Dismantling Whiteousness: Who said women can't preach? (It wasn't Paul.)

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Who said women can't preach? (It wasn't Paul.)

DeiSelah Thompson & Diane Ujiiye at Dulan's with Dwellers Sara and Jordan

I have been so blessed by these two women (left) I've met and worked with at Fuller Theological Seminary. With no exaggeration whatsoever, it has been women, especially in our work at DOOR, who've taught me the most about the heart of being human, how to fight with love, and how to confront evil with grace. It was Dottie Ryan, a white woman, who first started sharing her experiences with homelessness to teenagers from across the country, bringing them to tears with the sheer humanity of life on the streets. That opened doors for the brilliance of Toni White, pictured below, to share not only her experience with homelessness after six-figure living, but to start asking questions of how racism hurts everyone, not just people who don't have orangish-pink skin.

Who said women can't preach or be church leaders? Many Christians believe it was Paul, but if you look closely at his letters, he affirms many female leaders of the early church, especially in the conclusion to Romans. He even talks about what a prophetess should wear when she is, well, prophesying. (1 Cor 11:5) Thank God for the wisdom of women. Thank God I have a wife who stands up to my occasional foolishness with love and isn't afraid to share her testimony or to call the church out on the carpet from time to time. (Happy Valentines Baby, my boo! ;) ) Thank God for the wisdom of women.

Toni White (on left), with Alvin and Ambar, has been speaking with DOOR groups for years, is now on the Board.

Last night, DeiSelah and Diane both shared poetry about their experiences with one of our DOOR Hollywood Discover groups. It was a moment of church at the Asian American Drug Abuse Program's conference room on Crenshaw Blvd. I was almost speechless after hearing these (I said "almost," clearly I have no shortage of words :) ), but we'll close this post with the convicting and prophetic words of women:

DeiSelah poem-preaches on being black while studying theology.

Diane Ujiiye blows the cover off the single story of the "Model Minority."

(if the video links are not working, you can also find them here: DOOR Hollywood Facebook Videos)