Hirho Park

Breaking Through the Stained Glass Ceiling Hirho Park

Can women successfully pastor large membership churches? In 2006 at an international meeting of United Methodist clergywomen, this question was raised about how women were breaking gender stereotypes to serve in churches with 1,000 or more members. Two years later, the Lead Women Pastors Project was launched with 64 clergywomen by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Breaking Through the Stained Glass Ceiling: Women Pastoring Large Churches emerged from the project which sought to affirm, empower, and nurture women who pastor large churches in the UMC and is a compilation of stories from some of the clergywomen participants.