Walk in Freedom
I was baffled when I learned that many people had never heard of Juneteenth before it became an official federal holiday in 2021.
When it was announced, several colleagues at my day job were excited about another day off but told me they would spend it learning about Juneteenth. I asked them what they had been taught about Juneteenth in high school.
I remember Miss Turner telling us about slavery’s atrocities and the nuances surrounding the Emancipation Proclamation signed on January 1, 1863, by Abraham Lincoln. Her lessons included information about Juneteenth and how free people in Texas remained enslaved until June 19, 1865, because they didn’t know they were free.
It wasn’t until Union soldiers made it to Galveston, Texas, to inform the enslaved Texans that the Civil War ended and they were free.
When I think about that story, I wonder how many people are unaware of or have forgotten the freedom they have in Christ.
Often, as women, we are like the enslaved who didn’t know they were free when we believe what others say about us instead of what God says. We can also be enslaved when we are blocked from opportunities that prevent us from doing what we are called to do. Or when voices from other traditions that deny women the freedom to preach, lead, and serve get louder and create doubt.
That is why it is essential to know what God says about you, what Jesus did for you, and how to walk in that freedom.
When a denomination affirmed its opposition to women pastors, the wife of a couple I had assisted came to see me. She was apologizing because she thought I could no longer be a pastor. I explained I was part of The Wesleyan Church — a denomination that believes men and women are equally called and equipped for ministry. I told her my position as a pastor was never in danger because of what another denomination affirmed.
My response was rooted in the freedom I have from saying yes to God and knowing that my yes releases me from the limits people try to place on me.
When you are free, you are required to share your freedom with others and show them how they can achieve it, too.
One of my favorite examples of someone experiencing freedom and sharing it is the woman at the well in John 4.
After her encounter with Jesus, she sets down her water jar, goes to town, and invites people to come and see a man who had told her everything she had done. Many people became believers because of her ministry.
She delivered the good news of freedom to people enslaved by sin.
As free women — and men — be a lifeline to those who are enslaved by others’ beliefs, traditions, or misinformation. Be the soldier who delivers the good news to those who are bound. Tell them they are free.
Karen L. Bates is an ordained Wesleyan minister, pastor, and conference speaker. She is working on a doctoral degree at Wesley Seminary and attends Healing Place Church in Marlyan.
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From Rev. Robbie Cansler E2026 Conference Director:
Save the date for WHWC’s E2026 conference, February 23rd- 25th, 2026! We are excited to announce that we will be going north this year, to downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota!
We will be at the beautiful Hyatt Regency, which is connected to the city’s skyway system, a pedestrian walkway connecting the entire downtown! The hotel is also located along Nicollet Mall, and has easy access to the mall’s free bus line. There is a lot of easy access to dining, shopping, coffee shops, historic churches, art, and more!
The hotel has ample space for all 900+ of us to eat, fellowship, and worship in the same spaces! It also boasts a state of the art fitness center, including an indoor pool and gym, a beautiful fireplace, and lots of natural light to embrace the hygge of the north!
There will be ample cozy spaces to meet up with friends, new and old, and have deep conversations with warm drinks in hand!
Our conference will begin at 7pm on Monday February the 23rd and end around 9pm on Wednesday February the 25th! You can travel to the area by plane, train, or receive a discount on parking in the parking garage if you drive!
So, pack your warm socks, your favorite scarf and hat, and get excited as we prepare to join together to worship, to connect, and to engage, equip, and empower one another!
For more information about the Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy Conference: https://www.whwomenclergy.org/
