| abstract |
This Doctor of Ministry project explores strategies for liberatory leadership for Black clergywomen within churches affiliated with the National Baptist Convention, USA, Incorporated, through the lens of womanist theology and practical ministry application. Despite the significant presence and contributions of Black women in Black church life, their leadership continues to be marginalized in patriarchal ecclesial structures. The thesis of this project is, "What leadership strategies are needed for clergywomen to feel empowered to serve in ministry, and what is disempowering them to lead?" To address this question, I conducted three focus groups of female clergy from the Community Baptist Church of Englewood. This project addresses that gap by constructing a theological and ministerial framework that affirms the leadership of Black clergywomen and equips them to lead with resilience, advocacy, and institutional agency.
Two key figures are centered—Miriam, the prophetic sister of Moses, and Nannie Helen Burroughs, a pioneering educator and denominational leader—as case studies. Their lives and leadership embody essential themes: advocacy and prophetic witness, resilience and spiritual formation, institution building, and womanist preaching and teaching. Their stories serve as historical exemplars and theological models that speak powerfully into the present moment.
I propose a ministry initiative that includes a Clergywomen Advocacy Council, preaching cohorts, resilience retreats, a leadership academy, and digital and print platforms to elevate Black clergywomen's voices. The initiative bridges theological reflection and practical implementation by creating spaces where Black clergywomen's voices, gifts, and visions for the church are affirmed and activated.
Ultimately, this project contributes to the fields of womanist theology, Black church studies, and leadership development by offering a contextual and actionable model of ministry that challenges systemic exclusion and nurtures prophetic witness. It invites theological institutions and denominational bodies to recognize and resource Black clergywomen not as exceptions or auxiliaries but as vital leaders in the present and future of the Black church. This work embodies a liberating ecclesiology where justice, resilience, and hope are cultivated through the leadership of those historically pushed to the margins.
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