 Advocacy
In the efforts to move the Church from casual
support to advocacy of women in ministry, the Center hopes to establish
and maintain a "speaker's bureau," publish resources including articles
and pamphlets, and develop a web site--all to challenge and change the
church culture.
Deployment
The Center will specialize in serving as a
clearinghouse to help qualified and capable women find the open doors
of ministry. We will also help church leaders locate capable women who
can fulfill their calling in that particular ministry. We will
especially focus on bridging the gap from ministry preparation to
initial ministry positions and continuing ministry appointments
Education
The educational goals of the Center include the
development of workshops, lectureships, retreats and conferences to
serve campus communities, the church, and the public sector with
reference to women in ministry, gender roles, and leadership roles in
the church, as well as the development of related Bible studies,
brochures, and presentations.
Networking
The Center will become a networking hub for
communication, counsel, and the mentoring of women in ministry,
especially during the early years of church service. We hope to
generate resources such as guidelines for women candidating for
positions, useful suggestions for churches interviewing female
candidates, and helpful procedures for churches working out the details
of a co-pastor relationship.
 Research
The Center will be a focal point for the collection
of data, statistics, and the stories of women in ministry. It will be a
locus of ongoing research concerning women pursuing ministerial
education and credentialing, women entering the ministry, the current
service of women, and a variety of other concerns related to women in
ministry.
The Center for Women in Ministry arose as a cooperative venture of a
group of committed Church leaders and is developing as a board-governed
educational, service, and research organization. Contributors to the
vision include general church leaders, educational leaders from all
five educational institutions of The Wesleyan Church, and concerned
ministers and leaders, both male and female. The Center is endorsed by
the Task Force on Women in Ministry, the Wesleyan Educational Council,
and the General Board of The Wesleyan Church.
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