Research & Events
Find links to some of our work below!
Panel discussions, workshops, and research presentations took place 2024 through 2026.
Past Events
October 3, 2026: Called to Serve: Online
Attendees joined us online from across Canada to hear from a panel of women in ministry and learn about our project’s research findings.
September 21-24, 2026: Called to Serve: Live!
Called to Serve toured through Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI! These in-person sessions featured discussion panels with ordained women as well as some of our project’s research findings.
August 6-8, 2026 in Wolfville, NS: Oasis 2026
Called to Serve hosted a booth and workshop for Oasis, the annual gathering of the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada.
June 3, 2026 in Winnipeg, MB: Canadian Society of Church History
Dr. Maxwell shared her paper “Called to Serve: Atlantic Baptist Women in Ministry, 1976-2024”.
May 19, 2026 in Atlanta, GA: National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion
Dr. Maxwell shared her paper “Ministry, Marriage, Motherhood, and Me: Ordained Canadian Baptist Women on Marital Status and Family Responsibilities, 1976-2024”.
April 25, 2026 in Toronto, ON: Canadian Baptist Historical Society
Dr. Maxwell and Joetta Fernando shared their paper, “Answering the Call: Baptist Women in Second-Career Ministry”.
March 2026: Book Publication!
“Called to Serve” the book, is available for purchase in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats!
June 2-4, 2025 in Toronto, ON: Canadian Society of Church History
Dr. Maxwell and Joetta Fernando shared their paper “Sisters in Service: Female Role Models in Ministry among Atlantic Baptist Women, 1954-2024”.
April 26, 2025: Canadian Baptist Symposium
Dr. Maxwell and Hannah Hunt shared their paper “Called to Ministry: Atlantic Baptist Women’s Call Narratives”.
January 16-17, 2025, UK: Project Violet International Symposium
Dr. Maxwell shared our research with Project Violet, a project exploring Baptist women’s ministry in the UK.
August 8, 2024 in Cambridge, UK: International Conference on Baptist Studies
Dr. Maxwell shared her paper “Called to Learn: Educational Experiences among Atlantic Baptist Women in Ministry, 1970-2020”.
June 18, 2024 in Montreal, QB: Canadian Society of Church History
Dr. Maxwell shared her paper “Faithfully Feminist? Ordained Baptist Women in Atlantic Canada”.
May 21, 2024 in Raleigh, NC: National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion
Dr. Maxwell shared her paper “Faithfully Feminist? Ordained Baptist Women in Atlantic Canada”.
Stories that Expand Our Imagination
Called to Serve was recently interviewed by Acadia Divinity College about how our project invites believers to consider ministry,…
On the Bare Marriage Podcast
Check out this episode of the Bare Marriage podcast, in which one of our research associates, Hannah Hunt, speaks…
Chatting About Our Book
Curious what Called to Serve, our book, is like? Catch this special interview with Amy Vetter and Katelyn Entz,…
Flourishing Congregations
Read Melody’s recent post at the Flourishing Congregations Institute: Six Insights I Learned from Women in Ministry.
We Won A Grant!
We are pleased to announce that Called to Serve has received a generous Grant for Researchers from the Louisville…
Sisters in Service: Female Role Models in Ministry among Atlantic Baptist Women, 1976-2024
What impact does seeing someone who looks like you have in your vocational role? Individuals in Christian ministry, much…
Project Violet International Symposium
Dr. Melody Maxwell shares a paper she presented in January 2025 at the Project Violet International Symposium. Project Violet…
Faithfully Feminist?
Dr. Melody Maxwell shares “Faithfully Feminist?“, a paper she presented in 2024 at conferences in Quebec and North Carolina.…
The Storied History of Women in Ministry
Hearing the stories of others makes us consider our own lives and what might be possible for us… Dr.…
Called to Serve in Tidings
Tidings magazine, published by Atlantic Baptist Women, featured Called to Serve in its June 2023 issue. We are grateful…
Pioneering Pastors
In 2019 and 2020, Dr. Melody Maxwell and research assistant Samantha Diotte interviewed eight of the first women ordained…
Website Launch
We’re excited to announce that our website is now live! Check back often to see new stories as they…