Pentacostal Women: Chosen for an Exalted Destiny

Abstract

This essay maintains that women within the Pentecostal tradition are being socialized to languish rather than flourish. Through an examination of the parallel stories of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Catherine Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, the study explores the “call narrative” of the Pentecostal female minister and the accompanying need for affirmation from the community. The essay explores this narrative within the context of the ecclesial community and its failure to create an environment where women may flourish. This failure on the Church’s part has contributed to its own languishing.