Ministry Report for 2020
My little office corner: the view I had for most of the year
None of you shall go outside the door of your house until morning.
Exodus 12:22
It feels strange to be writing a ministry report for 2020, as if it was just another year. On March 11, I posted on social media, “A lot of my life right now looks like what I was doing as a teenager: swimming at the Y, singing in a choir, and really into church stuff.” Over the following two days, everything shut down due to COVID-19. My legal work and teaching shifted online, and I didn’t swim or sing in a choir for the rest of the year. It has been a strange and difficult year for people around the world, and I am no exception. But it has also been a year of growth and joy for me in my ministry.
Early in the year, I decided that I would not pursue a Ph.D. in homiletics. It was a difficult decision because there is so much about that path I enjoy, including teaching and writing. But I ultimately came to the conclusion that I am a practitioner, not an academic (though much of my work this year has straddled that line!).
Deciding not to get a Ph.D. gave me clarity and space to pursue the parts of this work that I love. I was the Head TA for Intro Preaching again, and in the spring a student from Earlham School of Religion approached me to ask if I would be her preaching coach. She secured a grant from the Lyman Fund, and we worked together for several months, going over the fundamentals of preaching and giving feedback on her sermons. That led to me developing an online preaching class, Preaching with Confidence. It is a self-directed class that helps new preachers develop a rhythm and vocabulary for sermon preparation. I have sold 10 classes so far, through word of mouth on social media, and I am working on expanding my coaching practice. I also enjoyed guest preaching, both in person (before the pandemic) and remotely.
One disappointment this year was that the release date of my book, The Women’s Lectionary, was delayed (it was originally scheduled to come out in October 2020). I have continued to work with the publisher and recently finished reviewing the copy edits. It is now in production and on track for release on August 24, 2021. I had other writing and speaking opportunities this year. In April, I spoke for Quakers Uniting in Publications on Being a Quaker for Others (remotely). I wrote a chapter for the Routledge book project called The Quaker World on supporting Quaker women in ministry. I did several interviews, both for podcasts and with individuals doing research. In November, I was on a panel for the Quaker Theological Discussion Group (remotely). My talk, Caring for Each Other, will be published in the Spring 2021 issue of Quaker Religious Thought.
In March and April, I started looking for ways to worship from home. I had been going to Taize services and singing in the choir for the local Episcopal church, but neither of those continued after the shutdown. A few people asked if I felt led to restart Church of Mary Magdalene, but I didn’t. I felt led to unprogrammed worship, and I talked with a few friends about starting a weekly meeting. Then a friend invited me to worship with Friendship Meeting, a Conservative meeting in Greensboro, NC. I have been worshiping weekly with Friendship since April. The size of the meeting and the worship have been a good fit for me, and I already knew many people in the community. Much of my work is outwardly focused, and this has been a good place for me to center and recharge.
I have continued to receive good support from many sources. My partner Troy has been supportive in all of my endeavors, and especially helped with the strategic side of building my own business. I meet with a spiritual director once a month and have monthly video calls with another woman in ministry. In the fall, I felt led to start my anchoring committee again, after a break for more than a year. The committee now consists of three women in Greensboro and one in Atlanta, and we have met three times via Zoom. I am grateful for connections with friends near and far during this time of social isolation.
Although I am still working to find financial sustainability, this year has been better than in the past in terms of money. I have received funds from my book advance, grants, and honoraria, and continue to work half-time at my legal job. I have made progress on paying down my credit card debt, and got some relief from student loan payments due to Covid legislation.
Like many others, I have experienced a lot of loss this year. I am grieving the deaths of those who were dear to me, including my law school mentor, my godmother, a friend from seminary, and our cat, Bella. It has also been a hard year of news of the illnesses of friends and family. I think we will all need time to grieve and adjust after the immediate stresses have lessened.
Being at home has been good in some ways, and I have been intentional about my self-care. I do not miss my long daily commute, and I have enjoyed a daily routine of morning prayer, walking, and yoga. Like lots of other people, I have done quite a bit of baking this year! I was so glad when the library opened again, and reading novels has been a welcome escape. I have continued to take Saturday off as a Sabbath. Troy and I have enjoyed many TV shows and movies at home, as well as playing board games together.
Looking ahead, so much depends on the vaccine and how the next few months of the pandemic go! This year has made me aware of my need for rest. At the strong recommendation of my anchoring committee, I will be taking a week off in January (I expect this to be like my weekly Sabbath, but longer). I plan to continue speaking and teaching. In a few days, I will be giving a lecture on preaching as a woman for a preaching elective class at Candler. I will be the head TA for Intro Preaching again, and I hope to expand my online teaching and coaching. I hope to pay off more of my credit card debt. I am planning to promote my book over the summer and fall, and I hope to be able to travel. Troy and I have been having more serious conversations about moving to Greensboro, NC (my dream is to be there by my 40th birthday in October). If we do move, I most likely will request membership in Friendship Meeting.
Last year, I said that I was looking forward to connecting with people who are interested in supporting people in ministry, especially women. This has been a year of finding those connections, and I look forward to deepening and expanding the work in the coming year.