A Church Of Her Own: What Happens When a Woman Takes the Pulpit – Inspiring Female Ministers Transforming Protestant Ministry and Congregations

by Sarah Sentilles

Women have been among the most dynamic and successful ministers in all Protestant denominations; but in divinity school, Sarah Sentilles discovered that some of the best and brightest were having trouble and even leaving the church altogether. What was happening? To find out, she entered the lives of female ministers — women of various ages, races, and denominations — and emerged with the first real portrait of what it’s like to lead as a woman of faith today.

Filled with humor, heartbreak, and triumph, the women’s stories take us from calls to the pulpit through ordinations and service. Despite many churches’ resistance — conscious or not — to re-imagining what it means to be a minister, many of these women are achieving remarkable transformations in their congregations. In their inspiring determination to perform the creative, life-giving work to which they are called, these women illuminate a way that the church can revitalize itself. What’s at stake is nothing less than the future of the church itself.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Womens, Christianity, Feminism, Spirituality, Faith

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 2008

About the author

Sarah Sentilles is the author of A Church of Her Own and Taught by America. She is a scholar of religion and earned a bachelor's degree in literature from Yale and a master's of divinity and a doctorate in theology from Harvard. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Elsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contrary to the author's repeated perspective of her own call, I still think she has an axe to grind. It sounds like she may have found some healing in writing. For me, as an ordained woman, these stories tended too severely on the negative with some fantastic hints at wonder and delight. And yet, sexism does exist in the church. It should make us all sad and we must keep telling the negative stories until we transcend them. I just hope we remember to celebrate where things are working.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sarah Sentilles is one very angry woman. Although she has reason for her anger I would have preferred if this book offered a few more useful suggestions for dealing with sexism within the church. Mostly it was just an angry rant where the author used the experiences of a lot of other women in ministry to fuel her own fury. There were just a few women who seemed to have positive experiences as ministers received by supportive congregations after being mentored by progressive leaders. Although that may well be the exception rather than the rule the author seemed almost disappointed that these women had not suffered as much as she had. She also seemed annoyed by the women who persevered in spite of the sexism they encountered and managed to continue growing in their faith and leading others.

The one truly enlightening aspect of this book was the different perspectives between Catholic women and Protestant women. Sentilles points out that the Catholic women she interviewed seemed to take the sexism less personally since the Catholic church does not ordain women at all. They viewed it as a problem at an institutional level which seemed to allow them enough emotional distance to find strength to organize themselves as reformers within their church body. The Protestant women, on the other hand, tended to take things much more personally since mainline Protestant denominations do ordain women. As such, the sexist behavior of superiors and congregations was interpreted as a personal rejection due to perceived failures of the various women.

Other than that revelation it was a rather disappointing read. I was hoping for a more intelligent dialogue with stronger examples of women who persevered and made real changes. Instead it just came across as a rant from someone who decided ultimately to pick up her marbles and go home.

[Katherine Pershey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Half of me wants to give it one star, and the other half wants to give it five. A very mixed bag for me.

It isn't about women in ministry. It's about sexist responses to women in ministry. I couldn't help but feel like so much of "what happens when a woman takes the pulpit" was left out because the author, by her own admission, started writing the book because she was angry and disillusioned and wanted to prove how sexist and oppressive the church is.

That being said, I trust that the sexism reported by the women she interviewed is real. I loved, LOVED reading the various women's stories (that would be the five star part of this review). She talked mostly with a lot of mainline Protestants, but also Catholic Womenpriests and even the founders of the Church of Craft. I just found Sarah Sentilles difficult as a narrator. Maybe if the book had been accurately titled/marketed I would feel differently?

She does come around a bit, but ultimately, I just plain wanted this to be a different book. A book about women in ministry that is feminist and anti-sexist but also profoundly committed to the struggle. Faithfully defiant (defiantly faithful?), not angry and disillusioned. And, well, perhaps the slightest bit more orthodox. Reading this, I realized I'm not nearly as much of a theological liberal as I used to be. Paired with my comfortable relationship with the institutional church, I sort of felt like I'm the enemy. I guess I just don't have the energy to feel like I'm the enemy when this book purportedly reflects my experiences as a female pastor.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Church of Her Own by Sarah Sentilles is part memoir and part look at the struggles women face when they decide to become priests or ministers.

The book is divided into three main parts: Vocation, Incarnation and Creation. Vocation covers the why behind woman choosing ministry even in the face of the on-going sexism in the different sects and denominations. Incarnation looks at how women ministers are scrutinized for their bodies, their dress, their makeup (or lack of it). Creation finally looks at the art of being a minister and a woman.

Since sexism is such a wide reaching problem for women who feel called to ministry, Sentilles spends a lot of the book deconstructing gender roles and talking about gays, lesbians and transgender ministers. Her discussion of gender against the bible, church traditions and modern beliefs in America is where the book really comes into its own.

A Church of Her Own starts slowly. The first few chapters are rather dry but it picks up and stays interesting to the end. When I finished the book I was angry for the women who have put up with such outrageous behavior from their colleagues and congregations.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminds me of how hurtful sex discrimination is - the constant message, overt or implied, that you don't belong because of something which is very basic to your identity and which you can't change, your gender. You internalize the belief that there is something wrong with YOU.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some things I have to bring up to start off: I (a cis white woman, so do with that what you will) felt this book was appropriating the language of black scholars and ministers ("The Most Sexist Hour" coming from "The Most Segregated Hour" should...probably not have been done the way it was) and not paying enough attention to the problems that come from racism and segregation in predominately white progressive churches. I also thought that the "Trans" chapter was a mess: the author point-blank admits she "did not understand being transgender" when she started the project, calls the stories of trans ministers "more dramatic....[but] essentially similar to most of the women ministers I interviewed" (reader, the issues were not at all the same), and consistently fucks up the pronouns of a trans priest in the process of telling his story!

All that being said. If it seems like a little unfair to open a review with critiques about language, one-off sentences, and pronouns, know that for the record, the importance of those things is very central to the overarching thesis A Church of Her Own is trying to prove. I know that Sentilles was drawing from her own experience, but in her examination of the broad topic of "sexism in the church" I thought it was fascinating - and important - that she chose to focus on "progressive" churches that already ordained women. Sentilles argues that the sexism of mainline Protestant churches is insidious, at once destructive and difficult to address - because it is less out in the open. I thought the interviews she relayed in the book were fantastic. I think that sometimes, Sentilles is getting in her own way in this book. Either way, it was important reading for me, and if the topic interests you it might be for you as well.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book because of my background in religious studies. Other reviewers have pointed out that the author is an angry woman with an ax to grind. But I can kind of relate to some of the things she experienced. When I was in grad school I kept encountering male students who told me that I didn't belong there, that God wants women to be wives and mothers, not to be students. One guy even told me that my parents were bad people for letting me go to grad school and that God was going to punish me. At one point the university wanted to hire two women to teach New Testament studies but the male students threatened a boycott. Sadly, the university gave in. Things need to change.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

After being introduced to liberation theology this year, I became interested in how my church could be more gender inclusive. While researching this topic I came across this book on Google and could not stop reading the previews. I was hooked. The stories Sarah shares about the experiences of women clergy are raw and jarring. Having read this book, I am committed now, more than ever, to make sure my church and the church universal confesses their sins against women and works to build a church that recognizes and respects the divine in all human beings.

[Dee Michell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. Even though it’s well written and tells stories that need to be told, it was a bit well-duh. There are sound reasons for the decline in church going, sexism amongst them. Why are we surprised?

[She Reads What? · Rating 4 out of 5]

Due to telling the stories of multiple people often using aliases, this was at times a little hard to follow, but a really good read. It helped me realize and check some biases I didn't realise were there. I'd love to see a follow up.

[Hannah Norem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is the author still upset over her own ordination journey? Sure. But could I also have written chapters of this book? Also sure. The problems experienced by women in pastoral roles are sadly evergreen, and this book helps bring awareness to that.

[Taylor Burdiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very thought provoking. Overall really enjoyed it !!

[Lacey Louwagie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't really what I expected/wanted it to be, and I guess I shouldn't blame it for that. But what I wanted were inspirational stories about the transformational power of women's spiritual leadership (something that I've certainly found to be transformational when I've encountered it.) Instead, it's more a recording of the sexism and inequality women in ministry still face--when it comes to how and when they're hired, what types of jobs they're given, how their parishes and supervisors treat them, etc. So it wasn't exactly uplifting; it was frustrating and painful, as reading about sexism often is, but I guess I can't blame the book for Christianity not being as evolved as it should be.

Still, although this book purported to be about women "taking the pulpit," it really seemed to focus solely on young, countercultural women (and by countercultural, I mean someone outside the norm of what we think of as "suburban Christianity). I don't have any problem with countercultural ministry -- in fact, I think it's crucial, as Jesus was incredibly countercultural. Still, there was an assumption that to be a female minister meant you automatically embraced progressive ideals. And while I'm sure that many, probably even the majority, of women ministers do, the fact that the book never profiled a woman who was more "conservative" felt like a major shortcoming. I do think that a large part of the resistance these women faced had to do with them being women--but it also definitely had to do with them being young and somewhat revolutionary, too. I would have liked to see whether older women or women who were more "traditional" in their ministry faced similar obstacles--if so, we could see that there really was "no winning" for women in the church; and if not, an examination of why not would be enlightening. Or what about especially young and countercultural male ministers? Do they ever meet with resistance? I think being young as a man probably doesn't work against you, but I can think of churchgoing folk who might be equally uncomfortable with a male minister with a nose ring as with a female minister wearing a short skirt. And although Sarah Sentilles makes reference often to older women who enter ministry as a second career, she doesn't profile any of these women in depth, except in her chapters about experiences of gay and trans ministers (probably because the sample was smaller, so she "cast her net" a little wider.)

The book was born out of the author's own aborted journey toward ordination, and it was definitely skewed toward her own peer group. Including a broader range voices and perspectives in women's ministry would have made the book much richer. And while I was glad that she included a chapter about the Roman Catholic WomenPriests movement, I was disappointed by how few Catholic womenpriests she actually profiled; instead, most of the chapter consists of her interview with Nicole Sotelo, who, while articulate as always about issues of women's ordination and certainly a strong woman leader in the Catholic Church, has not been formally involved in the ordination process (although I'd ordain her in a heartbeat!). Again, it felt like Sarah gravitated toward the representative who was most like her in terms of age and background.

Of course, this book, like women in ministry, is expected to bear a heavy load because there are so few books like this out there. Here's hoping there will be many more authors tackling women's ministry in the future.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Church of Her Own" begins with two epigraphs which are haunting in their contrast: (1) the "women should be silent in the churches" text from 1 Corinthians, and (2) a Gospel of Mary passage in which Mary Magdalen tells the twelve disciples, "I will teach you about what is hidden from you." Author Sarah Sentilles explores the tension around gender and Christian religious authority that these two passages reflect by sharing the stories of female and transgender ministers. The people Sentilles interviews describe how sexism and racism have affected their call to ministry, schooling, job search, and ordination; how ideas about gender have impacted the significance that congregation members and mentors placed on their bodies, clothes, and relationships; how their sexuality and gender identity have troubled congregants and church superiors; and how their struggles with sexism, racism, homophobia and transphobia have challenged and transformed their own faith. Their stories are heartbreaking, enraging, and inspiring.

"A Church of Her Own" lays bare the spiritual violence that religious inequality inflicts on women, and shows readers that permitting the ordination of women does not mean that sexism in churches has been vanquished. I think that everybody who participates in a Christian institution of any kind--accepting women's ordination or not--should read this book and then reflect on how they can support gender equality in their own denomination.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is extremely well-written and engaging. It's a downer for the first three quarters or so, with lots of stories of totally unacceptable behavior from church folks. Then it gets pretty uplifting when Sentilles starts focusing on examples of exciting new ministries that women are starting and sustaining. I wish everyone would read this, especially people in the church because they will go either "Yes! I'm not alone!" or "Gasp! How can this possibly be going on and what can we do about it?" I guess there will be some who say "What's the big deal? This is exaggerated," but this book is at least the beginning of extremely important conversations about not just women but any congregational leader or other person of faith who is not a straight man who looks like his congregation.

[Daniel Seymour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sexism, entrenched religious attitudes, and the struggles of modern faith are inter-related and are well-suited to scholarly works expounding on theory.

This is not one of those books. Instead, Sentilles uses her story and those of others pursuing their calling to explore these issues. Her strong narrative skills fully flesh out these women and their tribulations. In these tales, not in lectures or homily,overlooked parts of our culture are brought to light. The strength of the narrative keeps the reader's attention so we can follow these tales to their illuminating conclusions.

[Diane · Rating 1 out of 5]

What I thought would be a book about what it is like to be a female cleric instead lost its way about 100 pages in. Sentiles is really writing a manifesto for people who consider themselves to be outsiders and the "new" way they have church. The title has little to do with being a woman in the pulpit and as Sentiles is not ordained, she has little experience in which to draw on. My advice to my clergy friends, is do not waste your time on this.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don't review books but this was probably my favorite nonfiction book I've ever read. Some theology was problematic for me, but it really made me think and challenged my perception of God. As a supporter of women in ministry, it was wonderful to read stories of women who have stood up against the dominant narrative to follow their calling. So much of this book was insightful, profound, and revealing. I think it's going to stick with me for a long time.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the best book I have read about women in ministry. Sentilles weaves the narratives of women from different Protestant traditions with good feminist theology and theory to explore all the intricacies of being a woman in ministry--everything from calling to ordination to benefit negotiation to clothing to dating.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was obvious from the get-go that Sentilles wrote at least the first half of the book out of personal anger -- and she admits so. However, she also highlights the Church's institutional sexism -- sexism that tends to be overlooked, rather than looked at critically.

I have mixed feelings on this one. I'm not entirely thrilled about her analysis, but at the same time, I wanted to hear more.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book examining the struggles of young women in church leadership and ministry. While there is definitely a focus on Protestant women, Sentilles does include a chapter on Catholic women's fight for equality in the Church.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went in expecting to not like this book, but I found it pretty riveting. Good survey of problems modern women face in ordination and as ministers. I have been lucky not to have them, but know lots of women who have. . .

[Tristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am overjoyed that my work with Callie Janoff is featured in this book. We are in the chapter "Minster (n.) vs. Minister (v.)" This book is a great undertaking to share the lives of so many diverse and amazing women in ministry.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brings up important issues about the very real discrimination faced by women in ministry from both churches and laity, told through women's experiences; but the narrator's voice, too often combining victimhood and a sense of entitlement, detracted from the message.

[K Kriesel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so grateful for this book, for Sentilles' work, and to have found it! It really resonated with me and perhaps the best part is I've found so many resources and communities and histories through the book.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was full of love, rage, and anger. Not just a book for those who are interested in the church or religion.

[rebecca hornbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a powerful book! Each woman's story is fascinating and inspiring - It gives me hope for the future of Christianity.

[Janetta]

Reading this for my podcast, www.she-rev.com

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting view of how women are changing the church is a good way.
Really worth reading to know the frustrations and problems women have in this role.

[Sharron]

Experiences of Women ministers vs. their Male counterparts