✝️ Draft for Monday March 2, !

Published: Mon, 03/02/26

Updated: Mon, 03/02/26

Dear ,

Welcome to Women's History Month! I have some news to report about changes to U.S. clergywomen's history. To make the news public, I am writing an article to share on International Women's Day (observed on March 9).

To give texture to the new numbers, I need help from a couple of clergywomen (pastors, ministers, chaplains) who departed their work in ministry in 2020 or 2021. Is that you, ?

I want to interview people who returned to clergy work following the Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns, and also those who did not (changed ministry jobs, retired earlier or later than expected, or left without returning, etc.). I'm especially interested in talking to you if you experienced challenges and/or stresses induced by the pandemic that contributed to your decision to depart ministry.

And I'm also interested in knowing if any of you in our 3MMM community found yourself called to ministry - for the first time or in a renewed way - by the events of Covid-19, the shut-down, or the related social inequities that revealed themselves in the pandemic season?

Do any of these scenarios ring a bell for you? I invite you to answer just a few questions at this link.

Clergywomen's Labor during and after Covid-19 - Should I interview you?

I've already had a strong response to these questions at the link, on social media. That response made me eager to ask our 3MMM community about your experience(s).

While I was interviewing over 100 ministers and lay leaders, and writing my findings for the #PandemicPastoring Report (2022), I first noticed what seemed to me an unusually high number of clergywomen making job changes. I explored the topic of clergywomen's labor (2019-2024) more in depth last year.

Last week I submitted an 8000-word chapter, "How Covid-19 Impacted Christian Clergywomen’s Labor in the U.S." for a book on women's religious leadership. In the chapter I explore changes to clergywomen's labor during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Did women leave ministry? Yes, in big numbers. Did they come back to working in ministry? Yes and no.

The news and analysis piece I'm writing this week for IWD will share some of the complexity of the yes and no. All of this work is under the larger umbrella of the State of Clergywomen Report (more info on the report is below in this email).

Thank you for your support, prayers, notes, and messages to me in this season of grief. I am so grateful for the 3MMM team for taking care of many things while I've been away. I am now making my way back to work and tasks left behind or set aside in 2026. Thank you for your patience, and if I have missed something important from you, let's reconnect soon!

As we continue the journey of Lent this week, I want to offer more ideas for trying out a breath prayer. I'm grateful for Laura's idea to collect and send you ideas to support your Lenten practice through the season. More of those ideas and inspiration are below!

For today, consider a crafting a breath prayer.

Match words to your breath, then pray the prayer at any point through the day or night.

On your inhale, breathe in a name for God.

On your exhale, breathe out a plea for what you need.

Inhale... Exhale...

Good Shepherd, Lead me

Christ Light, Show us the Way

Sophia/Wisdom, Guide my life

Amma/Abba, Nourish your children

Holy One Grant us peace

Make a combination of addressing God and asking for what you desire or need that suits your theology and current situation. Write it down (a post-it note will work). Then pray the prayer, matching it to your breath throughout the day.

For additional ideas about Lenten practices, take a look at this post from last year with five Lenten practices for responding to this moment. Ask yourself these three questions as you consider your plans for Lent. Check out these ideas for children and grownups as your community navigates the season.

Warmly,

Eileen

An Update from the
New State of Clergy Report

As promised, we are sharing milestones and news related to the new State of Clergy Report as it becomes available.

This week I want to tell you about growth and change for African American Baptist women in ministry. Our friends at Baptist Women in Ministry released a new "State of Women in Baptist Life" Report in December 2025. It includes findings about Baptist women pastors and clergy. One of the exciting parts of the report comes from the North Carolina General Baptist State Convention. This group is approximately the same size in terms of numbers of churches and ordained leaders as the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

In 2013 women were estimated to be less than 1% of the pastors in Black Baptist churches across multiple denominations. In 2025 the SWBL report says 33 women are serving as pastors and co-pastors of GBST-NC churches. That means they are pastoring 2.3% of the 1423 churches. This is just one state in one historic Black Baptist denomination. Such encouraging news!

If you want to know more about the revised and expanded State of Clergy Report that is currently under construction, please stop by and read more here:

What changes have you witnessed for women and

lgbtiq leaders in your denomination?

We welcome your input as we continue researching the next State of Clergy report. What would you like to share?

information
stories
data
books
articles
blogs
news reports
elections of bishops or other church leaders
conferences and events
people we should interview
questions you must have answered!

Contribute to the 2026 State of Clergy Report

All contributions will be independently verified before including them in the report.

Our question for you today:

How am I coping with the world's rapid and volatile changes? What gifts of prayer, breath, and community

can sustain me?

Remember, , what you do and who you are matters! I believe in you, and I hope you will let me know how I can support you!

Eileen R. Campbell-Reed (she/hers)

Author | Researcher | Professor | Mentor | Coach

Founder & Host of 3MMM and the Writing Table
Co-Director, Learning Pastoral Imagination Project