Proclaiming the Good News: Mennonite Women's Voices, 1972-2006

Proclaiming the Good News recounts changes in the ways Mennonite women have been leaders in the church in North America from 1972 to 2006.

Why did women gather for conferences and consultations? Is there evidence of change in congregational attitudes toward women in ministry? What factors played a role in expanding women’s voices? How did denominational leaders encourage or discourage women’s participation? How have women described their preaching? How did Mennonite women mimic or depart from contemporary social and cultural movements? How did Mennonite women leaders experience discrimination and hostility? What voices were silenced? What lessons or wisdom do women from this era want to pass on to Mennonite denominations and to young women today?

The chapters in Proclaiming the Good News are shaped by voices of women who exercised leadership in an Anabaptist denomination during this period. Some are scholars; others are pastors; still others are leaders in publication, education, and administration. An appendix lists over three hundred Mennonite women ordained during the years covered in the book. Together, these voices tell the story of Mennonite women who invested their gifts and talents in Mennonite congregations and institutions. In addition to recounting personal experiences, the book engages survey data (from 1972, 1989, and 2006) to document changes in attitudes and practices over the decades.