Mutuality Matters

(Women & Men) Drawing the Circle Wide: A Conversation with Rev. Liz Testa

In this episode, hosts Layla and Rob talk with Rev. Liz Testa, coordinator for Women’s Transformation and Leadership with the Reformed Church of America (RCA), who shares her own experiences building mutual partnerships between women and men. She gives practical insight into the struggles churches currently face and offers biblical advice for how women and men in church leadership can move forward together towards unity. Listen as she casts an inspiring vision for churches welcoming everyone to the table and celebrating the diversity of gifts that God has placed in a community.  

 

Bio 

REV. ELIZABETH (LIZ) TESTA, M.DIV is a pastor, ministry executive, community builder and sister in Christ, who is passionate about biblical hospitality, multi-cultural worship arts and encouraging others to embrace their God-given gifts and callings. Since 2014, she has served the Reformed Church in America (RCA) as the visionary leader for Women’s Transformation and Leadership and Equity-Based Hospitality. Liz and her team encourage, equip, and empower women of all backgrounds and callings, and equip diverse faith communities to do the same and intentionally create healthy environments where mixed-gender ministry partnerships can flourish and thrive.  

  

Prior to joining the RCA, Rev. Testa spent 12 years on staff at Marble Collegiate Church in NYC. Her first career was as a professional actress and spokesperson, and she delights at how God uses those experiences to enhance her calling in ministry. Rev. Testa holds a BFA in Drama from Syracuse University and an M.Div from Drew Theological School in Madison, NJ.  She is on the Board of Trustees of New Brunswick Theological Seminary and the South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race. Raised bi-culturally in New York and Spain, Liz loves travel, international cuisines and culture, and is a natural bridge builder across diverse contexts. Her family includes her husband of 25 years, Nick, a NYC high school teacher and daughters Sofia, a psychology student at University of London, Goldsmith’s College and Juliette, a high school junior and softball player.  

  

For more info, contact women@rca.org 

 

Resources Mentioned in this Episode: 

Building God’s Church Together Bible Study: https://learn.faithward.org/courses/building-gods-church-together-bible-study 
 
She is Called: Women of the Bible Study Series: https://www.faithward.org/women-of-the-bible-study-series/ 
  
Lavish Hope Podcast: https://www.faithward.org/lavish-hope-podcast/ 

 
Other Reading: 

As you’ll hear in the episode, Liz exhorts men to “do their work” on their gender brokenness and uncovering their unconscious biases. We’ll recommend these resources: 

• Man Enough by Nate Pyle 
• Malestrom by Carolyn Custis James 

• Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes du Mez 

 

(Intersectionality) Diversity as God’s Design: A Conversation with Rev. Michelle D. Williams – Part One

In this week’s episode, host Angela visits with Rev. Michelle D. Williams, co-author of Diversity Playbook: Recommendations and Guidance for Christian Organizations. They discuss how the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion fits into God’s divine plan for reconciliation. Learn as Michelle shares her own experience within the church as a daughter and a survivor, and how God used painful experiences to shape her into someone who leads others into the diverse body of Christ. Rev. Williams can be reached at https://www.shalomconsultants.com/ or www.diversity-playbook.com. 
 

Bio 

Rev. Michelle D. Williams, MTS, CDE, is a writer, speaker, preacher, and entrepreneur. For over 20 years Rev. Williams has worked with people during some of the most formative and stressful seasons of life. Beginning as a social worker with at-risk populations; serving as a pastor walking through life's transitions; working as an advisor/mentor to undergraduate college students (Anderson University); navigating tumultuous racial/cultural conflicts, and most recently as a dean at a graduate seminary (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary). Having served in various pastoral ministry roles, Rev. Michelle appreciates the legacy of Godly women and men in her family that have richly impacted her life and ministry. Whether it is within a church setting or within the hallowed halls of academia, shepherding people, programs, and policies requires wisdom and grace. These two attributes are the cornerstone of Michelle’s leadership approach. Rev. Williams is co-author of "Diversity Playbook: Recommendations and Guidance for Christian Organizations." She is a Certified Diversity Executive and CEO of Shalom Consultants 

  
Further Reading: 
 
The Diversity Playbook: Recommendations and Guidance for Christian Organizations: 
 Diversity Playbook: Recommendations and Guidance for Christian Organizations: Michelle R. Loyd-Paige, Michelle D. Williams: 9781684263714 - CBE International with Christianbook.com 
 
Confronting Wonder Women Syndrome: Female Pastors and the Pandemic: Confronting Wonder Woman Syndrome: Female Pastors and the Pandemic | CBE (cbeinternational.org) 
 
How to Build Bridges: 4 Strategies for Reconciliation: How to Build Bridges: 4 Strategies for Racial Reconciliation | CBE (cbeinternational.org) 
 
Women in Ministry, Reclaim Your Time!: Women in Ministry, Reclaim Your Time! | CBE (cbeinternational.org) 
 
Who Is Pulling Your Strings? Wisdom for Clergy and Leaders: 
Who Is Pulling Your Strings? Wisdom for Women Clergy and Leaders | CBE (cbeinternational.org) 
 

(New Voices) Subversive Grandmother & Tenacious Widows: Kat Armas’ Abuelita Faith

When was the last time you read a book that told your story through the personal story of the author? Add in biblical scholarship, intersectionality, decolonization, history, and current events and you have Kat Armas’ book, Abuelita Faith. In this episode, Blake and Erin have a lively discussion with Kat Armas about the “protagonistas” in Scripture, history, and Armas’ own family who help us see a God who loves us and is revealed through the lived theology of women of color, indigenous voices, and cultural diversity. 

Be sure to check out Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us about Wisdom, Persistence, and Strength (just released in Spanish!) 

Follow her on social media: @kat_armas 

Subscribe to her newsletter from her website: https://katarmas.com/ 

Listen to her podcast, The Protagonistas: https://katarmas.com/theprotagonistaspodcast 

 

Bio 

Kat Armas is a Cuban American writer and podcaster from Miami, FL. She holds a dual MDiv and MAT from Fuller Theological Seminary, where she was awarded the Frederick Buechner Award for Excellence in Writing, and is currently pursuing a ThM at Vanderbilt Divinity School. https://www.cbeinternational.org/persons/kat-armas 

Her first book, Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us About Wisdom, Persistence and Strength, sits at the intersection of women, decolonialism, the Bible, and Cuban identity. She also explores these topics and more on her podcast, The Protagonistas, which centers the voices of Black, Indigenous, and other women of color in theological spaces. 

 

Other Reading: 

YHWH and Marginalization: Israel’s Widows and Abuelita Theology: https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/article/priscilla-papers-academic-journal/yhwh-and-marginalization-israels-widows-and 

3 Simple Rules for Egalitarian Couples: 
https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/article/mutuality-blog-magazine/3-simple-rules-egalitarian-couples 

Priscilla and Aquila Model Marriage: “More Accurately”: 
https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/article/mutuality-blog-magazine/priscilla-and-aquila-model-marriage-more-accurately 

Is Complementarian Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 14 Consistent with Practice?: https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/article/mutuality-blog-magazine/complementarian-interpretation-1-corinthians-14-consistent 

(Global Impact) A Lifelong Call to Medical Missions with Dr. Aletta Bell

This week on the Global Impact Thread, hosts Mimi and Kim interview Dr. Aletta Bell about her lifelong medical work in North India.  They discuss the unique opportunities that allowed her to become one of four women in her medical school graduating class of 60, and her Arabia experiences that revealed the need for women to provide medical care to Muslim women. You will hear about how she established a hospital in North India, passed leadership onto Indian Christians of the newly formed Emmanuel Hospital Association, began a pioneering work of Community Health and Development to reach the root causes of disease in North India, and inspired others to follow in her footsteps. 

Within the interview you will hear references to:  

Emmanuel Hospital Association https://eha-health.org/  

Vellore Christian Medical College https://www.cmch-vellore.edu/, and 

Dr. Ida Scudder’s Biography in Dr. Ida by Dorothy Clarke Wilson     

Dr. Aletta Bell, a Canadian, has devoted her life to medical work in North India.  One of four women in her medical class of sixty, she identified a healthcare gap for Muslim women. In 1964 she established a women and children’s hospital in rural North India, in an underserved Muslim population. Later she handed the hospital over to Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA), where she continued to serve in leadership roles. Now, in her 80’s, she is sharing her life stories, with a biography soon to be released. 

Other Reading: 

Listen to this podcast to more fully understand the health issues of women in “India: Public Health and Women’s Equality in the Church”
https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/audio/global-impact-public-health-and-womens-equality-church

Read about other brave women doctors who overcame serious life obstacles to learn and serve others in “Our Heritage Part 4”: https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/article/mutuality-blog-magazine/our-heritage-part-4 

(Women and Men Leading Together) The Journey to Mutuality with Kim and Andrew Feil

In this episode, hosts Layla and Rob speak with Kim and Andrew Feil about their journeys to mutuality. In-laws Kim and Andrew Feil have each been on a journey of understanding the Bible’s message of gender equality through a combination of deep Bible study and lived experience. More than that, their journeys have intertwined together in a compelling way. Listen as they tell Layla and Rob about those journeys, the struggles they faced, and where they ended up. Don’t miss the end of the episode, where Andrew and Kim share prophetic words about how the church needs to change to better reflect God’s heart for equality.

Kim Feil resides in Fresno, California, and she actually loves living there! She is the mother of two children and the wife to an amazing guy for almost 13 years. Kim is passionate about the empowerment of women and seeing them become who God created them to be. Her daytime job is working at the local community hospital as a lactation specialist. She is also a volunteer, working with survivors of human trafficking.
 
Email: kimberlyruth.feil@gmail.com

Andrew Feil is a father of four boys and is married to Denise Feil. Andrew is the current Associate Director at Every Neighborhood Partnership which seeks to connect churches to serving at elementary schools in one of California's most challenged districts. Andrew is a former Missions Pastor at The Well Community Church and has a master’s in Social and Civic Entrepreneurship from Bakke Graduate University.

Twitter: @andrewsfeil 

Email: andrew@everyneighborhood.org 

Other Reading

• Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessy: https://cbeinternational.christianbook.com/jesus-feminist-sarah-bessey/9781476717258/pd/717258?event=ESRCG 
  
• The Blue Parakeet by Scot McKnight: https://cbeinternational.christianbook.com/parakeet-rethinking-read-bible-second-edition/scot-mcknight/9780310538929/pd/538929?event=ESRCQ

• How I Changed My Mind About Women in Leadership by Alan F. Johnson (Ed.) https://cbeinternational.christianbook.com/leadership-compelling-prominent-evangelicals-unabridged-audiobook/9780310577478/pd/DA14789-CP?event=ESRCG

(Intersectionality) Messages of Hope: Preaching and Mental Health in the Black Church with Rev. Dr. Dominique A. Robinson

In this episode of Mutuality Matters, Angela chats with Rev. Dr. Dominique A. Robinson, the John Hines Assistant Professor of Preaching at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, TX. Dr. Robinson shares her current research in mental health and bible interpretation, particularly in light of the traumatic psychological impact of the COVID pandemic within the Black community and the Black church.  

Disclaimer: This episode discusses instances of depression and suicide. If you are thinking about harming yourself or taking your own life, we encourage you to reach out to someone – a friend, a church, or a family member. You can also call 1-800-273-8255 at any time to speak with a trained counselor.  

 

Rev. Dr. Dominique A. Robinson is a millennial Womanist homiletician and justice advocate who answered her call to ministry at the age of thirteen. Dominique earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Georgetown University, a Master of Divinity and a Master of Theology both from Candler School of Theology. She earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary in Gospel and Culture. Her dissertation, "iHomiletic™: Preaching that Clicks," is a groundbreaking research and consulting service to assist faith leaders with developing impactful ministry that employs technology and social media linguistics. She currently is a Ph.D. student at Christian Theological Seminary in the African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric Ph.D. program.  

Rev. Dr. Dominique A. Robinson is the John Hines Assistant Professor of Preaching at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, TX.   

 

Rev. Dr. Dominique A. Robinson is an ordained itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and a member of the illustrious Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. 

(New Voices) Redeeming the Women of the Old Testament: A Conversation with Rev. Dr. Lissa Wray Beal

Do you ever read Old Testament passages about women and wonder if God is truly for women? Are all the Bible commentaries you find written by men? Hosts Erin and Blake sit down with Dr. Lissa Wray Beal and discuss her articles and commentaries and how they are redeeming the stories of and bringing the women of the Old Testament to their important place in the biblical narrative. In this episode, we touch on: the topic of lament in the women of Jeremiah; what we get wrong about Ruth and Naomi; and the fascinating story of the five daughters of Zelophehad. If you’ve ever avoided the Old Testament because of how it seems to portray women, then this episode is for you! 

 

Bio 

Rev. Dr. Lissa M. Wray Beal is a Professor of Old Testament at Providence Theological Seminary, where she has taught since 2004. She is also a priest in the Diocese of Rupert’s Land in the Anglican Church of Canada, serving as an honorary assistant in a local parish. Dr. Wray Beal completed a BTh at Northwest Bible College and an MDiv at Taylor Seminary (both in Edmonton) before completing her PhD at the Toronto School of Theology at Wycliffe College. 

Dr. Wray Beal’s work focuses on Joshua - Kings, Jeremiah and the Psalter, exploring their literary, historical and theological dimensions. She teaches the Old Testament as a witness to God’s character, and as preparatory for Christ. 

Look for these upcoming projects: 

• Jeremiah. Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Prophets. Under Contract. 

• The Book of Ruth in The Bible in God's World Commentary. Cascade Publishing. Under Contract. 
• 1-2 Samuel. Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Historical Books. Under Contract 

Other Reading  

• "'Call for the Mourning Women': Women's Songs of Lament in Jeremiah" for Evangelicals and Women Section of the Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting, November 2021. 
• The Story of God Bible Commentary: Joshua 

• The Bible in God’s Word (Series) 
• Center for the Study of Bible and Violence 

(Global Impact) The Work of Service not Power in the Anglican Church of Kenya with Rt. Rev. Dr. Emily Onyango

Listen to hosts, Mimi and Kim as they interview Rt. Rev. Dr. Emily Onyango in the Global Impact thread. Emily’s deep humility and focus on leadership as service versus power was profoundly evident in her life and vocation. Modeling herself after her Sunday School teacher, Emily remains deeply committed to girls, women, and youth. Emily models the confidence of Christian women, which she also celebrates in the women leaders of the East African Revivals in her book, Gender and Development: A History of Women’s Education in Kenya.  

 

As Bishop in her community, Emily takes on the role of grandparents who nurture youth spiritually, socially, educationally, and economically. She reminds her community that while they lack economic wealth, God has given them great joy in their relationships.  

 

Emily discusses her joy both in serving beside the male bishops, but especially in in serving with the second woman bishop Rt. Rev. Rose Okeno ordained shortly after Emily.  She speaks of their sister alliance that gently reminds their brother bishops they are now joined by sister bishops in God’s work. 

 

Bio 

Last year Rt. Rev. Dr. Emily Onyango was ordained as the first woman bishop in the Anglican Church of Kenya.  She serves as senior lecturer and dean of students at St. Paul’s University in Limuru, Kenya. She earned a PhD from the University of Wales, a ThM from the Asian Center for Theological Studies and Mission in Seoul, South Korea, and a BD from St. Paul’s University, Limuru. She is the author of Gender and Development: A History of Women’s Education in Kenya 

(Women and Men Leading Together) A Conversation with Eddy Ekmekji

In this episode, we are joined by our friend Eddy Ekmekji. Eddy serves as a pastor in Southern California and he helps us think about how to guide a community through the disciple-making process. If you’re in a faith community where your egalitarian conviction can struggle to be expressed fully, this is the episode for you!

Bio:

Eddy Ekmekji has served with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship since 1998, ministering in a variety of roles and on a diversity of campuses. Currently, he is the Regional Ministry Director in Greater Los Angeles. In addition to the work with InterVarsity, Eddy also serves part-time as the lead pastor of As You Are Missionary Church in Reseda, CA. 

Eddy is married to Rhoda, and dad to Layla (16), Marco (14), and Liam (9). He loves roasting his own coffee beans, making his own hot sauce, and coaching a local BU14 soccer team. You can find him on twitter, @eddyekmekji.

Formed by Women: My Wrestle and Call to Preaching with Guest Rev. Dr. Dominique A. Robinson

In this episode, part 1 of Angela’s discussion with Rev. Dr. Dominique A. Robinson, Dr. Robinson shares her firsthand experiences with intersectionality in her own ministry journey, which started when she was 13 years old. She discusses her childhood, being brought up in a church founded and pastored by her grandmother. She also details her decision to leave her family’s church as a teenager in search of her own theology and beliefs.  

 

Bio 

The Rev. Dr. Dominique A. Robinson, is a millennial, Womanist preacher and justice advocate who answered her call to ministry at the age of 13. Dominique earned her Bachelor of Arts in Government from Georgetown University, a Master of Divinity, and a Master of Theology both from Candler School of Theology. She earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary in Gospel and Culture. Her dissertation, "iHomiletic™: Preaching that Clicks," is a groundbreaking research and consulting service to assist faith leaders with developing impactful ministry that employs technology and social media linguistics. She currently is a doctoral student at Christian Theological Seminary in the African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric Ph.D. program.  

Dr. Robinson is the John Hines Assistant Professor of Preaching at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, TX. She is an ordained itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and a member of the illustrious Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.