Women in Ministry Leadership: Recent Episodes
Julie Cole, Dr. Rhonda Davis
The Women in Ministry Leadership podcast is a conversation to encourage and validate women on their ministry journeys. Hosted by Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole, this podcast is an extension of the Women in Ministry Leadership program at The King's University.
In this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast, host Julie Cole and guest host Kaci Smith-Lopez interview Dr. Marti Williams, a professor and academic with the heart of a pastor-teacher. After encountering a couple Jesus loving teenagers after work one day as a 19-year-old, Dr. Williams accepted Jesus as her Savior. It completely changed the trajectory of her life, eventually going on to seminary and discovering her calling to the local church. She shares the challenges of her experience as a woman in seminary and ministry and yet how it strengthened her conviction to the calling God had on her life to preach the gospel. Dr. Williams passionately speaks to the importance of being rooted and planted in a church community. She emphasizes the importance of humility and vulnerability as a female leader in leadership and shares how she navigates her separate callings in both her ministry and in her marriage. Dr. Williams encourages women to do what God has called them to do and find a community of people who support and encourage them in their ministry journey.
Want a degree in ministry? Learn more about the Women in Ministry Leadership program or one of our many accredited seminary programs at The King's University!
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In this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, host Julie Cole and co-host Kaci Smith-Lopez interview Dr. Linda Hoover, the Interim Chief Academic Officer at The King's University. Dr. Hoover shares her journey of becoming a licensed psychologist and an ordained minister, and how these two roles have intersected in her life. She discusses the importance of knowing one's identity in Christ and overcoming imposter syndrome, all while balancing work and sabbath rest. Dr. Hoover reminds us to embrace the God factor and trust in His faithfulness in every season of life.
Want a degree in ministry? Learn more about the Women in Ministry Leadership program or one of our many accredited seminary programs at The King's University!
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Join hosts, Julie Cole and guest-host Angela Pruis, on this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, as they sit down with Gateway Associate Campus Pastor, Elizabeth Demarest. Elizabeth hails from the rainforests of Brazil, where she grew up with missionary parents. After 17 years in Adult Ministries leadership, coaching and mentoring, Elizabeth shares about the imperfection of stepping out into what God calls us to. She encourages us in her own story of stepping into ministry, how God commissions us to come as we are, to just serve where He has us, messiness and all. Her story is an inspiring example of how God can use us, no matter who we are, what we’re doing or how little we feel qualified. There’s abundant grace in the imperfection of the journey.
You can find Elizabeth on Instagram™ at elizabethdemarest and on X™ at elizabethdemar.
Want a degree in ministry? Learn more about the Women in Ministry Leadership program or one of our many accredited seminary programs at The King's University!
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On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, host Julie Cole and guest host, Angela Pruis, sit down with Pastor Lorena Valle, the Southlake Campus Associate Pastor at Gateway Church (Southlake, TX). Lorena is the first female to hold the role, in addition to being a descendant of Guatemala.
Pastor Lorena shares her story of moving to the U.S. as a teenager to pursue her education, to serving in various ministry roles over the years. She recently then stepped into a greater leadership role at Gateway Church as Associate Campus Pastor. Often being the only woman in the room, Pastor Lorena talks about how her trust in the Lord allowed her to move through her roles with greater humility, maintaining a heart to serve others above all else.
While her gender and ethnicity could have been a vice for exclusion, she learned the joy of faithfulness, trusting the Lord with the outcome in every season. God's favor went before her and opened doors that no man can shut.
Want a degree in ministry? Learn more about the Women in Ministry Leadership program or one of our many accredited seminary programs at The King's University!
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On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, host Julie Cole and guest-host Megan Grondin sit down with Pastor Nellie Lee, the Director of Student Success at The King's University. Nellie shares her story of transition from an college degree in criminal justice and a career in sales to establishing and pastoring her own online church, Daughters of Zion Ministries. Her story is an inspiring example of breaking barriers in ministry leadership and learning to say, “Why not?” to embracing the seemingly unconventional path that God has laid out for you.
Want a degree in ministry? Learn more about the Women in Ministry Leadership program or one of our many accredited seminary programs at The King's University!
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On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, host Julie Cole and guest-host Megan Grondin welcome Dr. Leanna Thompson, a faculty member of The King's University. She is the Director of the Master of Theological Studies program, Associate Professor of Bible and Theology, and the Doctor of Ministry Project Coordinator. In this episode, she discusses learning to embrace and enjoy the changes God has put in her life, which ultimately led to her becoming an academic and theologian.
Want a degree in ministry? Learn more about the Women in Ministry Leadership program or one of our many accredited seminary programs at The King's University!
Follow Us:
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→ Facebook: @TKUniversity
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On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, hosts Julie Cole and Dr. Rhonda Davis welcome Elizabeth Settle, the Pastor of Groups at Gateway Church. Her passion for prioritizing the presence of God has led her to create resources and build teams that advocate for people’s spiritual formation. In today’s episode, Elizabeth shares the challenges she has faced navigating her ministry calling, and her personal experience with the “check engine light” moments in her life.
Want a degree in ministry? Learn more about the Women in Ministry Leadership program or one of our many accredited seminary programs at The King's University!
Follow Us:
→ Instagram: @tkuniversity
→ Facebook: @TKUniversity
→ X: @TKUniversity
→ YouTube: @tkuniversity
On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole sit down with Kerrie Oles to discuss her powerful testimony of coming to know the Lord later in life to being called to “prison mentality” ministry, leading to the creation of Unlocked Ministries.
Kerrie is is an author, speaker, and the President and Founder of Unlocked Ministries, a non-profit ministry that works with women’s transitional homes, such as addiction recovery centers, halfway homes, and battered women’s shelters, by providing resources that help women find healing from past trauma.
Pastor Monica Bates has a passion to see God's people live and walk in their true identity in Christ, and to experience their full identity as sons and daughters of God. She loves to cultivate spaces of inclusivity for people where they can feel seen, valued, and experience a sense of belonging.
On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole sit down with Pastor Monica Bates, a pastor at Gateway Church Frisco, as she discusses being a woman of color in ministry leadership, dealing with micro-aggressions and the feeling of imposter syndrome, creating inclusive spaces, and helping others to discern God’s divine calling.
In a world of constant comparison, young women often struggle with the need for validation, and April Biondolillo was no different. Now, April uses her personal journey and ministry calling to encourage and empower young women who were just like her, so that they can see who God has called them to be. April is the Director of the Women and Children’s Shelter for the Union Gospel Mission and the Founder of Cherish Ministry.
On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, host Julie Cole and guest-host Kristey Simmons talk with April Biondolillo about the importance of mentorship to champion women forward, feeling “unqualified” in your calling, and the difference between struggling and struggling well.
Holly Wagner’s one piece of advice to women in ministry leadership? “Just don’t quit!” Holly is an actress, author, senior co-founder of Oasis Church, and the founder of She Rises, an annual conference designed to empower women and help them see their value.
On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, Holly Wagner discusses with hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole the importance of leading as a shepherd, the future of women in ministry leadership, and the need for spiritual mothers and safe communities where women can be honest and supportive of one another.
sherises.com
Mary Jo Pierce believes God created us to pray, not just with words, but with our lives. She is an author of many books including Adventures in Prayer and her newest book, Let It Rise: Sacred Ingredients for a Life of Prayer.
In this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole sit down with Mary Jo to discuss her journey towards becoming a Pastor of Prayer and Intercession at Gateway Church for over 17 years, and how bread-making became an analogy for her life of prayer.
Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole met at The King's University and founded the Women in Ministry Leadership (WIML) program. This program aims to empower and support women who are called to leadership positions in ministry.
In this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole discuss odds and ends within WIML, including their relationship, the creation of WIML, their personal growth as leaders, and their efforts to foster a supportive environment for leadership development, rather than a competitive one.
So much has changed since Jan Greenwood began serving in the ministry, and much of it is due to women like her paving the way for a new generation of leaders. One
In this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, hosts Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole talk to Jan about what's changed during that time, passing the baton to the next generation, and God using our weaknesses to accomplish His work.
Leanne McAllister says leadership begins when you look around and realize someone has to do something! That’s what led to her creating the Zoe Network, an organization that helps people find their place in God’s work.
In this episode of the Women In Leadership Podcast, hosts Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole talk with Leanne about leadership, discipleship, and trusting God during any season you’re in.
So much of our leadership capacity is wrapped up in emotional intelligence. In fact, this episode's guest, Dr. Irini Fambro, whose dissertation research focused on this subject, believes that stewardship of emotions and emotional intelligence will improve your leadership and the health of your organization.
In this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast, hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole speak with Irini about how her own experience led to her research and ultimately to the launch of her business, Intelligent Leadership.
What does it look like for men and women to work as equals in ministry? This bonus episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast seeks to answer the question with experienced pastors who continue to work toward that goal.
At the 2022 Gateway Conference, Dr. Rhonda Davis and Dr. Jon Chasteen were joined by Gateway pastors Mallory Bassham and Marcus Brecheen in a special breakout session to discuss how it actually looks for men and women to work alongside each other in ministry. We are releasing the session as a bonus episode that includes a question-and-answer session you won't want to miss.
Sometimes in ministry, advocating for oneself is frowned upon. However, sometimes in ministry, it's necessary to fulfill one's calling. Crystal Martin, who serves as the national director of the Assemblies of God Network, found this to be true through years of pushing the boundaries of her own leadership and the expectations of others around her.
On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership Podcast, hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole talk with Crystal about how she learned to advocate for herself while honoring others.
Rita Springer's journey in worship started with a tragedy. "I lost my father at [age] nine to cancer," she says. "I remember when I was ten playing piano in the house. I hit a chord and just started weeping. I went from playing the piano to feeling." Ever since that moment, she has pioneered the worship industry, making a space for women and young worship leaders to realize their gifts and use them to worship God.
On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast, hosts Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole talk with Rita about making her way in the worship industry—before there was an industry, the difficult choices she's made along the way, and the cost of a life devoted to worship.
Having a pastor for a spouse comes with lots of nuanced pressures and challenges. Add in leading Gateway Women, one of the largest women's ministries in the US, and being a mother of three young kids, and you have Bridgette Morris. One of her secrets is not allowing herself to feel the pressure. "I could let it bother me," she says. "But I just don't."
On this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast, hosts Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole talk with Bridgette about how she balances ministry and family life, what she says yes to, and more importantly, when she says no.
For many women in leadership, earning a place at the leadership table takes years of diligence and hard work. But once you have the seat at the table, how do you avoid being the "token" female leader?
In this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast, hosts Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole talk with Dr. Tammy Dunahoo, who has made a significant impact in her leadership role in the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.
Deborah Gill began studying to become a pastor during a time when women weren’t often considered for leadership roles in the church. With little affirmation and a great deal of opposition, Deborah followed God’s calling on her life to earn a PhD in Biblical Studies from Fuller Seminary, become a national leader in the Assemblies of God Church, and write several books on women in ministry.
In this episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast, Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole spoke with Deborah Gill about her journey into ministry.
For many women in leadership, it's no secret that the challenges are different and more nuanced than their male colleagues experience. Kadi Cole's leadership journey has given her a unique perspective on women in ministry leadership.
On this episode of the Women in Leadership podcast, Kadi shares some of her insights with hosts Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole.
Women in ministry leadership tend to face challenges that men in similar positions do not. In many cases, their male colleagues are unaware of these changes. This introductory episode of the Women in Ministry Leadership podcast will introduce hosts Dr. Rhonda Davis and Julie Cole, explain the vision behind the show, and talk about the Women in Ministry Leadership program at The King's University.