Words of Fire by Beverly Guy-Sheftall Page B

Religious Experience and Journal (1849) and Virginia W. Broughton’s Twenty Year’s Experience of a Missionary (1907), makes a feminist argument for Christianity’s embrace of women evangelists like herself.
    Later, the black church would continue to be a site of resistance on the part of feminist women. Nannie Burroughs (1879—1961), born in Virginia to former slaves, was a prominent clubwoman, educator, orator, religious, and women’s rights leader, who devoted her life to various self-help initiatives for the race. One of the founders in 1900 of the Women’s Convention Auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention, she delivered her inaugural speech in Richmond on “How the Sisters Are Hindered from Helping.” An insightful analysis by historian Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham [in Righteous Discontent: The Women’s Movement in the Black Baptist Church, 1880 — 1920 (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1993)] of the feminist theology of black Baptist women includes a discussion of Burrough’s campaign for gender equality within the Baptist church. She also discusses their indebtedness to Maria Stewart and disdain for black male sexism. Foote and Burroughs are important foremothers for a cadre of contemporary womanist theologians.

WOMEN IN THE GOSPEL
    T hirty years ago there could scarcely a person be found, in the churches, to sympathize with anyone who talked of Holiness. But, in my simplicity, I did think that a body of Christian ministers would understand my case and judge righteously. I was, however, disappointed.
    It is no little thing to feel that every man’s hand is against us, and ours against every man, as seemed to be the case with me at this time; yet how precious, if Jesus but be with us. In this severe trial I had constant access to God, and a clear consciousness that he heard me; yet I did not seem to have that plenitude of the Spirit that I had before.
    Though I did not wish to pain anyone, neither could I please anyone only as I was led by the Holy Spirit. I saw, as never before, that the best men were liable to err, and that the only safe way was to fall on Christ, even though censure and reproach fell upon me for obeying His voice. Man’s opinion weighed nothing with me, for my commission was from heaven, and my reward was with the Most High.
    I could not believe that it was a short-lived impulse or spasmodic influence that impelled me to preach. I read that on the day of Pentecost was the Scripture fulfilled as found in Joel ii. 28, 29; and it certainly will not be denied that women as well as men were at that time filled with the Holy Ghost, because it is expressly stated that women were among those who continued in prayer and supplication, waiting for the fulfillment of the promise. Women and men are classed together, and if the power to preach the Gospel is short-lived and spasmodic in the case of women, it must be equally so in that of men; and if women have lost the gift of prophecy, so have men.
    We are sometimes told that if a woman pretends to a Divine call, and thereon grounds the right to plead the cause of a crucified Redeemer in public, she will be believed when she shows credentials from heaven; that is, when she works a miracle. If it be necessary to prove one’s right to
preach the Gospel, I ask of my brethren to show me their credentials, or I can not believe in the propriety of their ministry.
    But the bible puts an end to this strife when it says: “There is neither male nor female in Christ Jesus.” Philip had four daughters that prophesied, or preached. Paul called Priscilla, as well as Aquila, his “helper,” or, as in the Greek, his ” fellow-laborer.” Rom. xv. 3; 2 Cor. viii. 23; Phil. ii. 5; 1 thess. iii. 2. The same word, which, in our common translation, is now rendered a “servant of the church,” in speaking of Phebe (Rom. xix. I.), is rendered “minister” when applied to Tychicus.