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 like those in other professions, learn not only from formal training but also from role models within their field. The importance of role models is greatest for individuals who belong to minority groups, including women in Christian ministry. For women, embracing a call to ministry is influenced by seeing someone like themselves standing in a pulpit—or being able to imagine this possibility.
At the 2025 Canadian Society of Church History annual meeting in Toronto, Rev. Dr. Melody Maxwell (professor of Christian history) and her research associate Joetta Fernando (MA student at Acadia Divinity College) presented their paper “Sisters in Service: Female Role Models in Ministry among Atlantic Baptist Women, 1976-2024.” The paper analyzes results from interviews with more than eighty women who were ordained to ministry by Canadian Atlantic Baptist churches between 1954 and 2024. This project is the first scholarly look at Baptist women’s ministry in Atlantic Canada, and their paper shows the importance of women in ministry having having female role models.
“And just watching her, listening to her… It made me, for the first time, wonder if I could be a woman in ministry.”
Barbara Cochran, as she recalled getting to know a woman serving at a Christian youth camp.
Key Findings
Women who saw other women in pastoral ministry were more likely to envision themselves serving in similar roles. And when women did not see other women in those roles, their imaginations were often limited.
“I never knew anyone who was a woman in ministry. So, I didn’t picture myself doing that.”
Maxine Ashley, reflecting on her experience as a young girl.
Research also demonstrates the resilient desire of women to serve. Those who did not see women serving in formal ministry roles found role models elsewhere: in lay ministry, educational settings, and among peers. Several women also referenced historical role models, including Josephine Kinley Moore, the first woman ordained by an Atlantic Baptist church. These figures provided examples of women in ministry where they were otherwise hard to find.
Women ordained in the early twenty-first century had more exposure to female role models serving in pastoral ministry. As a result, they stepped into their call with less hesitation and an expanded scope of possibility.
“[I] realized that I could follow her example and go into a church as someone who worked in Christian education.”
Christine MacDormand, after seeing a woman in ministry for the first time.
Why it Matters
Interviewees with Called to Serve acknowledged that seeing women in ministry stirred their imaginations. Women with female pastoral role models found their way to ministry more quickly. These findings highlight the importance of both the presence and visibility of women in ministry, as women are often the catalyst for other women to expand their imaginations and pursue their calling.
“The world began to open up for me.”
“It’s been really wonderful to give back to the women that I’ve mentored.”
Rhonda Britton, after observing a female pastor, and Gail Whalen-Dunn sharing how she intentionally mentors young women.
Having female role models not only enriches the lives of men and women in the church, but it also empowers others to follow God’s call to transform our world.
Our research team hopes that sharing the stories of these women will inspire listeners to step into their calling and encourage church leadership to intentionally mentor and support women in ministry. Listen to these women’s stories on our podcast, Called to Serve, available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
