You’re invited to “Radical. Redeemed. Ready.”, June 15-18, 2022, at the Green Lake Conference Center in Green Lake, Wis. “Radical. Redeemed. Ready.” celebrates women ministerial leaders, their myriad journeys into ministry and their many ways of ministering.
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.
Rev. Lauren Lisa Ng is a Conference Leader for the event.
We asked Ng the questions below about her life in ministry – check out her responses:
What glass ceilings have you broken?
When I was called to my first pastorate, I was the first mother to have ever served on that church’s pastoral team. Together, we learned what it looked like to develop a maternity leave policy and provide systems supportive of a young mother with a growing family. It was challenging to balance 
ministry and motherhood but it was also empowering to demonstrate how I could preach a sermon, head to the nursery to feed my newborn, then go back to teach Sunday school!
What have been the highs and/or lows of your career?
High points in my career have been my ordination by the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco, being called to my current role as director of Leadership Empowerment at the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, and embarking on my Doctor of Ministry degree path with Central Seminary in Kansas. My next high will prayerfully be when I graduate with my DMin in 2023! I have also experienced seasons of doubt and adversity in my career, which I would categorize as low points. There were times when I wasn’t sure of my path and if I could pursue excellence in ministry while also being fully available to my family (my children are currently 15, 13 and 11). Thankfully, with a supportive partner, a family-friendly employer, and a God through whom anything is possible, I have attained a balance that brings me joy and satisfaction in all my various endeavors and areas of responsibility. Other low points in my career have to do with others doubting my abilities based on unfair assumptions. Perhaps it was my gender, my age, my race or ethnicity, my identity as a mother, or some other factor… whatever the reason, it has at times proved challenging to have to “prove” myself in certain ministry settings instead of being given the benefit of the doubt.
Did you have a mentor that touched your life in ministry?
The Rev. Dr. Veronica Lanier (who I and many others lovingly called “Auntie Ronny”) was a mentor and giant of the faith who significantly touched my ministry. I remember visiting her home as a child every year during Christmas. We’d sing Christmas songs while she accompanied on her little pump organ. We’d open Christmas present trinkets that she had meticulously wrapped in newspaper. I’d graze her incredible spread of snacks laid out for all the guests who’d come through her doors throughout the season – the peanut M&Ms were always my favorite. Most of all, I remember her planting a big kiss on my cheek and reminding me to always “Be of good cheer.” Years later, when I made the difficult decision to take a hiatus from ministry in order to be a stay-at-home parent to our three young children, I received a handwritten note from her that told me that as a child, she always valued coming home from a tough day at school and having her mother there to greet her. She told me to not be afraid of my choice but to embrace it and remember that God is not finished with me and my ministry yet! It was exactly what I needed to hear to take that step of faith without regret.
What does the future look like to you?
When we keep our eyes, hearts, and imaginations open to what God is doing in our midst, the future looks so bright you have to squint! Leaders are emerging from the margins and are reimagining ministry and redefining faith for a new generation. Christ remains at the center of a dynamic transformation of the people of God and women are leading the way!
More about Rev. Lauren Lisa Ng
An ordained minister with American Baptist Churches USA, Lauren Ng serves as director of Leadership Empowerment at the American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS). Ng has a distinct passion for fresh, alternative and entrepreneurial models of ministry and the emerging leaders who pursue them. She is currently completing a Doctor of Ministry in Creative Leadership at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. She earned her Masters of Divinity from the Berkeley School of Theology and was ordained in 2005. Rev. Ng earned her BA in English and Creative Writing from Oberlin College. Her 20+ years of professional experience include serving as network strategist for the ABHMS, serving on development staff with International Ministries, and as an advisor for American Baptist Women in Ministry, a board member of ABHMS, and a trustee of Bacone College. She also served for five years as associate pastor at First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco.
Visit our event website at www.radicalredeemedready.com. And, be sure to use #radicalredeemedready when posting about the event!
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Registration Opens for Radical. Redeemed. Ready.
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