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Young clergywomen connect with peers via online project Amy Forbus, Oct 5, 2007
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Young clergywomen often find it very affirming to connect with others in their same age group, say participants in The Young Clergy Women Project.
By Amy Forbus Digital Community Builder
Ordained as a Presbyterian minister in her 20s, the Rev. Susan Olson remembers “the searing isolation of those years.” There were few ordained women of any denomination around at all, and those she did know were seldom near her age or ministry phase.
These days in her work at Yale Divinity School, Ms. Olson wants to help make the path smoother for young women who are discerning a calling. She launched an interdenominational effort, The Young Clergy Women Project (TYCWP), in April.
Its first gathering was Testimony: Young Women Preachers Conference, Aug. 6-10 at the Cathedral College of Preachers in Washington, D.C.
The continuing-education event was supported by a grant from The Louisville Institute, a Lilly Endowment-funded program based at Louisville Seminary. Testimony brought together 40 clergywomen age 39 and younger to learn, preach and develop a community that crosses denominational and geographical lines.
The community of young women has become connected mostly through online networking. Both United Methodist clergywomen interviewed for this story first received word of TYCWP via e-mail, and one has begun a blog since returning from the event.
Age matters
Why would a young clergywoman feel alone with a whole church community around her?
Many young female pastors share stories of social interactions becoming awkward the moment they’re introduced as clergy, according to TYCWP participants. Some tell of male colleagues whose first ministry experiences out of seminary are nothing like their own, making it hard to relate to each other’s situations.
And others say that older clergywomen, especially those who entered ordained ministry later in life, sometimes have little empathy for the fatigue a new pastor can also experience, telling them, “You’re too young to be tired.”
In any of these situations, it can be difficult to identify a “normal” experience for a young clergywoman. Sharing with each other helps these young women determine what is common to their age group and vocation, and builds support among them.
The Rev. Tara Roberts, a commissioned elder in the Pacific Northwest Conference, said young clergywomen may find that initial impressions work against them in their first appointments.
“Often, the churches we come into are churches with very few families, mostly older adults, and they look at me and see their grandchildren,” said Ms. Roberts, 29. “That’s a very difficult part of ministry. I’ve had to really earn their respect and it has taken a while to do that, to show them that I really do know what I’m doing.”
Age can affect relationships, not just between pastor and congregation but also clergy-to-clergy. Gatherings of clergywomen with diverse ages fulfill certain emotional and spiritual needs, but finding other young women in ministry can mean even more in terms of building relationships.
“Most of the time, I’m the youngest person and the youngest female wherever I am,” said the Rev. LeKisha Reed, 27, a commissioned elder in the Louisiana Conference.
“I went to the [2006] Clergywomen’s Consultation for United Methodists in Chicago, and it was wonderful—I had never been with so many clergywomen before—but there were very few, if any, other women under 35,” Ms. Reed said.
But her experience at Testimony was different.
“I hadn’t been with that many clergywomen in my same age group, ever, so that in itself was very affirming,” said Ms. Reed. “Even though we were from different parts of the country, we had similar experiences, and immediately we connected on that level. It gave me an outlet, but also a social component that I don’t have in my current appointment.
“We were only together five days, but after the meetings we wanted to talk more, so groups of us would walk up the street to a restaurant... and just be young and talk and laugh and giggle.”
Connecting
Ms. Roberts appreciated that the event not only provided a continuing education opportunity but also emphasized relationship-building among participants. One evening, the women shared their experiences of ministry as well as the different issues their generation faces.
“Everything from what to wear when you’re in the pulpit, to how you have a child and work at being a pastor,” Ms. Roberts said. “I don’t think we had quite as much time as we’d hoped for just sharing with each other, but we stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to make that time.”
Within United Methodism, it’s common to encounter the same people at events throughout the years. But it happened in this multi-denominational group for at least one pair of young ministers.
Ms. Reed, for instance, caught up with a United Church of Christ colleague, Elsa Peters, whom she met nearly a decade ago. Ms. Peters is now on the board of the TYCWP.
“The last time we’d seen each other or talked, we were both discerning our calls,” Ms. Reed said. “It’s great that we’re both still in ministry.”
TYCWP has a board of directors comprised of 11 young clergywomen. Ms. Olson serves as “convener,” managing the grant and gathering people together for a common purpose.
The project is helping young women develop clergy-support networks through its Web site and Fidelia’s Sisters, the site’s e-zine, which launched earlier this month. While the progress has been encouraging, Ms. Reed looks forward to even more connections.
“One thing that I said to some of the facilitators was, ‘Where were the other African-American women clergy under 40? I know I’m not the only one.’ I need to connect with them as well,” Ms. Reed said.
Ms. Roberts said she hopes more young clergywomen will get involved by contacting Susan Olson through the Web site at http://youngclergywomen.typepad.com/tycwp and signing up for a password to begin connecting online.
“I was just in [the discussion area] on Friday and we were talking about rural ministry, sharing our experiences,” she said.
“If you don’t have a lot of colleagues around you that are your age, and you think you’re not being understood, it’s a place where you can go. People are going to understand where you’re at, and they’re going to affirm you and care about you.”
COURTESY PHOTO
The community of young women has become connected mostly through online networking. Both United Methodist clergywomen interviewed for this story first received word of TYCWP via e-mail, and one has begun a blog since returning from the event. 
impressions work against them in their first appointments. 
Within United Methodism, it’s common to encounter the same people at events throughout the years. But it happened in this multi-denominational group for at least one pair of young ministers. 
