Women in Ministry Leadership

On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, hosts Julie Cole and Dr. Rhonda Davis welcome Elizabeth Settle, the Pastor of Groups at Gateway Church. Her passion for prioritizing the presence of God has led her to create resources and build teams that advocate for people's spiritual formation. In today's episode, Elizabeth shares the challenges she has faced navigating her ministry calling, and her personal experience with the “check engine light” moments in her life.

On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole sit down with Kerrie Oles to discuss her powerful testimony of coming to know the Lord later in life to being called to “prison mentality” ministry, leading to the creation of Unlocked Ministries. Kerrie is is an author, speaker, and the President and Founder of Unlocked Ministries, a non-profit ministry that works with women's transitional homes, such as addiction recovery centers, halfway homes, and battered women's shelters, by providing resources that help women find healing from past trauma.

Pastor Monica Bates has a passion to see God's people live and walk in their true identity in Christ, and to experience their full identity as sons and daughters of God. She loves to cultivate spaces of inclusivity for people where they can feel seen, valued, and experience a sense of belonging. On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole sit down with Pastor Monica Bates, a pastor at Gateway Church Frisco, as she discusses being a woman of color in ministry leadership, dealing with micro-aggressions and the feeling of imposter syndrome, creating inclusive spaces, and helping others to discern God's divine calling.

In a world of constant comparison, young women often struggle with the need for validation, and April Biondolillo was no different. Now, April uses her personal journey and ministry calling to encourage and empower young women who were just like her, so that they can see who God has called them to be. April is the Director of the Women and Children's Shelter for the Union Gospel Mission and the Founder of Cherish Ministry.On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, host Julie Cole and guest-host Kristey Simmons talk with April Biondolillo about the importance of mentorship to champion women forward, feeling “unqualified” in your calling, and the difference between struggling and struggling well. 

Holly Wagner's one piece of advice to women in ministry leadership? “Just don't quit!” Holly is an actress, author, senior co-founder of Oasis Church, and the founder of She Rises, an annual conference designed to empower women and help them see their value.On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, Holly Wagner discusses with hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole the importance of leading as a shepherd, the future of women in ministry leadership, and the need for spiritual mothers and safe communities where women can be honest and supportive of one another.sherises.com

Mary Jo Pierce believes God created us to pray, not just with words, but with our lives.  She is an author of many books including Adventures in Prayer and her newest book, Let It Rise: Sacred Ingredients for a Life of Prayer.In this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole sit down with Mary Jo to discuss her journey towards becoming a Pastor of Prayer and Intercession at Gateway Church for over 17 years, and how bread-making became an analogy for her life of prayer.

Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole met at The King's University and founded the Women in Ministry Leadership (WIML) program. This program aims to empower and support women who are called to leadership positions in ministry.In this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole discuss odds and ends within WIML, including their relationship, the creation of WIML, their personal growth as leaders, and their efforts to foster a supportive environment for leadership development, rather than a competitive one.

So much has changed since Jan Greenwood began serving in the ministry, and much of it is due to women like her paving the way for a new generation of leaders. OneIn this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, hosts Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole talk to Jan about what's changed during that time, passing the baton to the next generation, and God using our weaknesses to accomplish His work.

Leanne McAlister says leadership begins when you look around and realize someone has to do something! That's what led to her creating the Zoe Network, an organization that helps people find their place in God's work.In this episode of the Women In Leadership Podcast, hosts Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole talk with Leanne about leadership, discipleship, and trusting God during any season you're in. 

So much of our leadership capacity is wrapped up in emotional intelligence. In fact, this episode's guest, Dr. Irini Fambro, whose dissertation research focused on this subject, believes that stewardship of emotions and emotional intelligence will improve your leadership and the health of your organization.In this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast, hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole speak with Irini about how her own experience led to her research and ultimately to the launch of her business, Intelligent Leadership.

What does it look like for men and women to work as equals in ministry? This bonus episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast seeks to answer the question with experienced pastors who continue to work toward that goal.At the 2022 Gateway Conference, Dr. Rhonda Davis and Dr. Jon Chasteen were joined by Gateway pastors Mallory Bassham and Marcus Brecheen in a special breakout session to discuss how it actually looks for men and women to work alongside each other in ministry. We are releasing the session as a bonus episode that includes a question-and-answer session you won't want to miss.

Sometimes in ministry, advocating for oneself is frowned upon. However, sometimes in ministry, it's necessary to fulfill one's calling. Crystal Martin, who serves as the national director of the Assemblies of God Network, found this to be true through years of pushing the boundaries of her own leadership and the expectations of others around her.On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole talk with Crystal about how she learned to advocate for herself while honoring others.

Rita Springer's journey in worship started with a tragedy. "I lost my father at [age] nine to cancer," she says. "I remember when I was ten playing piano in the house. I hit a chord and just started weeping. I went from playing the piano to feeling." Ever since that moment, she has pioneered the worship industry, making a space for women and young worship leaders to realize their gifts and use them to worship God.On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast, hosts Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole talk with Rita about making her way in the worship industry—before there was an industry, the difficult choices she's made along the way, and the cost of a life devoted to worship. 

Having a pastor for a spouse comes with lots of nuanced pressures and challenges. Add in leading Gateway Women, one of the largest women's ministries in the US, and being a mother of three young kids, and you have Bridgette Morris. One of her secrets is not allowing herself to feel the pressure. "I could let it bother me," she says. "But I just don't."On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast, hosts Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole talk with Bridgette about how she balances ministry and family life, what she says yes to, and more importantly, when she says no.

For many women in leadership, earning a place at the leadership table takes years of diligence and hard work. But once you have the seat at the table, how do you avoid being the "token" female leader?In this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast, hosts Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole talk with Dr. Tammy Dunahoo, who has made a significant impact in her leadership role in the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. 

Deborah Gill began studying to become a pastor during a time when women weren't often considered for leadership roles in the church. With little affirmation and a great deal of opposition, Deborah followed God's calling on her life to earn a PhD in Biblical Studies from Fuller Seminary, become a national leader in the Assemblies of God Church, and write several books on women in ministry.In this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast, Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole spoke with Deborah Gill about her journey into ministry.

For many women in leadership, it's no secret that the challenges are different and more nuanced than their male colleagues experience. Kadi Cole's leadership journey has given her a unique perspective on women in ministry leadership.On this episode of the Women in Leadership podcast, Kadi shares some of her insights with hosts Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole.

Women in ministry leadership tend to face challenges that men in similar positions do not. In many cases, their male colleagues are unaware of these changes. This introductory episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast will introduce hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole, explain the vision behind the show, and talk about the Women in Ministry Leadership program at The King's University.