon at the traditional National Prayer Service on January 21, the day after Barack Obama is sworn in as president, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced Sunday.

Marching bands practice in front of the U.S. Capitol during an inaugural rehearsal on Sunday.

Watkins, the general minister and president of the 700,000-member church Disciples of Christ, will be the first woman to deliver the sermon at the inaugural event.

It takes place at the National Cathedral in northwest Washington.

"I am truly honored to speak at this historic occasion," Watkins said in a news release from the committee.

She added, "I hope that my message will call us to believe in something bigger than ourselves and remind us to reach out to all of our neighbors to build communities of possibility."

The National Prayer Service is a tradition dating back to the nation's first president, the inaugural committee said.

The service includes prayers and hymns delivered by various religious leaders.

_____________________________________________________________
Biography of Sharon Watkins Reported By

By Ignatius Reilly

Reverend Sharon E. Watkins holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Phillips Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity from the Yale Divinity School, and a Bachelor�s Degree from Butler University.

Rev. Watkins currently is the General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which has 690,000 members in the United States and Canada. She is serving a six-year term that ends in 2011.

Reverend Watkins is the former pastor of Disciples Christian Church in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. She also served as pastor of Boone Grove Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Boone Grove, Ind., and Assistant Minister at Spring Glen Church (United Church of Christ) in Hamden, Conn. She has held administrative positions at Phillips University, and was adjunct professor at the Phillips Theological Seminary. She has also done missionary work in several parts of the world, and serves on the board of numerous international humanitarian organizations.

She is married to the Rev. Dr. Richard H. Lowery, and has two children.

You Better GO ON GIRL! PREACH ANYWAY!

Gospel Today Magazine Pulled
From Christian Bookstore Shelves.
by: Donald Townsend

Smiling women on the cover of a slick magazine. Sold from under the counter. Must request it from store clerk. That's not something a buyer would typically find in a Christian bookstore.

Not unless it's one of the more than 100 Lifeway Christian Bookstores across the United States, including about six in metro Atlanta.

Gospel Today, the Fayetteville-published magazine, was pulled off the racks by the bookstores' owner, the Southern Baptist Convention. The problem? The five smiling women on the cover are women of the cloth -- church pastors.

Southern Baptist polity says that's a role reserved for men.

Teresa Hairston, owner of Gospel Today, whose glossy pages feature upbeat articles about health, living, music and ministry, said she discovered by e-mail that the September/October issue of the magazine had been demoted to the realm of the risque.

"It's really kind of sad when you have people like [Gov.] Sarah Palin and [Sen.] Hillary Clinton providing encouragement and being role models for women around the world that we have such a divergent opinion about women who are able to be leaders in the church," Hairston said. "I was pretty shocked."

Chris Turner, a spokesman for Lifeway Resources, which runs the stores for the Southern Baptist Convention, said, "It is contrary to what we believe."

It bases those beliefs on their interpretation of New Testament Scriptures.

Southern Baptist representatives at national meetings have adopted statements saying women should not be pastors, but each church is independent. A few churches have selected women, such as Decatur First Baptist, where the Rev. Julie Pennington-Russell preaches each Sunday from the pulpit.

Pastor Tamara Bennett of California is one of the featured pastors on the magazine cover and talks in the article about the challenges of breaking through the stained-glass ceiling.

"God's assignment is that no souls are lost and all are saved," Bennett said. "Gender is not how God sees it. We are about winning souls, period."

Southern Baptists are not the only ones to frown on women preachers. Catholics, the largest Christian denomination in the nation, do not allow women priests. And some conservative evangelical groups, such as the Presbyterian Church in America, do not ordain women.

"We weren't trying to pick a fight," Hairston said. "We just did a story on an emerging trend in a lot of churches."

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Clergywoman Invites Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright To National Press Club

"Well, That's How It All Happened!"
Dr. Barbara Reynolds Invites
Dr. Jeremiah Wright To The National Press Club!
Bishop CD Miller
Copyright 2008. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright 2008. Dr. Barbara Reynolds

The Reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds blog rolls an explanation regarding Reverend Dr. Jeremiah Wright's National Press Club recent invitation to speak. Seemingly under attack, Dr. Reynolds blogs her involvement with the controversial event. Dr. Reynolds had met Dr. Wright at the 2005 Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference which was convening in Washington , DC...

"Dr. Barbara Reynolds addresses Rev. Wright, Obama,
and the National Press Club"...
"So when the recent controversy around Wright erupted, Sylvia Smith, the president of the press club, asked if I could get Wright as a speaker, the man I had been suggesting even before she became president. I was delighted because the Samuel Proctor Conference was again coming to Washington for its legislative conference and Wright could now bring the social justice message with its promise of equality and inclusion to an international level.

That was my only motivation.

I have been attacked for my role in all this..."
"And ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free..."John 8:32

We pray this ends the matter! Amen

Obama's Web Magic IS NO ''NEW'' NEWS!

"Tell Us Something

We Don't Know"

~Women In Ministry Know Obama's Internet
Web Strategy MYSTERIES and MORE!

Bishop CD Miller
Copyright 2008. All Rights Reserved.

http://bishopcdmiller.com"

In a "DA-WONDER," " WHERE HAVE I BEEN-IN AMAZEMENT," and " NOT A CLUE???!!! recent interview, "Obama's Web Magic," CNN's correspondent, Rick Sanchez probed Rolling Stone's Contributing Editor, Tim Dickinson about his current Rolling Stone's cover story article:

The Machinery of Hope Inside the grass-roots field operation of Barack Obama, who is transforming the way political campaigns are run
By TIM DICKINSON

"...Over the past year, the Obama campaign has quietly worked to integrate the online technologies that fueled the rise of Howard Dean �as well as social-networking and video tools that didn't even exist in 2004 � with the kind of neighbor-to-neighbor movement-building that Obama learned as a young organizer on the streets of Chicago. "That's the magic of what they've done," says Simon Rosenberg, president of the Democratic think tank NDN. "They've married the incredibly powerful online community they built with real on-the-ground field operations. We've never seen anything like this before in American political history," reports Dickinson's cover story.

"In the process, the Obama campaign has shattered the top-down, command-and-control, broadcast-TV model that has dominated American politics since the early 1960s. "They have taken the bottom-up campaign and absolutely perfected it," says Joe Trippi, who masterminded Dean's Internet campaign in 2004. "It's light-years ahead of where we were four years ago. They'll have 100,000 people in a state who have signed up on their Web site and put in their zip code. Now, paid organizers can get in touch with people at the precinct level and help them build the organization bottom up. That's never happened before. It never was possible before." Sanchez reflecting on these quotes, dialogued with Dickinson regarding this effective online communications approach.

"Obama's Web Magic" is NO NEW NEWS for Women In Ministry! "A fascinating article...my kids got it and I didn't!" Rick Sanchez, in the dark about internet communications trends, remained clueless after repeatedly asking Dickinson "HOW TO" questions about current internet/web communications strategies. This interactive communications phenomena which has been launching Obama with over the top results is A NO NEW STRATEGY for developing an online interactive community! Women In Ministry, forged from traditional pulpits, DAILY HAVE MASTERED OBAMA's STRATEGIES AND MORE! Women In Ministry have raised online pulpits and are developing unbelieveable interactive audiences as well as grass root ministries globally and FOR MANY YEARS NOW!

The wedging of women out from the traditional pulpit has forced many female ministers to online communications. Bishop CD Miller, a retired New York City Communications Design specialist and now full time clergy woman coaches a countless audience on the "HOW TO's" of content publishing and building the interactive grassroots voice as well as audience online. As a former Mid-Atlantic Broadcast Art Director with a design affinity to the monitor, Bishop Miller pushes the envelope of online FREE web tools for developing web ministry, internet evangelism and cyber church. Her "HOW TO" tips are captured in her online communications series, "Casting In His Net!" Her virtual ministry is an extension of her reality ministry.

Uniquely, she analyzes the communications strategy of Jesus Christ in her coaching series. Jesus Christ is one of the world's greatest communicators of a message for change. Though PHYSICALLY DEAD, HIS MESSAGE OF "HOW TO LIVE LIFE ABUNDANTLY" AND HIS AUDIENCE CONTINUE ITS REACH! How has this content message and communications strategy resounded throughout the ages???!!! Bishop CD Miller parallels this theological "one to one" marketing strategy to the effective usage of current online internet navigation tools. Building an internet strategic interactive communications architecture and platform unfolds the mystery and is the unlocking key to reaching a countless audience.

"Casting In His Net" and Bishop CD Miller as "Information Theologist" is cutting edge communications branding. Creatively seaming: blogs, podcasts, Web 2.0 personal social networking, email groups, web portals, mp3s, videos, web photo albums and MORE for outreach ministry as well as church development is the strategy. While remaining quite committed to the local worshipping assembly, Bishop Miller uses the internet to reach an audience not otherwise accessible. She enlightens a global audience to this POWER for communicating, connecting and building meaningful, safe relationships.

Developing a loyal INTERACTIVE audience and voice is strategic. Bishop Miller is joined daily with countless Women In Ministry who HAVE MASTERED these online communications technologies and strategies. Tell us something we don't know or...shall we say, "Let US TELL YOU something YOU don't know!"

Clergy Woman Boldly Speaks Out!

"Let The Best Man Win!"
~African-American Women
Making Their Votes Count!

Bishop CD Miller
Copyright 2008.
All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

SISTAH, YOUR VOTE IS THE CUTTING EDGE; YOUR VOTE IS STRONGER THAN YOU THINK!!! As Democrats, the African-American Female voter must highly regard two important facts before casting their Democratic Primary vote! First and interestingly, James Carville, a Democratic political consultant and commentator, reveals, "...57% of the democratic vote is from women!" The Democratic challenge is to take the country back from the Republican GRIP and LOCK of a failing economy as well as a never ending, not winning or loosing, "Viet Nam-like" Iraq War. The African-American Woman has a tough question to answer on this "Crucial Tuesday" Democratic Primary voting day ---beyond "Girl friend, who are you voting for?"

This is the buzzing question which faces the African-American Female Democratic Voter. African-American Women have a great challenge on Tuesday! Do we vote Race or Gender?! Do we vote Black or Woman?! We ARE A DECIDING FACTOR for the AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTE! We must cast our votes wisely by becoming informed and by clearly knowing the issues as well as being earnest to our conscience!

Joining Barak Obama in South Carolina, December 9th 2007, Oprah Winfrey "puesdo preached" her trial sermon "Are You The One? Is He's The One?"-The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM9Wwc7G5eo. Effectively and affectively Oprah, who captivates the female audience daily, made her choice! Uniquely, she is not the only Chicago, Illinois Women's national or global voice of notoriety to be heard!

The Chicago native, The Reverend Marcia Dyson, also toured South Carolina but on the Hillary Clinton campaign's "Faith Tour." The tour was designed to reach faith-based black women. Recognized as a leader in a ministry of healing to wounded women and women's issues is Illinois' own, The Reverend Marcia Dyson. Reverend Dyson actively supports the Hillary Clinton Campaign. The Reverend Marcia Dyson, a prominent media and public relations specialist has served as the Public Information Officer for the Mayor's Office of Special Events for the City of Chicago. Reverend Dyson now resides in Washington, D.C.

This past weekend, The Reverend Marcia Dyson was found very active supporting the Hillary Clinton Campaign! In a "He Said, She Said" exchange, Reverend Dyson and her husband Michael Eric Dyson renowned Princeton scholar, ordained Baptist minister, public intellectual and African-American author were seen on CNN's "Larry King LIVE." The Reverend Marcia Dyson boldly supported Senator Hillary Clinton as presidential nominee for the Democratic Party. Reverend Dyson, Contributing Editor for Essence Magazine, has been touring with the Clinton campaign.

Also this past weekend, Dyson was found joining Chelsea Clinton supporting, stumping, pushing Clinton votes in Akron, Ohio! In February , Reverend Dyson joined the �All Voices Count� 2 day tour with the Clinton campaign. Reverend Dyson accompanied Ohio's First Lady Frances Strickland, Congresswoman Diane Watson and Hillary�s childhood friend, Betsy Ebeling on the campaign trek. They gathered to meet Ohio voters and to proclaim Hillary Clinton's 35 year record of standing up for children and working families.

Reverend Dyson further charges National Democratic Convention delegates to be "bound by principle" in the casting of presidential ballots. An impressive cadre of clergy sign her open letter of appeal for integrity in the process.

As African-American Women, we have one tough question to answer, "Who indeed will be both the next President AND Commander and Chief of these United States; who can TAKE BACK AND SECURE The WHITE HOUSE for America's domestic and global future?" Who can do this and just how much CHANGE can America tolerate? Hmmn, A black man or white woman as president of these United States? Know the issues; critically vote your conscience, just WHO is the next President of the United States? "Let The Best Man Win!"

Now, here is your second and most important set of facts to regard before heading to the poles! Quoting from Adele M. Stan's article, "Can Black Women Save the Liberal Coalition?" enjoy these recorded facts: "Black women are often given the last seat at the decision-making table," said Democratic strategist and CNN commentator Donna Brazile, who has also remained neutral in the race. "So, for black women voters and potential candidates, it's not a question of 'our time or our moment,' it's a question of respect for the strong and consistent support we provide to Democratic candidates of all backgrounds."

Stan continues in her article: "I truthfully think that most American people just don't know the power of the black female vote," said Maretta J. Short, president of the New Jersey chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW), and the first Black to lead a NOW state-level organization. (While NOW's national PAC has endorsed Clinton, NOW-NJ, located in one of the most delegate-rich Super-Tuesday states, had remained neutral.)

According to David A. Bositis, of the Joint Center for Economic and Political Studies, Black women make up 60 percent of the total Black vote. And they're the Democrats' "most loyal voting bloc," he said. Short contends that even Blacks aren't aware of black women's strength at the ballot box, because it's not a point that gets made in the media -- not even black media." You can find Adele M. Stan's article featured at "The American Prospect-Liberal Intelligence" http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=can_black_women_save_the_liberal_coalition

BlackCommentator.com reveals the current status of the African-American Female Voting bloc to date. "It is also important to mention that within the massive Black vote for Obama, the votes of Black women were of great strategic electoral significance. As another political reporter for the Boston Globe (February 6, 2008), Lisa Wangsness, reported, �In every state where exit polling data were available last night, black women overwhelmingly voted for Obama, and they helped him carry states with a high percentage of black voters, including Alabama and Georgia. Black women chose Obama over Clinton by a 7-to-1 margin in both Georgia and New Jersey...Obama carried Georgia where black women made up 33 percent of the electorate; Clinton won New Jersey, where 14 percent of voters were black women.�

The Reverend Barbara Reynolds, originally from Columbus, Ohio and a "Kinetics-Faith In Motion" blogger uniquely mirrors Dyson's reflections. Reverend Reynolds posts her blog "Hope" to the Kinetic audience. "Like many African-American women, I have struggled with the dilemma of selecting a black man or a white woman... My problem was that both Senators Obama and Clinton are darn good. Finally, I voted for Senator Clinton. My first reason was that as seductive as Obama�s mantra of hope, the Clinton's legacy of help is more substantive and stronger. Hope by definition is not based on facts. It is an emotional expectation. Things hoped for may or may not come. But help based on experience trumps hope every time."

Kinetics-Faith In Motion" and Reverend Reynolds' blog can be found at http://faithinmotion.net/ an information ministry designed to disseminate information on spiritual, political, economic, and social issues.

The fact that the next President and Vice President of these United States could either be African-American or Female (or possibly in any "DREAM TEAM" respective combination) is a very REAL consideration! Here is the true political reality check: CHANGE IS AT HAND! Like boarding an airplane, the voice from above admonishes us to check our destination, with these familiar words, "Make sure your are right!"

African-American Women Voters: You ARE THE DECIDING VOTE FACTOR!~"Let The Best Man Win!"-whoever HE or SHE maybe!

A New Seminary President

Union Theological Seminary Reports

Union Theological Seminary

Appoints First Woman President

In Its 172-year History

Union Theological Seminary Announces NEW YORK, February 25 � Dr. Serene Jones has been selected to become the 16th and first woman president of the historic Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. The announcement was made today by David Callard, chairman of the Seminary's Board of Trustees. Dr. Jones will assume the presidency of the independent, non-denominational seminary, on July 1, 2008. She will succeed Joseph C. Hough, Jr., who is retiring after serving as Union's president since 1999.

The ''Network Provider''~Take A Tip From Barney!

Bishop CD Miller Builds Web 2.0

Network For Women In Ministry!

HerSpace Women In Ministry

Preachers Network!

Bishop Shares 12 Tips For Successful

Ministerial Networking!

"The Network Provider"~Take A Tip From Barney!

Making The NET Work For You-12 Keys To Networking Etiquette!

Bishop CD Miller

Copyright 2007.

All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

http://bishopcdmiller.com

http://efmaonline.com

http://herspacewomeninministry.com

Web 2.0 Social Networking technology is a VALUABLE tool for "new school" application of the "ol school" concept of networking and the sharing of referrals. Bishop CD Miller, using NING Platform Networking Technology has built a social networking community especially for Women In Ministry! HerSpace Women In Ministry Is Rockn' DAILY with the best of Women In Ministry Network News, Events, Kudos and Support For Women Preachers.

Networking is a powerful tool for building success and successful relationships. Building a strong influential network is essential toward reaching your secular, personal, business or ministry goals.

To build an affluent, affective and effective network requires building upon the strong back of others; you need a "Network Provider!" Whether "ol' or new school" there are rules to the game! There are unspoken principles of Network Etiquette which will make for successful virtual or reality networking!

Keep Reading>>>>

Visit HerSpace Women In Ministry Preachers' Network

Women In Ministry Leader Celebrated

The Reverend Marjorie A. Boston

Celebrates 31 Years

Serving The Gospel Ministry

The Reverend Marjorie A. Boston, the former pastor of Faith Mission, Yonkers, New York has victoriously completed 31 years of service to The Gospel Ministry. Reverend Boston was originally licensed and ordained by The Rev. Dr. Franklyn Richardson, Grace Baptist Church, Mount Vernon, New York. Metro New York and Tri-State Area clergy honored Reverend Boston's ministry at a glorious banquet!

"Reverend Marge," has been award countless kudos as a Women In Ministry Leader. Her ministerial contributions are further recognized in the community as a National and International Community Leader. Chaplaincy, Prision Ministry, and Children's Ministry are outreach areas which have impacted her community for decades!

Congratulations Reverend Marge A. Boston!