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Over the years, women have struggled to find the support they need to pursue a career in ministry. A 2021 survey conducted by Baptist Women in Ministry found that 87% of women in ministry experience career obstacles because of their gender. However, at least four female alums from Georgetown College are shaping the future of ministry as head pastors in Kentucky. Each of them found guidance and support through mentors at Georgetown College and others who helped light the way.

“At Georgetown College, I was encouraged to teach campus Bible studies, lead mission trips, and to serve as chaplain of my sorority. With each experience, I continued to sense God calling me to ministry,” says Rev. Mary Alice Birdwhistell ’09, Pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. “I chose an English major because I loved reading, writing, and teaching, and I knew that I could hone my skills in these areas no matter my ministry path. Dr. Rosemary Allen and Dr. Barbara Burch opened up a whole new world of critical thinking, literary reflection, and creative writing that I carry with me as a pastor to this day.”

Rev. Birdwhistell also found inspiration from GC campus ministers Rev. Cynthia Insko and Rev. Dr. Bryan Langlands. “Rev. Insko always asked me the best questions,” says Rev. Birdwhistell. “She never told me what to think, but she always helped me to consider new perspectives and possibilities that I had not considered before. She stirred in me a sense of “holy curiosity” that I still turn to today.” Langlands gave Birdwhistell the opportunity to preach in a church for the first time. “Bryan Langlands asked me to preach at a small Methodist church in his place. As I stepped into the pulpit that day, I was overwhelmed with the realization that I had discovered something that made me feel as if I had come alive in a way that I had never experienced.” 

Faculty in the department of religion at GC feel a sense of responsibility to nurture women in ministry. “One of the goals of our department is to equip any student who experiences a call to Christian ministry,” says “Assistant Professor of Religion Dr. April Hoelke Simpson. “And because women are still underrepresented in and often discouraged from certain ministry roles, we especially strive to support them.” 

For Rev. Molly Shoulta Tucker ’13, she believes that the Holy Spirit worked through people, places, and hearts to lead her to a lead pastor role at Ridgewood Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. “I was living in Owensboro, Kentucky when I ran into a friend at Starbucks. When I mentioned Ridgewood’s open pastorate in passing, his eyes lit up and he immediately encouraged me to apply. At the exact same moment, my Dad ran into a former pastor at a coffee shop who asked if I had considered applying for the Ridgewood Pastorate. And that same evening, I was sitting with another friend familiar with Ridgewood around a firepit; she jumped out of her seat to encourage me to apply. Almost three and a half years at Ridgewood, I still feel as though the Holy Spirit had some holy mischief in those days of applying, interviewing, and eventually accepting a call to pastor the good people of Ridgewood Baptist Church.”

Although Rev. Tucker found her home at Ridgewood, she is acutely aware that women make up less than 10% of pastorates in the Baptist churches today. She wants to see more churches take that leap of faith for women. “If you want to see a church positively transformed, call a woman. Be brave, churches. Be brave, Christians. These women are bravely following a calling. Be brave.”

Rev. Sara Clarke Turpin ’09 currently serves as Senior Pastor at Buechel Park Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, where she has served for ten years in various leadership roles. She feels that progress for women in ministry is happening, but there is still heartbreaking regression in some areas of the country. 

“We have always been in ministry, from the Bible to the modern feminist movement,” says Turpin. “Women pastors are common in many Christian denominations. But in others, they are not permitted to be called or work as a pastor or to minister in any way.” 

As some churches fail to address gender inequities, other religious organizations are consciously trying to level the playing field for women. For example, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) was founded, in part, around issues of gender equality to encourage women in ministry and include women in leadership positions.

“In Kentucky, 16% of CBF churches currently have women serving in Senior Pastor roles. However, in February 2023, the Southern Baptist Convention voted to remove five churches simply because women served as pastors,” says  Rev. Turpin. “For women to feel encouraged to pursue professional ministry, they must see opportunities available.” 

Rev. Katie McKown ’03 made history in 2012 when she became the first woman pastor at Scottville Baptist Church in Scottsville, Virginia. Nevertheless, Rev. McKown is returning to her home state of Kentucky in May to serve as the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Paducah, feeling a connection with the search committee immediately.

“I began interviewing with Immanuel Baptist Church in November 2022. Before the interview even started, we were laughing. What a happy beginning. The entire conversation felt vulnerable, fun, and serious all at once. I left the meeting encouraged and hopeful. In late December, the committee and I spent eight hours together in Paducah, and this time I was the one asking questions. They listened patiently, and took my questions seriously. That matters. We toured Paducah, enjoyed local coffee and cuisine, and visited the church. After that day, I knew for sure I wanted to be Immanuel’s pastor,” says Rev. McKown.

Dr. Derek Hatch, Endowed Chair of Baptist Studies at GC, experienced Rev. McKown’s gifts during their time in seminary together. “When Katie McKown and I were in seminary, her tremendous ministerial gifts were obvious to many of us,” says Dr. Hatch. “I have been privileged to teach many talented female students called to ministry over the years. The whole church is better served when these callings are embraced, nurtured, and supported.”

Rev. McKown’s experience in ministry has been extremely positive, but she realizes that not all women are supported in their call to serve. She challenges the church leaders of today to lead the charge. “We need more leaders willing to recognize the giftedness of women. We need this recognition in deed, not in word only. Girls and boys notice when only men are called to pray, lift heavy things, and preach. Likewise, girls and boys also notice when both men and women serve in the kitchen, as deacons, and on the building committee.“ 

Our Georgetown alums encourage young women called to ministry to keep their faith, follow their hearts, and lean on others in times of doubt. Rev. Birdwhistell is confident that mentorship from other female pastors is critical to help young women envision their future in ministry. 

“I have been speaking in Dr. Karyn McKenzie’s class at GC on this topic recently. So many women cannot envision themselves in pastoral roles because they’ve never seen it before,” says Rev. Birdwhistell. “If you can’t see it, it’s a monumental challenge to break the stained-glass ceiling. We would love to journey with you because none of us can take this journey alone.”

For more information on starting your career in ministry at Georgetown College, please contact Dr. Derek Hatch, Endowed Chair of Baptist Studies and Director of the Christian Scholars Program by emailing him at [email protected].