KING OF PRUSSIA (ABNS 12/6/2024)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) is pleased to announce that the Rev. Dr. Valerie Andrews is the recipient of the 2024 Beyond the Stained-Glass Ceiling Grant. She pastors the Eternal Life Missionary Baptist Church, a Liberian community of faith in Southwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Expressing her excitement about the award, Andrews exclaimed that it “means everything to me both personally and as a pastor of this unique ministry,” which she was called to serve approximately five years ago.

Andrews went on to explain the significance of the grant, beginning with a brief story about an encounter she had a few years back: “One of the congregation members lovingly said,  ‘Pastor, you are a foreigner in the church.’ It was a huge understatement at the time, but even now, I still have some feelings that I don’t sufficiently understand Liberian traditions and practices.”

Long motivated by an acute desire to cultivate a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the Liberian culture, Andrews saw the Beyond the Staind-Glass Ceiling Grant as providing the means to expand her knowledge. In keeping with her grant application, titled “The Road to Monrovia, Liberia: An Educational, Spiritual and Reflective Encounter,” Andrews will dedicate a significant portion of her award to funding a life-changing sojourn to West Africa.

Andrews craves an immersive experience in Liberia, and she is already compiling a detailed list of activities to accomplish that goal. She plans to “sit in a class at the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary; serve as a visiting scholar, utilizing my expertise in Pastoral Care for female clergy; host a luncheon with a small group of female clergy to establish long-term networking relationships; and participate in cultural tours to develop my emotional and social intelligence.”

Andrews also expects to spend part of her award on projects that more directly involve her congregation and how she engages with its members. Desiring to enhance communications, she seeks to learn the basics of the Liberian language by paying select congregants for tutoring. She also wants cooking lessons. “I will pay one or two members of the congregation to teach me how to prepare simple Liberian dishes so I can be more actively involved in our church festivities,” she said.

This year, ABHMS also recognizes the Rev. Karline Dubuisson, pastor of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Montclair, New Jersey, as a grantee runner-up. She will receive funding for continuing education, which aligns with her desire to eventually pursue a Doctor of Divinity degree.

The Beyond the Stained-Glass Ceiling grant originated with the vision of the Rev. Chris Smith, pastor of Restoration Ministries of Greater Cleveland Inc., who, based on her own experiences, saw a need to provide support to African American women ministers called to lead small congregations, many of which struggle financially and cannot afford to pay their pastors a living wage. Buoyed by this prophetic calling, Smith authored the groundbreaking book, “Beyond the Stained-glass Ceiling: Equipping and Encouraging Female Pastors” (Judson Press, 2013), which offers hope for women pastors striving to respond faithfully to God’s call while staying financially afloat.

Restoration Ministries and Smith established the Beyond the Stained-Glass Ceiling Endowment Fund in partnership with ABHMS to provide financial support through the Beyond the Stained-Glass Ceiling Grant. Grant awards are intended to help alleviate economic challenges and related stress, and recipients are exclusively African American female pastors who singularly minister to congregations of 300 or fewer members.

To help ABHMS support, encourage, and advocate for the well-being of African American female pastoral leader, you can contribute to the Beyond the Stained-Glass Ceiling Fund via online donations or by checks mailed to American Baptist Home Mission Societies, 1075 First Avenue, King of Prussia, PA 19506, that indicate “Stained-Glass Endowment” in the memo section.

For more information about the Beyond the Stained-Glass Ceiling Fund and associated grant, visit ABHMS online. You may also direct your questions to ABHMS’ chief financial officer, Vincent Dent Sr., at vincent.dent@abhms.org or 610.768.2420.

American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists to promote Christian faith, cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples, and bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States and Puerto Rico.

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.