Emboldened: A Vision for Empowering Women in Ministry

by Tara Beth Leach

Throughout Scripture and church history, women have been central to the mission of God. But all too often women have lacked opportunities to minister fully. Many churches lack visible examples of women in ministry and leadership. Pastor Tara Beth Leach issues a stirring call for a new generation of women in ministry: to teach, to preach, to shepherd, and to lead. God not only permits women to minister--he emboldens, empowers, and unleashes women to lead out of the fullness of who they are. The church cannot reach its full potential without women using their God-given gifts. Leach provides practical expertise for how women can find their place at the table, escape impostor syndrome, face opposition, mentor others, and much more. When women teach, preach, lead, evangelize, pastor, and disciple, and when men partner to embolden the women in their lives, the church's imagination expands to better reflect God's story and hope for the world.

Genres: Christian, Leadership, Church, Faith, Theology, Nonfiction, Memoir

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Tara Beth Leach is senior pastor of First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena in Southern California. She is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University (BA, youth ministry) and Northern Theological Seminary (MDiv). She is a regular writer for Missio Alliance and has contributed to other publications such as Christianity Today, Christian Week, The Jesus Creed, The Table Magazine, Reflecting the Image Devotional, Renovating Holiness, and most recently a chapter in The Apostle Paul and the Christian Life. She has two beautiful and rambunctious sons, and has been married to the love of her life, Jeff, since 2006.

Reviews

[JR. Forasteros · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's easy for a church to say they affirm women in ministry. It's much harder, as gifted and called women know all too well, to be a church that actually equips and empowers women to be who God created and called them to be. With pastoral wisdom, Tara Beth Leach encourages women who have been sidelined by churches who made promises that remain unkept. With prophetic vision, she illustrates a path forward for these churches that we might practice what we preach. And she does it all by weaving her own story—told with raw vulnerability—into the story of Scripture and the story of the church, which has from the beginning been shaped by the voices of our spiritual mothers as much as our spiritual fathers. She offers this as a precious gift to all of us, men and women, that the church of Jesus might more perfectly show the world what it looks like when God's kingdom comes here on earth as it is in heaven.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received this book for free from the publisher through Netgalley. My review and opinions are my own.**

Emboldened is a book written for women in ministry. It is not a book about why women should be in ministry, although Leach does make that point several times, or that explains biblical texts about women, although she touches on those, too. It is a book for women who are currently in ministry or heading into ministry - a book to empower and embolden women as they minister.

Leach is senior pastor at a Nazarene church and has served in other places of church leadership, and she writes primarily from her experience. One of the things I love about this book is that Leach makes sure to point out that ministry is ministry - some women serve as preachers and teachers, some as nursery workers or the go-to person for potlucks, and all are ministry. While she points out that women shouldn't be confined to working with women and children or in hospitality ministries, she does not see those things as bad or lesser than preaching and teaching. Her point about knowing who the enemy is (and it isn't complementarians!) and the warm tone she uses even when talking about people who have directly opposed her because of her gender are excellent and worth reading by all women who are in ministry or want to be. I think her example of the teal box - which I will not explain in full here, read the book! - will stick with me for a long time. 

If you are a woman who is in ministry of some kind, or who wants to be but doesn't quite know how yet, I would encourage you to read this book. Even women in complementarian or patriarchal churches who know that God wants to use them but who don't have many opportunities to use their gifts can learn from and be encouraged by this book. Some of the chapters will be frustrating for women in that situation, but it's worth dealing with the frustration and reading anyway.

[Lori Neff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like Tara Beth was giving me a pep talk - I felt encouraged, challenged, AND understood. Tara Beth doesn't shy away from the difficulties that women often encounter in ministry leadership, but she winsomely encouraged readers to continue being faithful to God's call.
Highly recommended for women AND men who work together in ministry. And, you don't need to be a pastor or be in high-level leadership for Emboldened to resonate. I am not currently in any leadership role in the church and I found this book empowering - it makes me want to lean into the gifts that God has given to me.

[Sharon Soper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fearlessly, Leach tackles an age-old problem with charisma and substance. Why? Because too many women have been discouraged unable to use their spiritual gifts or they have been completely sidelined from their leadership calling. Leach rallies and cheers us on to a new imagination and hope while refusing to hide the truth or reality that it will be a difficult journey.

Part I sets the stage for “our story” with a historical overview of courageous women who have paved the way before us. She shares her own conversion, ministry calling and interesting stories like the first time she stopped the car to preach to the cornfields. There are many incredible stories throughout the book, and the one about love and forgiveness for “Joe” really touched me. Part II contains practical tips and tells how different men and women have effectively emboldened Leach. For example, some female leaders lay aside their own interests giving space and encouragement during formational years.

“This, then, is not merely a justice issue: it’s a mission issue.” This is brilliant! In fact it may be the gutsiest statement in the book! Leach is not using the traditional feminist arguments based on social justice and human rights, and theological arguments for egalitarianism are not the focus here. She is passionate and motivated to get the job done. I like her approach to change because she intentionally steers us in a very different direction that is countercultural. Leach is able to encourage values more in line with the Sermon on the Mount, a cruciform life of discipleship that includes love and non-violence.

Embolden is a buffet of ideas courageously rolled out to help provide women a place at the table. It is rooted in Scripture and delivered by a pastor whose heart is passionately in love with Jesus and the church. Whatever your age, status or gender, whether you are a leader, educator or lay person, Embolden is sure to empower and enlarge your vision so everyone can join and participate in God’s mission.

(By Dr. Sharon E. Soper, missiologist)

[Mat Lortie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was quite excited to read Emboldened and I wasn’t disappointed. What is so fascinating about Emboldened, is that it presents a vision of hopefulness without becoming argumentative or hostile. This charitable and uplifting tone is not unsurprising if you have read or listened to Tara Beth, but discussions related to women preaching and teaching generally lead to an uptick in blood pressure. Leach’s avoidance of that and the vision of togetherness she casts is what I appreciate most. She says “(t)he beauty of this glorious mission is that God has blessed the bride of Christ with a rainbow of colors and gifts, and the goal isn’t for everyone to get a place on the rainbow; rather, the goal is for the colors to shine fully so the world might take notice and see the bright, beautiful, and glorious light shining. The world will see the reflection of Christ as men and women labor together.” (131) As a man, I know too many men who recognize the gifting of women leaders but, out of fear that they would no longer be seen, are unwilling to create space so that the ‘colors shine.’ I know women who feel sidelined and are sick of the elbows they have to take to even stand amidst the crowd. Leach offers that the battle compromise the mission and suggests that the mission is most effective when women and men work together, partner together, and use their gifts together. This is a beautiful picture and reason enough to read the book. It challenged me to think about my biases or ways I have hindered, rather than emboldened, my sisters in ministry and called me to be a voice to encourage and support the mission of God, in all its beauty.

[Ashley Prax · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love, love, loved reading this book! I felt like Tara Beth was sitting next to me encouraging me the whole time I was reading it. I read it in a day! I couldn't put it down. As a female, pursuing ministry, I love having great role models ahead of me. I'm thankful to read the stories shared in this book to inspire me to push deeper into this calling! This book was just so encouraging in pursuing the roles God has been calling me in. I think everyone should read this book. If you're interested in ministry at all, you should read this book. Tara Beth is a great role model for me, and other women to look up to. She shared in such a vulnerable way! Read it, buy it for Christmas presents, give it to your friends.

[Kim Bausinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

With every word of Emboldened, I felt an anthem cry in my heart. That there was truth inside those pages that encouraged me to do more, dig deeper, step bolder and stand taller in the callings God has given me.

When I began reading I was in a season of planning and dreaming. Embolden has cleared so many fears, but with such honesty that I am not blind to coming obstacles. It's given me encouragement as a woman in ministry, but has something everyone can use. We are at our best when we are Emboldened!

[Esther Race · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this read a few days ago! There's a ton I'd love to say about it, it was so good! I think it's a book that every Christian should read. The author talks about not only emboldening women but emboldening each other and emboldening the church. She mentioned an article at one point that I'm going to quote here - "In 2017, Christianity Today published a story on women missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators. The article notes that although in the 1930s and 1940s there was hesitancy to send female missionaries globally, Wycliffe Bible Translators went against the norm. In particular, Wycliffe had been a place where unmarried women had been able to bring their Bible translation skills to the table. The article notes, "If it hadn't been for single women over the 70 - year history of Wycliffe, half of the translations wouldn't have been completed," according to chief operations officer Russ Hersman." This right here should be proof that without women serving alongside men for the Kingdom of God the Church is limping along and only getting half of what could be done, done. Think of what the church could be accomplishing here on earth if they would allow women to serve as pastors and leaders where many don't allow. Instead of cutting off part of the body of Christ (one leg) keep and use both and you move faster and get more done. What do you think Jesus would say about the church not doing as much as they could to advance His kingdom?
Another quote "The reverse of the curse of the fall is one of the revolutionary things that has happened in Christ. And in the context of this book, this means the curse of men lording over women has been reversed. Furthermore, anyone lording it over anyone else is reversed in Christ. Now we celebrate mutual submission."
There are so many good gems throughout this book. I highly, highly recommend! I give 5 stars!

[Vicki Judd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m an ordained minister, and a woman. I’ve served the Church of Jesus Christ most of my life. I believe the Church is still God’s chosen vehicle to spread the Good News that He loves, heals, saves and restores. I also believe that it takes the whole church to accomplish the task. Men AND women, working shoulder to shoulder, preaching, teaching, exhorting. Emboldened, brings a crucial word for the church at this point in our story. Tara Beth Leach’s convicting book is part memoir, part prophecy. She tells our story , the story of women in the church, women called and equipped to accomplish the mission of the Church. Some have succeeded, but many have given up in discouragement and despair because their voices have been stifled and stilled. For that very reason alone, this is an important book for our time.

Emboldened is not an apologetic for the cause of women in ministry, yet Tara Beth makes a compelling argument for women in every kind of ministry. One of the many memorable moments in the book for me was this one:
“It’s about mission. We live in a changing world. Many say that the church is in decline; some say we need CPR. When I think about CPR, I don’t care if it’s a man or a woman doing it! We simply need to join God in his grand rescue operation, and we need all hands on deck. We need both men and women with dirt under their fingernails. We need men and women on the road to proclamation. A mission is at hand; it’s time to get on with it.”

[Katherine Pershey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I try to be very mindful about not docking books because of theological disagreements with authors - and yet I admit that one of the missing stars is on account of the relentless heteronormativity of this brief apology for women in ministry. The other is because it was a bit redundant in areas. But despite those two frustrations, I really appreciated this book. I am not in the same context as the author, serving in a denomination in which women’s leadership is the norm - there’s certainly sexism in the liberal mainline, but I’ve never had to defend my calling/right to be a teacher/preacher, ever. Despite our different contexts I found much here that resonated with me and my experience. Her take on imposter syndrome was especially helpful, as well as the way she addressed how women’s appearances are scrutinized. A faithful, inspiring, and empowering book.

[Isaac Goodspeed Overton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I deeply enjoyed this book. Tara Beth Leach using personal anecdotes and biblical references to paint a beautiful portrait of what happens when women are emboldened to walk in their callings. While I don’t recommend this book as an argument for egalitarian theology, I absolutely believe that every ministry leader, especially men read it. For those convicted of women and men’s equality, books like this are necessary for work of mutuality. If you are on the fence about women pastors, I would recommend other readings before this, as she approaches these topics under the assumption you have no theological objections to her role in ministry.

[Holly M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great practical read about women in ministry

[Marisa MacVey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good book!!! Inspiring, powerful, and empowering!! Took me a while to get through but every time I read it, I felt more empowered and inspired to do ministry and lead other women!!! Read it!

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is inspiring. As a woman in ministry the stories Tara Beth told resonated with me. I have heard those things, I have felt those feelings. But she didn't leave it there. I was encouraged and emboldened after reading this book. Tara Beth gives feet to how exactly we can embolden women to do the work that God has called them to do.
This book is really for all. For those women who have been called to ministry. Who are just starting out and might be worried or afraid of what opposition lies ahead. Who have never heard a woman preach or have never seen a woman lead. This book is for you.
For women who currently are in the trenches of ministry. Who have felt the opposition and have heard the harsh words spewed at them. Who need to know that they are not alone, and to hear how others have trudged through. Who need encouragement and to be renewed in their calling. This book is for you. (read it with tissues, it's sure to bring out all the feels.)
For those who don't understand because they have never been a woman in ministry, this is a snapshot for you. For those who desire to see a snapshot of what women in ministry have to sometimes deal with. Who long to know how to encourage and embolden those women whom God has called to be his voice. This book is for you.
Tara Beth not only gives words, but she gives ideas. This book is inspiring and practical. I believe it not only helps to embolden women, but to embolden all to do the work that God has called them to do. You NEED to read this book.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading some of the other reviews, a “pep talk” is the best way to describe this book. There was a lot of telling me things, not showing me or giving me structure to process things for myself. I understand that we must write what we know, and for TB what she knows is preaching and being called to preach in a megachurch. But for so many women, this is not their calling, and that’s okay. Tara Beth’s assertions that she and women in general should be able to preach are what I grew up with. I grew up actually listening to her preach at church, and was transformed by the ways the Lord has clearly gifted her. But I don’t aspire to be her, and I wish her book had given me more room and space to place myself in the narrative as a women called into full time ministry. This book reads like it was written by a millennial who drank the millennial kool aide. But for me as a cusper, being told that I can go change the world is only part of what’s important. While I have faced a lot of external tension and barriers as a woman in ministry, the ones that keep me up at night are the internal barriers of my own design. I’m anxious to not be like the overtly emotional women who sometimes get in the way. The insecurities that come from resisting what women have been made to be in Christian culture make women feel like they can’t hold up, or don’t have a way out. I don’t want to be told that those things aren’t true, I want a lifeline that will help me throw off those falsehoods and reject them for myself. Overall, this book missed the mark.

[Megan Westra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved the Church for as long as I can remember, but when I felt called to ministry in college I laughed out loud. "God, are you serious? Have you read your own book?" I had no imagination for what a woman in ministry would look like, or why God would call me. Thankfully, I had people in my life who were willing to take flying leaps of faith with me, and who patiently accompanied me as I pursued my call and unpacked the baggage weighing me down from running with abandon in the direction God was leading me.

Emboldened felt like fresh wind in my sails as a woman in pastoral ministry. It is simultaneously both the book I wish had existed a decade ago when I was first called, and every bit the book I need today as an encouragement to keep going. It is the book I will give to young women who approach me with their own stories of call, and the book I will recommend to church leaders who have no idea what to do with the women in their midst whom God is raising up.

Tara Beth writes with the heart of a pastor and the imagination of a prophet, and the Church of tomorrow will most certainly be better because of her voice, her witness and her own emboldened ministry.

[Chris Gilmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Women in the church are ambassadors of the gospel and have been given this same Spirit to use their gifts with boldness so the mission of God will continue to advance in the world.“

Rev. Tara Beth Leach releases to the world a gift. Emboldened is an incredible book for both women and men that reminds us of God’s dream for the world and our role in it. That dream includes empowering, equipping, and emboldening women to live out their God-given gifts in the Church and the world.

In this book she shares the challenges and blessings of the call of God. It is both personal and relatable. You’ll feel like you’re sitting with her around the kitchen table sharing a meal as friends. And then, like good friends do, she’ll challenge and encourage you throughout the conversation.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

I’m so proud to have Tara Beth ministering in the Church of the Nazarene. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. Read it. Live it. Pass it on to your pastor or a young person you believe in. You won’t be disappointed.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one I will be revisiting for years to come. Tara Beth writes with a voice of reason and encouragement to men and women who are working to minister to the Body of Christ together. This book gave name to areas in my life that were keeping me from moving forward in saying, "yes" to the fullness of ministry and the sense that I didn't fit in with the world I am trying to be a part of. Her emphasis on giftedness rather than justice was really insightful. I recommend every woman to read this book and every man who is egalitarian to read it as well. For men, it will help you better understand why women have such a harder time joining in on the work of the Kingdom. For women, this book will set your focus on a church functioning fully for all. Tara Beth gives helpful advice on how to work together, women and men, within the church.

[Janae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautifully healing. I would recommend it to not only women in ministry but also to the men and women who want to support women in ministry.

[Rebecca Carswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel emboldened.

[Tami Romani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up, I frequently heard my mother tell stories about being misunderstood over the years in her role as senior pastor. By the time I came along, she had lived that role for two decades, and found a cadence within it that allowed her to crash through the ultimate glass ceiling: she was a woman doing the work of a Man of God. Still, there were those stories, and the constant push back about being a woman in ministry. She never wavered in fulfilling her calling, but oh, those stories.... she always said she had enough to write a book, and just maybe someday she would. After passing away several years ago at age 90 with more than 70 years in ministry to her credit, she never did write that book.

Tara Beth Leach did.

In Emboldened: A Vision for Empowering Women in Ministry, Leach describes so many similarities to what I heard my mother talk about, it's hard to imagine they are actually different women born generations apart. I am grateful for those in my mother's life who served to embolden her for ministry, especially my father, who happily took a back seat to her public persona. This book speaks directly to the called woman, and those surrounding her, challenging them to both be emboldened and to embolden others. Through her very personal storytelling, she brings the reader through the highs and lows of being obedient to an often misunderstood calling. Through it all, she concludes that an emboldened church is a wonder. "..in a world that suppresses and sidelines women, that sees women as sex objects, that unfairly pays women, and that unfairly criticizes women, the church has an opportunity to be a witness, to be a sign and a wonder in all of this. We have an opportunity to be a drastic alternative - to be a light."

To that, may all the women of the church say a resounding YES! May it be so.

[Melissa Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tara Beth Leach’s love for Christ and his church is the most prevalent undercurrent of this book. Her passion to see those indwelt by the Spirit use their gifts to glorify the name of Christ and for the world to look at the church as the parable that proclaims the treasure that the Kingdom of Heaven is, is obvious. For those who desire to see gifted women in the church sought out and empowered to use the gifts they’ve been given but you’re looking for the right questions to ask or practical advice on identifying those women— this book is for you. For women who feel unsure of their calling and inhibited by wounds or circumstances— this book is for you. Perhaps most especially, for those whose understanding of the scripture is different than Tara Beth’s, this book is a great space to practice doing theology charitably and learn how and why someone else who loves God and his church wholeheartedly thinks about these things. I walked away from this book grateful for Tara Beth’s generosity toward those who disagree with her interpretation of scripture and her example of praying for all who make up the diverse group of those who embrace Christian orthodoxy. While I am so grateful that Tara Beth was able to put to words so many of the complexities that face women in ministry today, I wish she would have explored more her own formative ideas of the conviction she holds. I say this in large part because I have listened to Tara Beth preach and I know that this is something she could do quite well. Maybe this book will lead out into another one in the future.

[Melissa Dees · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a young woman in ministry, I am often looking for other women leaders who share my love for the Church and are not afraid to challenge its ways. When reading Emboldened, I was so surprised at how much I felt like I was reading my own heart and thoughts. I appreciate Tara Beth Leach’s vulnerability as she shares her deep desires and longings to see the Church be at its very best. To be a Church that empowers women as much as it empowers men, to follow their calls and be who God has created them to be. Emboldened women!

Tara Beth boldly proclaims that the issue for women being leaders in the Church is not a “justice issue, but a missional issue.” Both men and women are called to lead the Church together, but so often women have been sidelined and placed in positions that fit the categorized boxes of our culture. We have placed the mindset in women that there can only be one among the crowd. Tokenism has not only limited women in positions in which they have been allowed to serve, but has also caused great tension and jealousy among each other where we should actually be our greatest allies.

This book has encouraged me to better empower my fellow women leaders, but also has placed a desire to lovingly come alongside the Church so that we may work together to empower each other to be a mission-focused, and Kingdom-driven community. Men, women, pastors, leaders, lay people, this book is for you! This book is a must read for all.

[Renee Childs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tara Beth speaks to an issue incredibly important to society- women in church leadership. She is bold and honest in both her writing and her life work. She tells her story, which many women who ever considered church ministry will resonate with. She is real about perceptions and insecurities that women face, and the excessive judgement, and how feminine traits are often labeled as bad, but just the opposite is true. She discusses breaking through gender molds while still embracing who she is as a woman and mother. She doesn't gloss over controversial scripture, but presents it with wise examination. She has been told dozens of times that she's not allowed to be a senior pastor, and sadly, some of the most hurtful comments have come from women. However, Tara Beth kept pressing on and she met women in leadership who flooded her with encouragement. She met men who recognized her gifts. We need more of these "emboldeners". I know it's a worthwhile book when I get chills. This happened multiple times while reading Emboldened. She writes "It isn't merely a justice issue, it's a mission issue-and the mission will continue to be held back without women." This book is deeply needed in the church and is a must read by men and women.

[Hayoung Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tara Beth Leach is a PASTOR and a PROPHET. She speaks in this book with the counseling heart of a shepherdess who wants to breathe life into a modern Church crippled by gender inequality. She declares that women are to participate in church leadership unapologetically. This book makes its appeals by using Biblical references, personal anecdotes, and practical suggestions about how to manifest female empowerment in ministry.

This book is for Christian women finding themselves discouraged and lonely and stuck beneath the glass ceiling that unfortunately exists in many churches. Its a great starting point for women reckoning with this issue.

This book is for men ready to leverage their privilege to center women’s giftings and voices in the Church. Leach gets real practical but still imaginative and visionary about how Christian men can step into solidarity and friendship with women in ministry.

Some things to keep in mind:
This book is not an apologetic argument for egalitarianism. It presupposes that the audience agrees with women in church leadership.
It also doesn’t dive into the intersectional dimensions of church leadership inequality—i found its assessment of church sexism to be somewhat shallow although still relevant and helpful.

[ashley.stro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is pretty much a must read for everyone (male or female) in Christian leadership. It describes itself as a “vision of empowering women in ministry“ and it is; it’s not angry or argumentative, it has big dreams and kingdom vision. Tara Beth is inspiring (and not just because she’s a 34-year-old woman who is a senior pastor of mega church) because she has a vision of what the church could look like when everyone was empowered to use the gifts God gave them. The only thing I think she missed was an acknowledgment of race. Yes, it is harder for a woman to be in a position of leadership than a man, but I would imagine it would be 10 times harder for a woman of color, or even a man of color. I wish she just acknowledged this or maybe even recognized how her race still gives her leg up on some others? This is something I’ve been thinking about recently, so I think it was just on my mind, and therefore noticed it missing. Still loved it and a recommended read for all in Christian leadership, especially young women wondering how they fit in.

[Macy McCartney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that discusses so many needed things regarding women pursuing ministry!!! This book does not shy away from the effects of the patriarchy and boldly names many of the problems within the Church, Christianity, and society that impact women; while simultaneously encouraging and emboldening women to step up and respond to these problems.

“Without fear and without stipulations, Jesus sends Mary to make the most important announcement of the New Testament. In those days, women were rarely allowed to testify. Therefore, this story stood the test of potential ridicule and incredibility. But the story was told as it happened and it wasn’t because Mary was the only one at the tomb; it wasn’t because there were no men, so Jesus had to send Mary; rather, this was an intentional, subversive, and radical move to send Mary. Time and again, Jesus boldly affirmed the value and worth of women, and appointed them to be colaborers in the mission. Jesus unabashedly celebrated the traditional role of women so they too could participate in the work of the kingdom of God.”

[Kim Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emboldened, A Vision for Empowering Women in Ministry lives up to its name in every way. Emboldened, emboldens.

After a brief history on women in ministry, Leach dives into the meat of this book: reminding women in ministry they are not alone and providing practical tips and actions for overcoming the many obstacles women leaders in the church face.

The biggest take away however, is the overarching message that emboldening both men and women is mission critical to Jesus. We can’t sideline half of the team and expect to get great results. As Leach states “We need all capable hands on deck, reaching out to the next generation, pulling them to the table, pushing them to the pulpits, teaching them the Bible, speaking words of wisdom to them, coming alongside them in Leadership, and instilling confidence in them”

Leach’s book will leave men ready to embolden their sisters in Christ and will leave women affirmed to lean into their gifts and utilize them for the Kingdom of God.

[Marguerite Kraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tara Beth Leach clearly presents the need for and the absence of women in leadership in the church today. Spirit-led believers, both men and women, have been gifted, called, and biblically instructed to carry out the mission of the church. Using Scripture as her guide and noting how God has called women into effective leadership, Leach is passionate that Spirit-led girls and women must intentionally be made aware of their place at the table of those who lead.
Leach walks the reader through the very real struggles a woman faces in using her Spirit-given gifts within the institutionalized church. Vulnerably honest she effectively uses her personal experiences to illustrate the many struggles women face today. She beautifully presents the answer to opposition is to keep one’s focus on King Jesus and His call to living the mission.
Leach urgently challenges men (and women) to consciously embolden women to use their God-given gifting in teaching, leading, and ministering within the church framework. All are needed and cooperation will bring great results in the Kingdom of God.
By Dr. Marguerite Kraft

[Carrye Burr · Rating 5 out of 5]

For women who have long felt that they "couldn't be what they couldn't see", Tara Beth Leach offers such a beautiful gift of inspiration, encouragement, and hope. Though she does not see her position as a lead pastor as a sign that we've arrived, she shares powerful insight for WHY women's voices matter alongside their brothers' voices in the Kingdom, and she offers specific tools for both men and women who want to work towards egalitarian colaboration in the church.

I believe this is a must read for those hoping for a way forward; for those pursuing ministry as a woman; for men who want to empower women; and for husbands of women who have strong pastoral or leadership callings within the church.

As a woman in my early 30s who only recently dared to believe I could be a pastor without dishonoring God, I found so much grace, freedom and hope in these pages and in Tara's message.