Today, within the body of Christ, these words are often echoed in the stories of women leaders: “I didn’t know I could be a pastor. I had never heard a woman preach.” “I grew up in a church where women were not allowed to lead. I couldn’t believe or imagine that God was calling me to lead in the church.”
The heartbreaking reality is whether intentionally or unintentionally the church’s leadership choices make a difference, not only in our shared stories but in our individual stories. When only part of Christ’s body has voice, the fullness and effectiveness of God’s kingdom on earth is partially realized. For over 170 years, The Wesleyan Church (TWC) has been working to write a better story — one that affirms and ordains women and welcomes them to serve in all ministerial and leadership opportunities.
From the beginning, Wesleyans believed in God’s redemptive purposes and sought to reform society to ensure the equality of all peoples, no matter race or gender. In 1848, Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York, opened her doors for the first women’s rights convention in United States’ history. Wesleyan Methodist schools were coeducational, and their churches welcomed women as members with full voting rights. During the conference, several Seneca Falls’ Wesleyans signed the “Declaration of Sentiment” broadening their commitment to women leaders.
Five years later, Reverend Luther Lee helped open the way for women’s ordination. Antoinette Brown, a Congregationalist minister, sought to be ordained. When her Congregationalist colleagues refused to participate in her ordination service, Brown called on Lee, a Wesleyan minister and fellow co-laborer in reform efforts. Lee agreed to affirm Brown’s calling by participating in this historic moment, the ordination of the first American woman from any denomination.
In 1861 at the Illinois Conference, Wesleyans ordained Mary A. Will giving her full standing as the first woman minister within the Wesleyan tribe.
The bold actions of these early Wesleyans laid foundations for people to imagine and believe who God might use in his redemptive purposes. Women in all seasons of life heard God’s call, imagined it was possible and believed he would provide the way and means to do it. Church pioneers, planters and revivers were activated. Women went and spread the gospel into dark and hopeless places in their communities and around the world. Those who were unwanted and overlooked by others were seen and cared for through Wesleyan women’s ministry.
Our Wesleyan history testifies to the character, gifts and graces of women leaders who have lived lives of deep devotion and courage, as catalysts for transformation and restoration agents whenever and wherever God called. These are just a few snippets of our Wesleyan heritage.
Devotion
As a young woman called to ministry, Clara Tear Williams expressed her deep love and devotion for God when she penned these words from the hymn, “Satisfied”:
Hallelujah! I have found him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings,
Through his blood I now am saved.
From this deep satisfaction, Williams faithfully followed the Lord. She pastored churches and traveled as an evangelist in service to Christ all her life.
At age nine, Hattie Crosby Manyon believed God had work for her to do. That work would eventually take her to Africa. While there she prayed, leaned into her God-given gift of languages and served with abandon. Manyon’s commitment to God and communicating in the language of the people she served opened the door for people to come to repentance. When poor health removed her from African service, she helped plant churches in Los Angeles, spent time in intercessory prayer and penned letters of encouragement to missionaries around the globe.
Courage
Laura Smith Haviland was serious about her faith. Her compassion and Christ’s call to meet other’s needs fueled and emboldened her ministry. Haviland, along with her husband, actively worked to abolish slavery by establishing Michigan’s first station on the Underground Railroad. Despite the dangerous situations they faced, fear didn’t win, the more important thing did.
Sisters Ethel and Nella True dared to trust God and heeded his call to spread the good news to dangerous tribes in Mexico. Their ministry to the Otomi Indians was difficult and brought severe persecution. Attempts were made on their lives, their place of worship was burned to the ground and many tried to run them out of town. However, these resilient sisters courageously remained, called to something more important than fear — sharing Christ’s hope.
Catalyst
Vera Pearl Carter Close was God’s instrument. Through her call to ministry, people were draw to God by her gift of singing and evangelistic preaching. Eventually, Close’s call would broaden to include pastoring as well as planting 17 churches with her husband. Whether holding a revival or planting a church, Close made time to go to small schools and present the gospel through song and Bible stories. These seemingly small opportunities were catalysts in opening the church’s door to people. She also became a public servant, influencing others as a Women’s Christian Temperance Union leader.
Restoration
Close’s influence has been handed down to the next generation, her daughter Jo Anne Lyon. While best known as TWC’s first woman General Superintendent, Lyon also serves the Lord as a catalyst of compassion. In 1996, Lyon founded World Hope International. This faith-based, nongovernmental agency has partnered with Wesleyans and others to heal, renew, restore and empower vulnerable people around the world to make a difference in their communities.
The next chapters
The church needs more of these stories — stories bearing witness to the fullness of God’s story where women are unleashed and empowered for kingdom service alongside men. And we are seeing a renewed commitment to this collaborative story. Since the 2008 election of Jo Anne Lyon as General Superintendent, TWC Headquarters, districts and local churches, and our educational institutions have been pulling out more chairs and extending invitations for women to join vital conversations and lead in increasing ways.
The first women executive directors were elected in 2016: lay leader Janelle Vernon and Reverend Anita Eastlack. In 2022, Eastlack resigned and Reverend Johanna Chacón Rugh was elected. Lay leader Jennifer Rouse joined the executive cabinet for a year’s term in 2024. Today’s six-person executive cabinet is comprised of two women and four men.
Districts are empowering women to serve in a variety of leadership roles. Eastlack was elected as one of two Penn-Jersey District superintendents in 2014 (now Northeast District). Shenandoah District Superintendent Janet Guthrie was appointed in 2024 and then elected by the district conference in 2025. Crossroads, Mountain Plains, North Carolina East and Northwest Districts have pulled out assistant district superintendent chairs for Reverends Grace Lopez, Arlynn Ellis, Sarah Rodriguez and lay leader Katy Kinnan (respectively). Other districts are inviting women to serve in various leadership capacities including district administrators, ministry directors and ambassadors.
In 2006, Houghton College (now Houghton University) elected Dr. Shirley A. Mullen as their fifth president, serving until 2021. Dr. Colleen Derr was elected and served as president of The Wesleyan Church’s first seminary, Wesley Seminary, from 2017 to 2023.
Within the local church, women fill a multitude of leadership needs as pastors, associates, evangelists, ministry directors, children’s workers and chaplains. Today, 24% of credentialed clergy are women and 13% are lead pastors, and there’s room to grow.
As Wesleyans write the next chapters of their history, may it not include the echoes of “never heard, not allowed, can’t imagine” as part of our women leaders’ stories. Instead, may the overarching story be better — a story of welcome, invitation and affirmation of women into all ministerial and leadership opportunities.
Rev. Angela Alvarado is the assistant editor for the Communication and Administration Division of The Wesleyan Church, an ordained elder and graduate of Wesley Seminary, Marion, Indiana.
