Reclaiming Leadership: Empowering African American Women in Ministry

Posted on March 7, 2025, by Arlene D. Hudson

Stanton Elementary School Houses Sunday Services For Teshuvah Temple Ministries.

This photograph, taken by Arlene D. Hudson in July 2024

Since its founding as a prison ministry in Raleigh, North Carolina, Teshuvah Temple Ministries (TTM) has evolved into a nondenominational spiritual sanctuary that the community can look to for restoration, service, and healing. It is now located in Stanton Elementary School in Washington DC’s Ward 8 neighborhoods of Woodland/Fort Stanton, Garfield Heights, and Knox Hill.

My decision to address the barriers facing African American women in ministry came from both personal experience and years of witnessing the quiet but powerful leadership of Black women in churches, women who preached in everything but title, who organized ministries yet remained in the background, and who carried congregations spiritually but were excluded from decision-making spaces. One defining moment was when I saw a woman in my congregation, who had served faithfully for years, passed over for a leadership role for which she was more than qualified. I knew then that we could not simply hope for change; we had to create it.

Recognizing this, we launched the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) in 2021 as a structured response to these barriers. WLI is not just a training program—it is a movement designed to reclaim the leadership spaces that African American women have always deserved but have too often been denied.

The Challenge: Systemic Barriers to Leadership

African American women have long served as caregivers, organizers, and spiritual leaders at the heart of faith communities. Yet, they are routinely excluded from decision-making roles. In many churches, leadership is still viewed through a male-dominated lens, where authority, competition, and hierarchy are valued over collaboration, nurture, and relational leadership.

At TTM, I witnessed firsthand how these biases impact women. Many were told they could teach Sunday school but not lead a congregation. Others faced gendered scrutiny—a man’s firm leadership was seen as strong, but a woman’s assertiveness was seen as aggressive.

A recent survey within TTM confirmed what I already knew:

40% of respondents believed that African American women’s nurturing leadership qualities were underutilized.
35% cited time constraints as a significant challenge to leadership participation.
25% reported a lack of confidence, often due to internalized cultural messages.[1]
20% felt they lacked mentorship, making leadership pathways unclear.[2]

Conducting the survey reinforced what I had long suspected—Black women in ministry face obstacles from external systems and internalized cultural messages. However, I was surprised by how many cited a lack of mentorship as a significant barrier. This finding shaped WLI’s emphasis on sponsorship, ensuring that women have clear pathways to leadership.

[1] Black Women’s Leadership Alliance (BWLA), “Retrieved from www.bwleadershipalliance.org.

[2] National Black Clergy Women’s Network (NBCWN), “Retrieved from www.nbcwn.org.

Celebrating Women of The Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) at Teshuvah Temple Ministries to support the women in ministry and their elevation to begin their journey to eldership! This photograph, taken by Arlene D. Hudson in June 2024

In response to these challenges, we launched the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) in 2021, an intentional effort to train, mentor, and uplift African American women in ministry leadership. WLI is about reclaiming our right to preach, lead, and shape our spiritual future.

WLI’s Three Core Strategies:

Leadership Development Training

Monthly workshops on public speaking, conflict resolution, theological education, and community organizing.[1]
Interactive sessions on breaking cultural barriers to leadership.

Mentorship & Sponsorship

Women are paired with seasoned mentors to guide them in leadership.
Senior clergy advocate for WLI participants to step into visible roles.

Hands-on Leadership Experience

Women preach, lead projects, and serve in key ministry decisions
A structured “Eldership Pathway” prepares women for senior roles.

This holistic approach ensures that leadership is discussed and lived out.

A healing circle was held during a holiday event organized by Minister Crystal McDaniel at Teshuvah Temple Ministries in Ward 8. Attendees discussed their traumas and offered solutions for their healing journey after losing loved ones to gun violence. This photograph, taken by Arlene D. Hudson in December 2024

Minister Crystal’s Healing Circle

In December 2024, Minister Crystal McDaniel organized a holiday healing circle at TTM. Women shared their traumas, spoke about loss due to gun violence, and uplifted each other in prayer.

“Women are healers,” Minister Crystal reflected. “But we need spaces to lead from that place of healing. That’s what WLI is giving us.”

These stories are not just individual victories; they represent a movement toward a more just and inclusive church.

Personal Testimonies: Stories of Transformation
Angela, once hesitant, gained confidence through WLI and now leads a financial literacy initiative, helping dozens of families in Ward 8. “TTM saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself,” Angela says. “Now, I know I was called to lead.”

This photograph, taken by Arlene D. Hudson in December 2024

A Theological and Historical Call for Change

The Bible highlights women as leaders: Deborah, Esther, Mary Magdalene, and Huldah. Paul affirms equality in Christ (Galatians 3:28), yet many churches still exclude women. Womanist theologians like Katie Cannon[1] and Renita Weems[2] affirm Black women’s leadership, urging them to step into their calling with boldness and authority.

Looking Forward: Expanding the Movement

TTM’s vision for the future is clear: sustaining and expanding WLI so that more women reclaim their leadership callings. Key priorities include:

Expanding mentorship networks to ensure long-term guidance for emerging leaders.[3]

Collaborating with theological institutions (like Howard University Divinity School) to offer scholarships for women pursuing ministry.[4]

Launching an interfaith Women’s Leadership Summit to connect women across denominations and traditions.

Training churches to build their leadership pipelines for African American women.

Future Goals

TTM aims to expand WLI, empower more women to be leaders, and reclaim their leadership callings by fostering a legacy of empowerment. We ensure that future generations of African American women in ministry will step into their roles with confidence and purpose.

[1] Katie G. Cannon, Black Womanist Ethics (Scholars Press, 1988).

[2] Renita J. Weems, Just a Sister Away: A Womanist Vision of Women’s Relationships in the Bible (LuraMedia, 1999)

[3] Black Women’s Leadership Alliance (BWLA), “Retrieved from www.bwleadershipalliance.org

[4] National Black Clergy Women’s Network (NBCWN), “Retrieved from www.nbcwn.org