Events in 2022

I served as the keynote speaker for the Synod School of Lakes and Prairies which met from July 31-August 5, 2022 at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. A brief summary of my keynote presentations is available as a Google.doc and can be found here. Synod School is magical. I recommend that you take the opportunity to attend Synod School when you can, the community there cultivates creativity and will spark your imagination.

I presented a webinar for the Presbyterian Outlook on “Supporting Caregivers for People with Serious Mental Illness” on April 26, 2022. On demand replay is available on the Presbyterian Outlook website. You can find more information here.

I led a Clergy Women’s Retreat for Presbytery of the Mid-South at Pinecrest Camp on March 5, 2022 that focused on “Disarming Microaggressions and Challenging Everyday Sexism.” The workshop explored research done by the Flourishing in Ministry project at Notre Dame and the findings of the Gender and Leadership Survey of the PC(USA). A brief description of the content follows:

The identities of pastors and ordained ministers serving in other types of religious leadership positions are formed in community and rooted in relationship. For women and LBGTQIA clergy in religious leadership this is both a gift and can be a significant challenge. Several recent studies have shown that a majority of women and LGBTQIA clergy experience discrimination in the workplace. In the PCUSA, 84% of female teaching elders reported having experienced discrimination, harassment, or prejudicial comments due to their gender. Four out of ten felt they had experienced gender bias in hiring, promotion, or selection for an official position within the PCUSA. At the same time, the Gender and Leadership Report of the PCUSA (2016) found that almost half of members do not think that gender inequality is still a problem. Recent studies of the experiences of younger women clergy also show that they do not feel adequately prepared to face this form of prejudice and report that they have never had a seminary class focused on bias based on gender and sexual orientation as it relates specifically to their formation as religious leaders. Research also shows that religious leaders who cultivate their own ability to identify everyday expressions of sexism and gender bias are more effective in dealing with it.

Themes for the two sessions included “Being Assertive” and “Effective Negotiating.”

Goals for the Retreat and Participant Takeaways

• Build community together and share stories
• Learning how to identify everyday sexism and microaggressions
• Consider best practices to disarm microaggressions in the workplace
• Practice intervention strategies and effective negotiation strategies

If your church or presbytery is interested in developing a similar workshop please contact me. It is continues to be a part of my research.