GLORIETA, N.M. (BP)–Women in church ministry leadership positions struggle with the need to be all things to all people at all times, Linda Miniard told participants in Church Music Leadership Conference at Glorieta (N.M.) Baptist Conference Center, July 11-17.
Miniard, a consultant in LeaderCare with LifeWay Christian Resources (formerly Sunday School Board) of the Southern Baptist Convention, regularly counsels with women in ministry, as well as wives and daughters of ministers. LeaderCare is an initiative to assist ministers and their families in personal development and crisis counseling.
“You cannot be a full-time minister at the church, a full-time mother, a full-time housekeeper and a full-time fitness guru,” Miniard maintained.
To help women in ministry leadership positions sort through the important qualities for their lives, she pointed them to a biblical model in Proverbs 31. And although the scriptural description is often applied to wives, Miniard said the description of “a worthy woman” is a profile for aspiration by all women.
Participants in the Glorieta sessions searched the passage in small groups, reporting back the biblical descriptors that profile worthy women:
— strong and honorable character;
— good planner/implementor/manager;
— possessing endurance/not idle;
— compassionate and merciful;
— always prepared; and
— wise in words and actions.
The groups also found among the verses: self-confidence, trustworthiness, hard-working, financially responsible, continually watchful, mentally as well as physically strong, fears the Lord and gives attention to those in need as well as her family .
Others observed that the biblical ideal indicates a woman who “smiles at the future and is ready for it,” she is a good business person, has the full confidence of her husband and brings good to all around her all the days of her life.
Miniard challenged the women periodically to grade themselves against the description in Proverbs to see where they need to improve and how they are progressing toward the biblical model.
“Look at who you are and what you do,” she urged participants. “Find some way to give yourself a perk once in a while.
She said even those on a budget can save small amounts toward an occasional luxury to alleviate the stresses of multiple roles in life.
Church Music Leadership Conference was sponsored by the music ministries department of LifeWay Christian Resources.
