For women raising children while leading in ministry, life is a deep set of particular blessings intertwined with challenges.
The book is for clergy who are also mothers, with powerful encouragement to share the teeth-gritting beauty of this tension with those who can support us. Stories worthy of tears, chuckles or groans from the lives of “clergy mamas” may echo the reader's as the author confronts the assumptions people make about mothers who lead. Every chapter ends with reflection questions for clergy mothers—and some specifically for the people who need to engage with them.
The exhortations of this book are grounded in solid theological reflection. Ultimately, the author points to a practical, lived theology of the determined assertion that every Christian–not just mama, not just the clergy–is crucial to raising the family of God.
This is the moment to lift up the gifts of women in ministry and the broader ministry of motherhood, creating an environment for all leaders and their relationships to thrive.
Lee Ann Pomrenke was ordained as a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 2005 and has served congregations in Montana, Virginia, and Minnesota. The striking similarities between what her work as a pastor and as a mom, and the frequency with which these two roles cause friction and joy among colleagues voiced in-person or in online support groups for women clergy sent her deep into Scripture to observe God's own mothering behaviors. She writes for Living Lutheran, The Episcopal Cafe, and Red Letter Christians, as well as for institutional publications. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“Lee Ann M. Pomrenke does a marvelous job, through storytelling and scriptural reflections, of portraying God’s mothering attributes and identity to help us understand the complexities of the life and ministry of clergy mothers. This book is an invitation to reflect on our internalized gender stereotypes and attitudes with and within the Church. Embodied creates a platform for much-needed deep conversations about the role and space of clergy mothers in the church in today’s world.” —Miguelina Howell, Dean Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford, Connecticut
“Pomrenke opens our eyes to God as mother in stories of attachment and commitment that open our hearts to the challenges and extra scrutiny faced by clergy mothers. Our faith communities, like families, thrive when they value the relational gifts that mothering energy brings.” —Martha Spong, clergy coach, and co-author of Denial is My Spiritual Practice (and Other Failures of Faith)
