VALLEY FORGE, PA (3/5/20)—The early registration deadline for June’s “Celebrating Ministering Women: Radical. Redeemed. Ready.” Conference has been extended to March 15, 2020. Make your plans now to join us June 16-19, 2020 at the Green Lake Conference Center in Green Lake, Wisconsin. The conference will highlight inspiring women in ministry, and will bring together men, women, lay and ordained to celebrate and recognize the positive history and future of American Baptist women ministering throughout the world.

Learn more or register here. For a discounted rate, register by March 15.

Hear from Rev. Dr. Zina Jacque, Lead Pastor at the Community Church of Barrington, Ill. Zina has had an exciting career and has much to share with us as a Keynote Speaker of the conference. We connected with her for an interview to learn a bit more about her. Check it out, below!

Question: What glass ceilings have you broken?
Answer: I was the first Black Dean of Admission at a Women’s college – Mills College (1986). I was the first Black female pastor at Community Church of Barrington. I was the first Black person to be the President of the Board of the Samaritan Institute of the Northwest Suburbs. I was the first Executive Director of two not for profits in Boston, one I founded (The Trinity Boston Counseling Center) and one that hired me (Boston Ten Point Coalition).

Question: What about failures? Anything notable/any learning experiences?
Answer: One of the not for profits I served had a culture of fierce and debilitating competition. I did not know how to navigate this environment. I was the leader, in name only. The board was engaged in a deep and destructive level. I failed at identifying the challenges early on and so never set about on a wise program of improvement. I lasted 18 months and then left.

Question: What have you had to overcome?
Answer: I am an African American, 1st generation, woman. BUT my parents poured into me my worth and value and God has ordered my steps in a way that the world has responded, mostly. So, what I have had to overcome is the day to day challenges of life but nothing that was out of the ordinary.

Question: How daring are we as American Baptist ministering women? What do we dare to do?
Answer: I think it takes courage just to go out into world. But we dare greatly as people of faith. In the face of lies, we dare to offer the gospel. We dare to be hopeful when our churches are shrinking. We dare to not give up. We dare to speak truth when it is not convenient. We dare to get up each morning even when it is hard. And we dare to do the corporate things ABCUSA does. We dare to believe in a real future.

Want to hear more from Zina? Don’t Wait! Register Today!!

American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.