Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women

Founder & Director of the Christian Counseling Center: For Sexual Health & Trauma (CCC), Dr. Andrew J. Bauman, is a therapist with a Doctorate from Northeastern University. His dissertation was on studying the impact of sexism and abuse on women in the Protestant Church. Andrew is the author of seven books, and his newest book with Baker, is called SAFE CHURCH: How to Guard Against Sexism & Abuse in Christian Communities (2025)

Brittany Allen is wife to James and mama to two boys and three babies in heaven. She never meant to become a writer, but somehow, she's been writing for over a decade. She's also an author, aspiring poet, and sometimes speaker. Her book Lost Gifts: Miscarriage, Grief, and the God of All Comfort will be released July 23, 2025, with Lexham Press.

Sandra is  a journalist and the author, coauthor, or editor of more than twenty books. She serves as Professor of Media Arts and Worship at Dallas Theological Seminary. She joins us today to talk about her books: Vindicating the Vixens Nobodies Mother: Artemis of the Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament The Shepherdess by Daniel Ridgeway Knight

Eryn Eddy Adkins joins us. She is the founder of So Worth Loving and a co-host on the God Hears Her podcast. She is passionate for women to know the voice of God. 

Aimee Byrd joins us to talk about her new book Saving Face. She shares her story from the past few years and how God has shown her more of Himself through all of her suffering. 

Mary DeMuth joins us to talk about her latest book, The Most Overlooked Women of the Bible: What Their Stories Teach Us about Being Seen and Heard.  Become a Patreon Supporter  

Quina Aragon is an author, editor, and spoken word artist residing in Orlando, FL, with her husband and daughter. They are members of New Creation Fellowship. She is the author of the children's book trilogy—Love Made, Love Gave, and Love Can. She is also the author of Love Has a Story, which invites you to explore God's love as it has existed and moved throughout (and before) time, and how it intends to transform your own life story. It is biblical theology, meets personal story work, meets your local coffee shop poet.    Aragon planned on Love Has a Story being a ten-month writing project, but it turned into a much bigger story. Beccome a Patreon Supporter What's a Women Worth? spoken word by Quina Aragon

Kelley Mathews (ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary) is a multi-published author, editor, and New Testament doctoral student researching Marian theology. Kelley has over twenty-five years' experience in the Christian publishing and nonprofit domains. She has served as a Publishers Weekly fiction reviewer, Christy Award judge, and Christianity Today Book Award judge. Find Kelley talking about all things Bible on various podcasts. She's earned such nicknames as grammar enthusiast, Bible nerd, and “human highlighter”—a nod to her passion for promoting other authors on social media.

Chris Moles joins us to talk about manhood, abuse, and women in the church.  Chris Moles is a Pastor and Biblical Counselor who helps churches and families confront the evil of domestic violence and promote healthy, God-honoring, relationships.    Become a Patreon Supporter. 

Tabitha Westbrook, LMFT-S, LCMHC-QS, LPC-S, is a licensed therapist who helps people who have messy, funky pasts (and sometimes messy, funky presents) live amazing, empowered lives today. Tabitha graduated with her BA in Psychology from NC Central University & her MA in Professional Counseling from Liberty University. In addition to being a licensed counselor & supervisor, Tabitha is an EMDRIA Certified Therapist & Approved Consultant, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT), Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), & Certified Christian Trauma Care Provider (CCTCP). She's also certified in Immediate Stabilization Protocol (ISP), an evidence-based disaster response protocol. She's the Founder & CEO of The Journey and The Process, a private practice with offices in North Carolina & Texas, specializing in complex trauma, with a focus on domestic abuse & coercive control. Tabitha is a nationally known expert & speaker on abuse, providing training to churches, therapists, & agencies. She also helps train domestic abuse advocates through Called to Peace Ministries' faith-based advocacy training, as well as having served as a co-facilitator for the G5 Men's Batterer Intervention Group. Tabitha is the author of Body & Soul, Healed & Whole: An Invitational Guide to Healthy Sexuality After Trauma, Abuse, and Coercive Control.

You know him, you love him. Eric Schumacher is back to catch us up on his life. He talks about his latest book, The Good Gift of Weakness: God's Strength Made Perfect in the Story of Your Weakness. He also shares about his current job as a pastor who cares for pastors. 

Colleen Ramser interviews Elyse about the rerelease of her updated version of The Afternoon of Life: Finding Purpose and Joy in Midlife.    Become a Patreon Supporter  

Beth Allison Barr received her B.A. in History (with a minor in Classics) from Baylor University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Medieval History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her latest book is Becoming the Pastor's Wife: How the Marriage Replaced Ordination as a Woman's Path to Ministry. She has contributed to Religion News Service, The Washington Post, Christianity Today, The Dallas Morning News, Sojourners, Baptist News Global, etc. Her work has been featured by NPR and The New Yorker, and she is actively sought as an academic speaker. Become a Patreon Supporter    

Simone Halpin is the Founder and Visionary Leader of Naomi's House. Naomi's House began in 2016 after years of preparing and researching the best way to serve survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. Naomi's House has since created a model that went from serving five women annually through residential services to hundreds of women annually in multiple programs across the Chicagoland area. Simone is a weekly contributor to the Next Level Podcast produced by her church, Glen Ellyn Bible Church. She met her husband, Anthony, while studying at Texas A&M University (B.S. in Health, class of 2002), she is a 2008 graduate of Moody Theological Seminary (M.A. in Biblical Studies) and is a doctoral student at Wheaton College pursuing her Doctor of Ministry (DMin). Simone and Anthony live in Wheaton with their four children

Eliza Huie is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) trained in trauma care. She serves as a seminary instructor facilitating certificate-level training in biblical counseling and has authored several books, including her latest Trauma Aware: A Christian's Guide to Providing Help and Care. Eliza co-hosts Counsel For Life, a podcast about mental health and the Christian life.

Bri Stensrud is an author, human dignity advocate, and the Director of Women of Welcome. Her passion is to equip the Church to engage more consistently and tangibly in holistic human dignity issues. Throughout her previous work in the pro-life movement, she continually heard questions from those concerned about immigrants and refugees. Understanding that her advocacy for pre-born children and orphans overlapped with so many issues vulnerable migrants faced around the globe, she started a journey to detangle from politically partisan, dehumanizing narratives, and seek out a holistic biblical perspective to uplift and advocate for immigrants and refugees. She holds a Masters of Biblical & Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary, serves on the Board of Directors for The National Association of Evangelicals,  and has authored two books: Start with Welcome: The Journey toward a Confident and Compassionate Immigration Conversation, and a children's book: The Biggest Best Light: Shining God's Light into the World Around You.

CoHosting Dr. Pamela MacRae is currently is a Professor in the Applied Theology and Church Ministry Division at Moody Bible Institute, giving oversight to the Ministry to Women major, Ministry to Victims of Sexual Exploitation major, as well as the Ministry to Women Online Certificate program.  She also serves on an executive team of Naomi's House, a residential program for sexually exploited women in the Chicagoland area.   Guest info:   Mary Wiley is a Bible teacher, an author, and the associate publisher at B&H Publishing. She holds a master's in theological studies and is currently pursuing a PhD. Mary is the author of Our Highest Good: 100 Days of Knowing and Loving God, Everyday Theology: What You Believe Matters, and Discovering the Bible: A Kid's Guide to Reading and Understanding God's Word. She and her husband, John, have three children and live in the Nashville area.

In this week's episode, Pam MaCrae interviews Elyse Fitzpatrick about her latest book Unloved: The Rejected Saints that God Calls Beloved. 

Joy Schroeder, a Lutheran pastor, specializes in the history of biblical interpretation. She is Professor of Church History at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, where she serves on the faculty on Trinity Lutheran Seminary. She is the author of Deborah's Daughters: Gender Politics and Biblical Interpretation and several other books on the history of interpretation of Scripture.   She is also the co-author of Voices Long Silenced: Women Biblical Interpreters Through the Centuries a Westminster John Knox Press publication, which is the topic of our conversation today.   Mentioned:   The Gospel According to Eve by Amanda Benckhuysen  https://www.ivpress.com/the-gospel-according-to-eve

Brian Lee is a pastor, coach, and speaker. In his 20+ years of experience in vocational ministry, he experienced three instances of spiritual abuse and toxic leadership. He founded Broken to Beloved in 2023, a nonprofit organization that exists to provide practical resources for recovery from and safeguarding against spiritual abuse and religious trauma. He is a certified Trauma-Informed Coach and holds a certification in Religious Trauma Studies. Based in Richmond, VA, Brian loves to go on adventures with his family in search of another cup of coffee.

Rachel Jones serves as VP of Editorial at The Good Book Company and is the author of Is This It? A Brief Theology of Periods (Yes, Really) and, most recently, The Quiet Time Kickstart: Six Weeks to a Healthy Bible Habit. She enjoys helping others open up the Bible, going running, and spending time with friends.

Nancy French is a five-time New York Times bestselling author. Her most recent is her personal memoir, Ghosted: An American Story. As a ghostwriter, she has written for a variety of people, from Republican politicians to reality TV stars. As an award-winning investigative journalist, she uncovered sexual and spiritual abuse in America's largest Christian camp.

Michelle Lee-Barnewall's interests focus on the application of biblical exegesis to spiritual formation and cultural issues. She is the award-winning author of Neither Complementarian nor Egalitarian and Surprised by the Parables. She has served on the editorial board for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Bulletin for Biblical Research and has been on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Biblical Research. When not writing or teaching, she loves to spend time with her three wonderful grandchildren. 

Kaitlyn Schiess (ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary), a doctoral student at Duke Divinity School, is the author of The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor and The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go From Here. She is also a regular cohost on the Holy Post podcast.

Dallas Jenkins is the creator and director of The Chosen, the most watched multi season drama about the life of Jesus Christ with over 770 million viewings. The Chosen is also the highest ranking crowd funded program ever, having raised over $100,000,000 in four seasons. Dallas is also the director of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever movie (2024). It is his desire to create Christ honoring art that brings glory to God and draws people to Him.

Beth doesn't need an introduction. But if you desire one you can go to Living Proof Ministries to find out about what she does and who she is. 

Sonja Piper Dosti has been working in the entertainment business for the last 20 years, helping writers with faith-based projects as a high-level executive for Walt Disney, ABC, Universal Television, and Imagine Television.

Dr. Naomi Cramer Overton (MBA, Doctor of Intercultural Studies) is the General Editor of “Every Woman's Bible” (Tyndale). In addition to her editing duties, she has worked with numerous NPOs including Compassion International.   Dr. Pamela McRae oversees the Ministry to Women studies and Ministry to Victims of Sexual Exploitation courses at Moody Bible Institute.

Diane Langberg (Ph.D., Temple University) is an internationally recognized psychologist with more than 50 years of experience. Langberg is the author of seven books, including Redeeming Power. Her books have been translated into 10 languages. We will be talking to her today about her latest book, When the Church Harms God's People: Becoming Faith Communities that Resist Abuse, Pursue Truth, and Care for the Wounded (Brazos).   Short Bio: Colleen Ramser, M.A., is an EMDR-certified licensed professional counselor (LPC) specializing in trauma - particularly on issues of spiritual abuse and domestic abuse. She is a speaker and writer who meets Christ-followers at the intersection of trauma and faith and has appeared on podcasts such as Christianity Today's The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill and The Slow Work. As a survivor of trauma, Colleen is a compassionate witness on the journey, bringing a deep knowing of dark nights and new mercies. Connect with Colleen at colleenramserlpc.com, on Facebook at @colleenramser, or Instagram at @colleen.m.ramser    

Heather Matthews (D. Min. Fuller Seminary) is the doctor of ministry program manager at Wheaton College Graduate School. She has also worked as a pastor, church planter, nonprofit leader, and a global worker. She is the author of Confronting Sexism in the Church: How We Got Here and What We Can Do About It, an IVP publication.

Pastors' Wives Tell All — Jessica Taylor is a speaker, pastor's wife, and founder of Come Away Missions, a nonprofit serving the people of Rwanda. Jenna Allen is a creative, photographer, tech wiz, business owner, speaker, and discipleship/worship pastor's wife who brings beauty and a clear message into every project she touches. Stephanie Gilbert is a blogger, speaker, and youth minister's wife who has made it her life's mission to seek out joy amid the junk of everyday life. Collectively, through their Pastors' Wives Tell All ministry, they are breaking down walls within the church and crushing pastor wifey stereotypes with a little bit of ministry therapy and a whole lot of Jesus… plus epic belly laughs! They are the authors of Pastors' Wives Tell All: Navigating Real Church Life with Honesty and Humor. You can find out more about their ministry at their website, www.pastorswivestellall.com.  

Jen Pollock Michel is a speaker and the author of numerous books. She is a regular contributor for Christianity Today. A wife and mother of five, Jen lives in Cincinnati where she moved to care for her mother. Jen first joined us in February of 2021. She is back with us today to talk about her new book Surprised by Paradox: The Promise of And in an Either-Or World (IVP). 

Amy Dixon is the author of three picture books—Maurice the Unbeastly, Sophie's Animal Parade, and Marathon Mouse, as well as a middle-grade novel, Annie B., Made for TV. When she's not writing, she is editing and marketing other people's books. She writes from her home in Clovis, CA, where she lives on a steady diet of popcorn and coffee.   Rob Dixon is the author of Together in Ministry: Women and Men in Flourishing Partnerships. In addition to serving on InterVarsity staff for more than twenty-six years, Rob teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary and Fresno Pacific University. In his free time, Rob enjoys pickle ball, long runs, and cheering for the LA Dodgers (boooo).   Along with illustrator Jennifer Davidson, Amy and Rob have written a beautiful picture book entitled, Penny Preaches.   Articles mentioned: Should I Stay or Should I Go? Guidance for Egalitarians in Complementarian Contexts   Raising Up Allies: A Standardized Pathway for Developing Men into Allies to Women

Aubrey Sampson is passionate about helping hurting people find comfort and hope, walking with them as a fellow-traveler through pain. She is an award-nominated author, whose books include The Louder Song, a children's book Big Feelings Days, and her forthcoming book, What We Find in the Dark: Loss, Hope, and God's Presence in Grief (April, 2025, NavPress). Aubrey is also a church planter, teaching pastor at Renewal Church, and a cohost on the Nothing is Wasted Podcast. Learn more at aubreysampson.com.

In this bonus episode, Elyse interviews Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne about her new film, For Our Daughters. In this documentary, which is a collaboration between women who were sexually assaulted, shamed, and blamed by their churches, and attorney Rachael Denhollender, Du Mez connects the dots between toxic masculinity, the treatment of many women in the evangelical church, the lust for power resident in the Christian Nationalist movement, and our current political context.   The film and other resources may be accessed for free at https://www.forourdaughtersfilm.com/ or on YouTube.   Due to the nature of some of the topics, this podcast comes with a discretion warning.   Kristin Kobes Du Mez is a NYT best selling author and professor of History and Gender Studies at Calvin University. She holds a PhD from the University of Norte Dame and her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion, and politics. Her most recent book is Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation.

Jami Nato, social media influencer and author of This Must Be the Place: Following the Breadcrumbs of Your Past to Discover Your Purpose Today joins Elyse and Jessica and interviews them about the re-release of Give Them Grace: Leading your Kids to Joy and Freedom through Gospel-Centered Parenting. 

  Jen Oshman has been in women's ministry for over two decades on three continents. She's the author of Enough About Me, Cultural Counterfeits, Welcome, and It's Good to be a Girl. She's the Director of Women's Ministry in her local church, the mother of four daughters, and currently resides with her family in Colorado where they planted Redemption Parker seven years ago. Jen's  passion is leading women into a deeper faith and fostering a biblical worldview. She writes about that at jenoshman.com.    Zoe Oshman is a mechanical engineering student at the Colorado School of Mines. Her passions are robotics research and encouraging women in STEM. She treasures having grown up in Asia, Europe, and the US, and she currently resides in Golden, Colorado.   Our conversation today will focus on their book, “It's Good to be a Girl: A Celebration of All That God Made You to Be”, which is a Good Book Company publication.

Nay Dawson lives in Southampton with the wonderful Jon and two beautiful girls. She is the founder of Passion for Evangelism—a network of creative, public, female evangelists. Nay is a trustee for the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation, raising money for disadvantaged Black British students. You can find out more about her at naydawson.com. She is also the author of “She Needs: Women Flourishing in the Church” which we will be discussing today.    Become a Patreon Supporter!

Nancy Moore is the founder and lead consultant of NL Moore & Associates. Her company helps churches and faith-based organizations take the guesswork out of their most important leadership decisions. In this episode, Nancy shares how she realized her gift of leadership, call to ministry, and deep love for the local church and brought these together to serve the church. Learn more at nlmoore.com.

Glenna Marshall is a pastor's wife and mother of two energetic sons. She is the author of The Promise is His Presence and Everyday Faithfulness. She writes regularly at GlennaMarshall.com on biblical literacy, suffering, and the faithfulness of God. She is a member of Grace Bible Fellowship in Sikeston, Missouri.

Cohost: Dr Pamela MacRae is a professor in the Applied Theology and Church Ministry Division at Moody Bible Institute, giving oversight to the Ministry to Women major, as well as the Ministry to Women Online Certificate program. She also serves on an executive team of Naomi's House, a residential program for sexually exploited women in the Chicagoland area, and oversees Moody's Women's Conference. She's married to Bob who is a Professor of Youth ministry at Moody. They have two married daughters and six grandchildren.  She's been involved in Ministry to Women in various churches and para-church ministries for over 35 years and has been a guest on the Worthy podcast.   Our guest is Elizabeth A. Mitchell (elizabethamitchell.com). She's a Bible teacher, blogger, author, and speaker. She is also part of the leadership team at Boca Raton Community Church, serving alongside her husband Bill. As part of the faculty of WorldLead, she frequently travels overseas to train and mentor leaders involved in the nonprofit world. She's also the author of “Journey for the Heart: Hope When Life's Unfair”, a book for those who are experiencing circumstances that leave them feeling hopeless and discouraged which will be the primary topic of our conversation today.

This conversation originally aired on January 8th, 2020.   Nancy Guthrie — Elyse and Eric are joined by author, speaker, and bible teacher Nancy Guthrie in a conversation about the importance of biblical theology, particularly as a comfort in suffering.

This conversation originally aired on January 7th, 2021.  Author and speaker Paul Tripp joins Elyse and Eric for a conversation about the gospel and masculinity.

This originally aired September 6th, 2021.  Elyse and Eric are joined by Joni Eareckson Tada, founder of Joni and Friends, a Christian non-profit that has advanced disability ministry and changing the church and communities around the world since 1979. Learn more at joniandfriends.org.

This originally aired on February 11, 2021 Eric and Elyse talk with internationally recognized psychologist Dr. Diane Langberg about her life, her career in trauma care, and her latest book Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church.

Kristi and Davey Blackburn are living a beautiful story of redemption and healing, forgiveness and hope. Together, they are of the founders of “Nothing is Wasted,” a ministry that exists to help you navigate trauma, tragedies, and major life transitions and find purpose in your pain. You can discover more about their story and resources at www.nothingiswasted.com.    Kristi is a Physician Assistant, online wellness coach, and cookbook author. You can learn more about her work at kristiblackburn.com.   Davey is the author of Nothing is Wasted: A True Story of Hope, Forgiveness, and Finding Purpose in Pain. He is also the author of the “Pain to Purpose Devotional” as well as course studies for groups dealing with trauma, grief, and loss. You can learn more about Davey at daveyblackburn.com.    Davey and Kristi live in the Indianapolis area alongside their three children, Natalia, Weston, and Cohen where strive to be beacons of God's light and love, and showcase the power of His redemption to both their neighbors in Indianapolis and to individuals around the world.

Gretchen loves rich theology rooted in real life. She created Gospel Mentoring, a training program for intergenerational discipleship, and is the co-host of Freely Given, a podcast on living free in Christ. She has articles published at 1517, Christianity Today, Mere Orthodoxy, and regularly speaks at events. Her books include: Ragged: Spiritual Disciplines for the Spiritually Exhausted, and “The Story of Katie Luther: the Nun Who Escaped to Freedom” coming out in August of 2024 with Crossway, and has an upcoming book on God's patience for for us, to be published with Lexham Press sometime in 2025. She enjoys knitting, reading many books at the same time, and embarrassing her teenagers in public. She's married Knut, who is a 4th generation farmer in Minnesota. They have 6 kids who are now elementary through college age. She is a member at Good Shepherd Lutheran Brethren Church in Fergus Falls, MN.

Ann Maree Goudzwaard is the founder and Executive Director of Help[H]er. She advocates for women in crisis, trains in church advocacy, and produces materials for the HelpHer ministry. Her doctorate is in ministry, specifically biblical counseling. She's also certified in domestic abuse advocacy (CTP) and has completed three of the courses for the Global Trauma Recovery Institute. She and her husband Bob have been married 40 years! And are the proud parents of three grown children and their wonderful spouses, grandparents to thirteen adorable grandchildren.   Her goal is to enhance counseling competency and encourage greater awareness of the difficulties women encounter, helping to provide both men and women with great resources in order to better provide one-another care. Learn more at helpher.help.

Whitney K. Pipkin is the author of We Shall All Be Changed: How Facing Death With Loved Ones Transforms Us. Whitney lives with her husband, three children and a dog named Honeybun in Northern Virginia, where they are longtime members of Grace Bible Church in Lorton.  She has worked as a journalist for a decade and a half, with articles appearing in The Washington Post, National Geographic and NPR alongside her regular work at the Chesapeake Bay Journal. She also has written for Christian publications such as The Gospel Coalition, The ERLC and Common Good magazine and writes for the ministry Women & Work. She loves women's Bible studies with her church, black coffee the second she wakes up and reading with her kids playing (quietly?) nearby on Sunday afternoons. You can find her on Instagram @whitneykpipkin and sign up for her newsletter at whitneykpipkin.com. Becoming a Patreon Supporter. 

Jessika Sanders is a wife and mother of three, and the founder and Executive Director of Praying Through Ministries. Passionate about equipping others with biblical truth, especially in suffering, she has contributed to publications including So God Made a Mother (edited by Leslie Means) and Hope When Your Heart is Heavy (from Proverbs 31 Ministries).     Jessika is also the co-author of “In His Hands: Prayers for Your Child or Baby in a Medical Crisis” along with Eric. 

Aimee is an author, speaker, blogger, podcaster and former coffee shop owner. She's the author of several books, including Housewife Theologian, Theological Fitness, No Little Women, Why Can't We Be Friends,  Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, The Sexual Reformation: Restoring the Dignity and Personhood of Man and Woman  and her latest book The Hope in our Scars: Finding Christ in the Underground of Disillusionment  Become a Patreon Supporter!