Baptist Women in Ministry of North Carolina Join us for Convocation 2015

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Baptist Women in Ministry of North Carolina Volume 16, Issue 1 Winter 2015 Join us for Convocation 2015 Thursday, March 19, 10 AM Sardis Baptist Church, Charlotte 5811

For childcare reservations for preschoolers or younger, please email Tillie Duncan at sardistillie@yahoo.com.

1 Baptist Women in Ministry of North Carolina Volume 16, Issue 1 Winter 2015 Join us for Convocation 2015 Thursday, March 19, 10 AM Sardis Baptist Church, Charlotte 5811 Sardis Road Charlotte, NC We hope you will come help us celebrate 32 years of supporting, empowering, and encouraging Baptist Women in Ministry in NC! For childcare reservations for preschoolers or younger, please Tillie Duncan at sardistillie@yahoo.com. Our publicity committee, Amy McClure, Kerry Peeler and Alicia Porterfield, along with Communications Coordinator, Melanie Walk, is delighted to share our newly designed website! Many thanks to web designer, James Wudel.

Welcome to North Carolina! In this issue, we introduce two new-to-nc ministers and one native NC minister who has moved from the coast to the Queen City.

2 Welcome to North Carolina! In this issue, we introduce two new-to-nc ministers and one native NC minister who has moved from the coast to the Queen City. Enjoy getting to know Lee Ritchie, Meg Lacy, and Kristen Tucker. Lee Ritchie Interview 1) Tell us a bit about yourself. Basics: I m from Athens, GA, and grew up at Milledge Avenue Baptist Church, where women s gifts and call are celebrated. After earning a degree in early childhood education at West Georgia University, I taught school for three years. Then, following a call to ministry, I went to McAfee School of Theology and served as Minister to Children and Youth at FBC Commerce for eight years. Women in Ministry: Because of my family and church, I never knew women in ministry was an issue until seminary. So I never pictured myself as a pioneer. But as president of BWIM of Georgia, I realized that the choices we make are helping the women who come after us. I also realized that I needed the support of other women who have walked and are walking the road. Family: Our family was formed through adoption. My husband, Jason, and I enjoy life with two-and-ahalf year old Warren, an active and thoughtful little boy, who loves to talk, play, eat and sleep. Jason works from home as Director of Information Services with Anderson University, a situation that made our move to Ardmore more stable. 2) What s something you re enjoying about NC and your new town? I love the community in the church and neighborhood, with its variety of fun places to eat. I m now a fan of sugarcake and ginger cookies and look forward to learning more about Moravian practices throughout Christian year. 3) What s something you miss about where you came from? I miss being so close to family and my network of Georgia colleagues and friends. 4) What s something you ve learned about your new ministry setting? The welcome of the church has been deep and wide. Ardmore s hospitality is rich in generosity and love. Since every ministry setting is so different, I am doing a lot of listening, soaking in what I m learning. 5) What are your best Sabbath practices? This ebbs and flows for me, but includes yoga, carving out time to be outside, finding a small group of women for safe, loving community. 6) What can we be holding in prayer with you? Our transition: reorientation of learning a new place and church, along with the grief of leaving and joy of arriving. 7) Tell us one interesting fact most people might not know about you. I m left-handed. And I love spiritual disciplines, especially general meditation and centering prayer. BWIMNC Workshop CBFNC General Assembly Don t miss the BWIMNC workshop at the CBFNC General Assembly, Serving, Sanity, and Sabbath for Women in Ministry, on Friday from 10:45-11:45 am in room 2231 of Providence Baptist Church. This workshop will explore how various women ministers creatively balance calls to serve God s people and their own families. A panel of women ministers will discuss best practices for nurturing both calls. We will also practice Sabbath with a short time of contemplative worship at the end of the workshop. Please help us spread the word and invite other women in ministry to join us. PAGE 2

Meg Lacy Interview 1) Tell us a bit about yourself. Well, I am a native of Nashville, TN, but I ve spent the last decade of my life bouncing around the south, and now I ve landed in NC.

3 Meg Lacy Interview 1) Tell us a bit about yourself. Well, I am a native of Nashville, TN, but I ve spent the last decade of my life bouncing around the south, and now I ve landed in NC. Call: My sense of calling grew out of my love for the church. I grew up in a conservative Baptist congregation outside of Nashville. I began feeling called to congregational ministry in high school, but I didn t actually listen to this call until I was well into college. I encountered a number of strong female mentors, campus ministers, professors, and local pastors, while at Samford. They were beautiful examples of women in ministry that I desperately needed. They were also the ones who encouraged me to consider seminary. I initially thought I d get my MDiv as a stepping stone on my pathway to a PhD. But all that changed after I got to Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. Through my contextual education placements, I discovered how in love I was with working in the church. My time at Park Avenue Baptist, in particular, inspired me to think critically about how congregations remain relevant witnesses of God s love in the 21 st century. In the process, I realized I felt called to help congregations do just that! Recently, I was called to a new place Emerywood Baptist Church, in High Point, NC. I am an associate minister here, and I get to serve in lots of areas of the church. I go from writing bible studies and sermons, to coffee dates with prospective members, to attending meetings with local nonprofit leaders about economic development or food insecurity. I love the possibilities every day holds. I also love the character of the congregation. Emerywood has an incredible spirit of openness and hospitality, and the congregation is fairly diverse, politically and theologically. It is a wonderful gift to serve here. 2) What s something you re enjoying about NC and your new town? Going from an urban setting to a small city has been a big change. The best thing is the lack of traffic it makes serving and communal life so much easier logistically! 3) What s something you miss about where you came from? Besides the great variety of ethnic food, I also miss being in community with other twenty-somethings. In Atlanta, it was easy to find friends with people in my stage of life. This has proven more difficult in the Triad. 4) What s something you ve learned about your new ministry setting? I m learning so much about balance balancing the many facets of my position, balancing my work life and my personal life. Its challenging trying to maintain appropriate boundaries, sustain a sense of centeredness, and find ways to rest, in the midst of the chaos of church work. 5) What are your best Sabbath practices? I like to engage in Sabbath practices that help me feel embodied yoga, walking, baking. People who work with their brains, sabbath with their hands, right? I also meet regularly with a young clergy group for prayer and support. And I have a daily centering practice spending some time in silence, and then reflecting on what I m most looking forward to in my day, and what am I most dreading what is life-giving and what is draining. At the end of the day, I reflect on what actually was life giving and life-draining (Ignatian Examen). I think these kind of practices teach us to live lives laced in grace, rather than stuck in cycles of harsh selfcriticism. 6) What can we be holding in prayer with you? Community. Building community and friendships here growing new roots in this new place. Wisdom. Our congregation is discerning what God might be doing among us next, and we could all use prayer to hear and see God s movement more clearly! 7) Tell us one interesting fact most people might not know about you. I m known for my yummy chocolate chip cookies. Save the Date! BWIM National Gathering June 17, 2015 Wilshire Baptist Church Dallas, Texas PAGE 3

4 Kristen Tucker PAGE 4 Interview 1) Tell us a bit about yourself. I grew up in Durham, NC and worked in my uncle s funeral home, where I learned at a very young age the importance of serving and loving people! I received my undergraduate degree at East Carolina University and a Master of College Student Development from Appalachian State University. In 2008, I started my second Master Degree at Campbell University Divinity School. Before graduation with my Master of Divinity in Christian Education, God set me apart for full time ministry and I had the honor to be ordained. I worked at UNC Wilmington for 8 1/2 years, and just moved to Charlotte to serve as the Minister of Spiritual Development & Communications at Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church. 2) What's something you're enjoying about NC and/or your new town? Charlotte's population in young adults is growing rapidly. In 2015 alone 26 new apartment complex areas will open, bringing thousands of young professionals to the Uptown area. I moved right in the heart of this area and am truly enjoying the restaurants, food trucks, shops, and community! 3) What's something you miss about where you came from? I have moved here from the beach, which of course is the first question I always get, "How could you leave the beach?" While I will miss the beach, and the people I dearly love in Wilmington, NC, I am so thankful for the 8 1/2 years I had there. Wilmington truly shaped and prepared me for this next great chapter! 4) What's something you've learned about your new ministry setting? Though the church has been in the heart of Uptown Charlotte since 1901, Pritchard has seen major community changes in just the last 10 years. One member told me, "We have been praying for residents to come back to the Uptown area, and now we notice our stained glass windows in the sanctuary no longer get sunlight. Apartments are going up-- which is answered prayer!!" This wonderful congregation understands that our mission field is right outside our church doors. We are ready to have a new, unique approach to serving as the church outside our four walls, and excited about going on this journey together! 5) What are your best Sabbath practices? The last two years I really have enjoyed getting out in God's creation and running. Please understand I was never athletic growing up and I do not run. However, after my grandmother s passing in 2013, running was a great way to get out and grieve, while accomplishing small goals. I proudly finished the Disney marathon in January and have felt God right alongside me throughout. It is now a great Sabbath practice for it gives me time to think, reflect, have joy and cry! It is a wonderful outlet! 6) What can we be holding in prayer with you? The community I have been called to serve! I live amongst these new young professionals who are seeking belonging and hope. Pray that I will watch, see and listen more than I speak. Like my grandfather has said, "God gave us two eyes and two ears...and only one mouth." Well said, Granddad! 7) Tell us one interesting fact most people might not know about you. In Holy Week 2012, I offered a short reflection on my personal Facebook page. From that, Message in a Post daily devotionals were born! Every Monday - Friday I post a short devotional by 6:30 a.m. to help encourage us as we journey life together! Find it on Facebook: Message in a Post or on my website kristentucker.com If there is any way I can encourage or pray for you, or come speak and share, please feel free to contact me! We hope you have enjoyed getting to know these new to North Carolina sisters in ministry. If you know someone new to NC that we should interview, please let us know!

2015 BWIMNC Membership Renewal and Donation Information It's a new year and the perfect time to renew your membership to Baptist Women in Ministry, North Carolina.

5 2015 BWIMNC Membership Renewal and Donation Information It's a new year and the perfect time to renew your membership to Baptist Women in Ministry, North Carolina. By renewing your membership now you will be a part of affirming, supporting, connecting, and empowering Baptist women in ministry in North Carolina all year long. Annual dues are $25 a year (only $15 for students). We also have a lifetime membership option for $250. In addition to never having to worry about remembering to pay membership dues, lifetime members receive an elegant BWIMNC lapel pin and lifetime membership certificate. To renew your membership online, visit To renew by mail, fill out the form below, write your check to BWIMNC, and mail them to the address on the bottom of the form. If you would like to donate in honor or memory of someone, visit To simply donate, visit and click on the donate button on the bottom left of our home page or send a check to the address at the bottom of this form. Thank you for supporting your sisters! Baptist Women in Ministry, NC Annual Dues for 2015 Name: Address: City, State, Zip Phone: H C Institution/Church: Circle One: Clergy or Layperson -Year Membership $25 -Year Membership $25 -Year Membership $15 Please make your check payable to BWIMNC and note 2015 Dues in the memo line. Mail to: Esther Soud Parker, BWIMNC Treasurer, 7913 Ocoee Court, Raleigh, NC Thank you for your support of women in ministry. PAGE 5

6 B A P T I S T W O M E N I N M I N I S T R Y O F N C C /o Melanie Walk 239 Croydon Ave Fayetteville, NC Address Service Requested Martha Stearns Marshall Month of Preaching February is the Martha Stearns Marshall (MSM) month of preaching. Below is a list of NC MSM preachers we know about. Jessica Moses, Winter Park Baptist, Wilmington Lacey Davis, Baptist Fellowship of Angier Kennetra Irby, Yates Baptist, Durham Jaime Fitzgerald, Sandy Plains Baptist, Shelby Lauren McDuffie, Peace Haven Baptist, Winston-Salem If your church has a MSM preacher, post a photo on our Facebook page! Baptist Women in Ministry, NC, publishes a newsletter 3 times a year. Editor: Alicia Davis Porterfield Lay-Out Editor: Melanie Mintz Walk melanieleah@yahoo.com Website

Baptist Women in Ministry of North Carolina

Baptist Women in Ministry of North Carolina Volume 15, Issue 1 Winter 2014 God is Creating Still BWIM, NC s 31st Convocation When: Friday, March 28, 2014 9:30a.m. Light Breakfast 10:00a.m. Convocation