African American women have long been influential in the shaping, nurturing and survival of the African American family, the community and the longest continuous organization in the culture, the church. Unfortunately, while the church has benefitted greatly from the contributions of many African American women, it has also been a source of pain and hurt for many women who have sought to practice in both clergy and lay ministries because of a patriarchal system that have disenfranchised many women over the history of the life of the African American church. However, while many mainstream denominations with an African American presence are now licensing and ordaining women, and some have even called women to lead their congregations, there are still pockets of African American churches who either blatantly or subtly, “silence” the largest members of their flock be relegating them to specific and traditional roles. Therefore is it possible to transform the culture of a traditionally African American church so as to allow women to freely practice both clergy and lay ministry? Through preaching a series of sermons over a three year period, I have discovered it is possible for a traditional African American congregation to embrace transformation in the acceptance of women in both the clergy and lay ministry.
