I love Romans 16. It’s a chapter of greetings that’s easily overlooked at the end of a theologically rich letter – a list of names that are hard to pronounce, let alone know what to do with. But it’s a chapter that communicates the relational richness of our partnership ‘in the Lord’ (repeated nine times), as women and men, young and old, Jew and Gentile. Love, respect and dignity ooze from this chapter, as Paul sends his greetings to his beloved fellow workers in the Lord, including many women. We’re not told the details, but we see women and men who are united to Christ Jesus and empowered by the Spirit, using their different gifts in unity to build the body of Christ and glorify their Lord.
Just as this list of first century AD greetings powerfully communicates that women are integral to God’s mission, so does our Moore College graduation each year, one of my favourite times of the year. One by one I see the next generation of women gospel workers sent out into the harvest, along with their brothers in Christ. It’s such a thrill to hear of the variety of ministries and places these different women are actively serving in. Each one has a different story, but together they show that there are an abundance of gospel opportunities for women, including many opportunities for formal vocational ministry.
In order to illustrate this, let me briefly tell you a few of the stories of our most recent female graduates. There are 25 of them, which makes up a third of the graduates from the same courses this year.
Katie Stringer: “I’m teaching and coordinating High School SRE at six inner west High Schools. I’m managing a team of volunteer teachers which involves supporting and training them to have a positive experience in the classroom. I am passionate about good teaching pedagogy and love the opportunity to share the beauty of the gospel with the students in my classes. One of my favourite things about teaching SRE is that teenagers have the opportunity to say what they really think and find satisfying answers to their questions. Finding the right language so that my students hear what I’m intending to say is very important. I want them to discover and be strengthened by the truth of the gospel for themselves and to have that as a life-long treasure.”
Jennifer Cheung: “My primary ministry is to my husband and kids (6.5, 5 and 2.5). I love serving alongside my husband at Georges Hall Anglican Church in the South West of Sydney, encouraging, discipling and equipping the saints – particularly the women – and seeking to engage the local community with the good news of Jesus. Of the above I love sharing Jesus with those who are thirsty the most, so chaplaincy or another context where I can engage non-Christians is something I’d be keen to explore in the future.”
Karina Brabham: “I’m currently completing six months cross-cultural training at the Church Missionary Society’s (CMS) training facilities in Melbourne, St Andrews Hall. This is in preparation for heading out with CMS as a missionary. I’m planning to go to France to serve in the university ministry there. College reminded and taught me that Christlike ministry is about being a humble servant. As I prepare to serve cross-culturally overseas I’m very conscious of my need to rely on God in all things and to have a humble attitude rather than think that I know it all (which I certainly don’t).”
Carol Gilbert: “I may not have a formal role yet, but God has given me many ways to serve Him. I’m a part of Auburn & Newington Anglican and am involved with ministry to women, co-leading a Bible study, ‘welcoming’ and some kids’ ministry. I am also helping to train a K-3 leader. God has been teaching me to trust Him in the uncertainty. It has been hard learning patience, but it has also been a creative and interesting time. I’ve had to be more proactive as I have less formal structure and am more prepared to go wherever I can best glorify the Lord Jesus. I’m particularly interested in cross cultural ministry and evangelism in the future.”
Elsie Anderson: “I’m currently working with the AFES groups at the University of Tasmania in Hobart. My time is split between working with local students and international students but with both groups, my focus is on mission on campus. I’ll be helping people read the Bible and investigate Jesus as well as training Christian students to share Jesus with their friends.”
I’m hoping that as you read through the stories of these women, it reminded you of Romans 16 and that your heart is full, like it is for me! And this is only a snapshot of the many different women serving in different types of ministries, in different places all around Australia, and a number heading overseas to serve in the next year – all working hard in the Lord.
Ministries to children, women, youth, young adults, university students (undergraduate, postgraduate, internationals), those from different cultures and religions (Korean, Chinese, Muslims). Evangelism, discipleship/mentoring, small group ministry, training leaders, training apprentices, lecturing, pastoral care, chaplaincy, welcoming, hospitality, music, marriage preparation, conference organising. The intense and invaluable ministry of motherhood, and the privilege of serving alongside a husband who is a minister (in all its variety and complexity!). In churches (Anglican and independent), schools, hospitals, universities, homes, playgrounds, communities. All around Sydney (west, south west, south, inner west, eastern suburbs, north), NSW (Central Coast, Armidale), and Australia (Gold Coast, Melbourne, Hobart). With the support of different parachurch organisations, like AFES, Generate, Anglicare, Youthworks. An abundance of opportunities for women! And that’s just what the 25 women who graduated in 2021 are doing, let alone the generations of women who’ve gone before them!
Half of them are serving in vocational ministry positions (12 out of the 25), mostly full-time (9 out of 12), and mostly paid (11 out of 12 – although the one unpaid woman wasn’t looking for paid ministry). Only one of the women who is looking for paid vocational ministry hasn’t been able to find a paid position yet, but it is very early days – she continues to apply for positions, and currently has lots of different opportunities in her church and community in an unpaid capacity, like many of the other graduates.
This means that half of them are not serving in vocational ministry. Is that because there weren’t enough ministry positions when they finished college? No, I don’t think so. From what I understand, these women weren’t looking for a formal vocational ministry position coming straight out of college (apart from one, mentioned above). One studied the Advanced Diploma to be better equipped as a follower of Jesus in her local church and to return to the workforce as a music teacher. One transferred her studies to Queensland, where her fiancé lives. The rest (three quarters) are heavily involved in the unpaid ministry of caring for and discipling their young children (two born in the last few months), as well as serving alongside their husbands who are employed themselves as the minister of a church. On top of this they are also actively involved in a variety of other local church and community ministries. As their children grow and become more independent these women are likely to do more of this local church and community ministries, and some may move into a paid vocational ministry position in the future.
I hope you can see is that women are integral to God’s mission and that there are an abundance of different gospel opportunities – so many wonderful examples of women working hard in the Lord, alongside their brothers in Christ. There are also plenty of vocational ministry positions, in fact enough paid positions for everyone who wanted one (besides one – and it is still early days for her…and not quite all the men who wanted paid positions got them, either). I know we’re just looking at small numbers here, but I could tell you similar stories from the last 12 years I’ve served at Moore, each telling a wonderful story of God’s grace at work bringing women to Christ and empowering them for a lifetime of serving Him, something that thrills my heart – what about you?
Please pray that God continues to raise up women who are equipped well at Moore College (and in other training colleges and programmes around the world), and then sent out with the gospel to the ends of world, women who work hard in the Lord.
