February/March 2002 preach. Our five children ranged in Together for Souls ages from four years old to ten. In By Richard Pettit response to her question, God said, “Elaine, did I not say that everyone who Inside this Issue In the beginning years of ministry, as I has left home or brothers or sisters or sat on the front pew, I was amazed at mother or father or children for me and Together for Souls the way God was using Elaine. I was the gospel will receive a hundred times 1 proud as I listened to her preach. as much in this present age…and in the Through the years, as her ministry age to come, eternal life?” Book Notes rapidly expanded, I began to ask (Mark 10:29-30) He told 2 God, “ What is my part in all of her that if she would this?” As I prayed, He opened radically obey him, she What’s Happening my eyes to the sacredness of the would lay down godly 3 call. Just as we were made one footsteps in which the through marriage, God was children standing on the Our Nazarene calling me to be one with my wife sidelines would observe. 4 Foremothers in the ministry. In fact, when I Under the powerful, prayed-down earnestly sought the Lord, he made very nudging of the Holy Spirit, they would clear to me my part: “I have called you see a clear witness of truth and holiness. to be as Aaron was to .” Although the choice to obey would be their own, she would have fulfilled her Joining together to surrender all to Him, responsibility to God and to them in the including the needs and concerns of our best way possible. After carrying a full five young children at the time, I can slate for many years, we have found his testify to His faithfulness in every way. words true, as our sons and daughters What God taught Elaine in her private have already begun in the holiness closet of prayer, and watching her ministry themselves. New Horizons Contributors: wonderful child-like faith in action, Janine Metcalf, Coordinator produced a tremendous example of what I have discovered that by my Diane Miller, Clergy Resources and God can do with a life fully given to willingness to get involved and fully Website Coordinator Him. Our family has truly reaped the support what God is doing through his Carol Blessing, Editor servant, I am indeed sharing in the great Vicki Copp, Columnist bountiful benefits of her obedience. Stan Ingersol, Columnist rewards! What a transformation for a Rebecca Laird, Columnist When God called Elaine to be an man who grew up a Southern Baptist; I George Blessing, Layout and evangelist, she asked, “Father, what now embrace the holiness doctrine Design about our marriage and the children?” whole-heartedly! For if God has called, After attending three colleges and she must answer. I must be there as her Materials may be photocopied for use in settling down, she had decided number one prayer warrior. As men, we ministries, with the contentment would be found in understanding that material will not be sold. often focus on our own ministries and marriage and raising a family. In fact, The following credit must appear: careers. Prior to traveling full-time the From: New Horizons for the first eleven years of motherhood, last year-and-a-half with my wife, I Feb./Mar. 2002 she chose to be a “stay-at-home” mom. worked for twenty-four years in a Used by permission. Then in January of 1987, God sanctified machine shop. God anoints and uses Elaine, and soon after called her to Elaine, but she cannot successfully

...... February/March 2002 fulfill her calling if I don’t stand with Augustine, Bishop of Hippo and a her. No man can live his life unto Book Notes contemporary of Chrysostom, saw himself, for as the prophet Joel stated, Women as Practical Idolaters: A marriage and sexuality as part of God’s multitudes of souls are hanging in the Review of Singleness of Heart by design, but with the Fall, in which balance, and as it is written in Ezekiel Diane LeClerc, published by The humanity asserted its pride or “will-to- 33:7, without our cooperation with the power,” Augustine saw human beings Scarecrow Press, 2001 Holy Spirit, their blood will be on our rendered incapable of self-governance hands. By Rebecca Laird or free choice; human will has become “disabled,” and lust has become the God said, in both Joel 2 and Acts 2, In her new book Singleness of Heart, focus of sexuality. For centuries, that in the last days He would pour out Diane LeClerc, Professor of Historical Augustine’s understanding of original his Spirit on both men and women and at Northwest Nazarene sin as rooted in pride and the will-to- they would prophesy. These are the last University asks an underlying question, dominate has been the standard days, and many women are being called Do women sin differently than men? definition. to preach. I challenge men to not only Her question is a serious one for the bear their own cross, but to reach out Wesleyan/Holiness preacher. How does After taking her questions to the with strong arms and help their wives one offer a cure if we have patristic writers, LeClerc carries them to carry theirs as well. God will make your misdiagnosed the problem? John Wesley, another church leader union powerful and effective for Christ, well-known for his complex for His kingdom, and for your family. To explore the answer, LeClerc relationships with women. Wesley By doing so, you will accomplish what respectively turns to three early church wrote voluminous letters to many Paul wrote in Ephesians 5, loving your giants: Jerome, Chrysostom, and women often warning them wife as Christ loved the church and Augustine. Anyone interested in against marriage and the giving himself for her, presenting her the role and lives of women in “dangers of domesticity”, as holy and blameless before Him, to ancient must get to he also saw relationship whom we must all give an account. For know Jerome, for atypically of commitments as a threat to a husband and wife who agree together, men of his Age, he counted “singleness of heart.” having become one in marriage and several Roman ascetic woman as Wesley’s own late-in-life ministry, will be powerful to move his “spiritual comrades” and marriage was not a happy heaven and earth in the battle for souls, regular correspondents. Jerome was a one, as his legendary preaching and God will be well pleased. renunciant, and in his many letters, he schedule and extraordinary extols the virtues of the woman who correspondence left little time left for forego family commitments, refrain his wife. LeClerc contends that Wesley Elaine Pettit is an Ordained Elder and from excessive affection toward understood the impact of original sin as Commissioned Evangelist in the Church children, and choose instead “singleness turning all people into “practical of the Nazarene. Since 1989, she has of heart.” idolaters” (a phrase used by John carried a full slate of revivals, camp Tyson) who tend to love other people meetings, holiness crusades, Prayer John Chrysostom, Bishop of more than the one who created them. Awakening events, district women’s Constantinople who is best-known as retreats, etc. the golden-tongued preacher of the In this realm of relational sin, Christians fourth century, relied heavily on claiming the Wesleyan/holiness Elaine’s husband of twenty-four years, Olympias, the leader of a group of 250 tradition have a misunderstood model Rick, now travels full-time with her. ascetic women. Chrysostom is quoted as who shows a way to recover from the Rick and Elaine have three sons, two writing in his book On Virginity, “where sins of emotional dependence. Phoebe daughters, and a new daughter-in-law. death is, there is marriage.” In his view, Palmer, an icon of Early American marriage and caring for children limited , is often derided for her Elaine Pettit Ministries is a non-profit a woman’s ability to serve God “altar theology,” in which she organization, and has over 1,600 Prayer unreservedly. He championed encouraged thousands to devote Warriors nationwide. detachment, self-denial, and chastity as themselves fully to God and to expect the path to liberation from one’s gender that God would consecrate the offered for the betterment of one’s soul. self even in the absence of an emotional

2 ...... NEW HORIZONS experience. LeClerc re-examines edited two others. She is an involved challenge. Even introductions pose a Palmer’s advice for experiencing member of Wesleyan/Holiness Women problem: Pastor's wife? Pastor? sanctification in the knowledge that Clergy and a graduate of Point Loma Pastor's wife who is also a pastor? Palmer admitted that the “primary Nazarene University and Pacific School obstacle to her spiritual growth had of Religion. She and her husband, With both husband and wife in pastoral been ‘a large house involving Michael Christensen, are the parents of roles, balance in their personal time can proportionate cares.’” Palmer’s two daughters, Rachel and Megan. be a challenge. It is a real temptation to experience forced her to lay her be constantly consumed with church domestic cares and responsibilities on life. Team ministry also has some real the altar and consecrate her heart to What’s Happening advantages. These are readily seen in God’s claims on her. According to regard to family ministry and marital LeClerc, “Phoebe Palmer’s view of Where Are They Now? counseling. Rosslyn and Brian have original sin allowed her to spiritually been greatly encouraged by comments detach herself from relational idols By Vicki Copp when they team preach. "People really without dissolving the relationships enjoy both of us in the pulpit at the In the Fall 1999, I read The Connection themselves.” She had a long marriage, same time." from Nazarene Theological Seminary raised several children, preached with great interest. The lead article was Rosslyn has been fully supported by revivals, edited magazines, led small entitled, "Equally Yoked: Couples district leadership and was one of a groups, and wrote books. Palmer Ministering Together." It featured four group of three women and two men provides a model of spiritual freedom: graduating couples in ordained in her district last year. give yourself to wholly to God and get which both husband and Dr. Knight informed them that it on with the business of wholehearted wife were equally educated was the first time in his experience living for God. and prepared for ministry. as General Superintendent that So do women sin differently? Many of The author suggested that there were more female ordinands us do. Much of evangelicalism rewards this phenomenon in the than male. women who inordinately love and give Class of 1999 might be a If, as the author of that 1999 one’s primary attention to children and partial glimpse of the Connection article suggested, the spouse. So is this really bad? LeClerc future of ministry in the Church of the phenomenon of equally educated points out that these attachments are not Nazarene. Recently, while flipping spouses might be a partial glimpse of the problem, but “emotional through one of my files, I came upon the future of ministry in the Church of dependancies” on these domestic the article again. Where are they now? I the Nazarene, it is a very bright future relationships become sin when women wondered. What opportunities had they indeed. hide behind them failing to claim their experienced? What obstacles had they encountered? How was God using them liberty. Rather than sinning pridefully with their rather unique circumstances? by putting oneself first, there is an If you have something or someone that I decided to see what was happening. equally dangerous sin of never claiming you think we all would benefit from one’s life at all. One of the couples mentioned was knowing about, please email me at [email protected] Let me know what you are reading. Brian and Rosslyn Weigelt. They have been at the Coquille, Oregon Church of Send email comments or short reviews the Nazarene since August of 1999. to [email protected]. Rev. Vicki Copp was ordained as elder Brian is the senior pastor and Rosslyn is and received her M.A. in Theology a full-time associate. Rosslyn was from Point Loma Nazarene University Rebecca Laird is the editor of Sacred extended a call to full-time associate in 1997. She preaches and speaks at Journey, an interfaith spirituality when Brian was called as senior pastor. retreats, women’s ministries functions, publication based in Princeton, New Rosslyn reports, "The church has and has written for Holiness Today. Jersey. An ordained in the warmly embraced us as a ministry team,

Church of the Nazarene and trained although at times they are not quite sure spiritual director, Rebecca regularly what to do with a woman as assistant to conducts retreats on prayer and spiritual her spouse." The practical reality of practice. She has written five books and functioning in a shared role has been a

...... 3 February/March 2002 Our Nazarene Foremothers “mother church” of the Pentecostal discipline by contributing frequent Church of Scotland. Her application for articles on to church Woman in a New World: to the ministry forced the papers and curriculum resource Olive Winchester’s Life in Theology young denomination to clarify its stand manuals. and Higher Education on the issue. Rev. George Sharpe, the denomination’s founder, supported her President Wiley appreciated good talent By Stan Ingersol case. The decision was made to permit . . . and Olive. She was elected vice- women’s ordination, and in 1912 president of the college in 1922 and Eugene Emerson’s imagination was Winchester became the first woman of appointed academic dean the following captured by a visit to Nazarene any denomination to be ordained in year, filling both administrative roles University in Pasadena in 1912. The Scotland. Among the happy outcomes simultaneously (and teaching) until taciturn Emerson, founder of an Idaho of this decision were these two: Jane 1935, when she resigned. A history of lumber company, had recently professed Sharpe, George’s wife, had emerged as the college’s first quarter-century entire sanctification and a lay preacher and was summarized her contribution: “She cast his lot with the ordained a few years later, contributed very much to the Wesleyan-holiness people. while their daughter, Kanema development of the right attitude toward After meeting with Phineas Hynd, was ordained alongside scholastic standards, and as vice- Bresee and H. Orton Wiley her husband, David, before the president and dean of the college had on his visit to California, couple set out for Swaziland as much to do with the internal Emerson returned to medical missionaries, where organization of the institution.” Her Nampa and organized they wrote their own chapter in early labors were not in vain; others support for a new school Olive Winchester Nazarene missions history. built upon them, and a half-century later that opened the following Winchester’s involvement in Northwest Nazarene had emerged as year. Wiley came to be its president in the Pentecostal Church of Scotland one of the outstanding Christian liberal 1917 and devoted the next decade to helped it clarify its doctrine of the arts colleges of the northwestern United improving the institution—Northwest ministry, and in 1915, she played a role States. Nazarene College—financially and in facilitating the merger of that academically. Despite her busy years in Nampa, denomination and the Pentecostal Winchester’s professional development Church of the Nazarene. Wiley’s vital task was to recruit progressed. She earned the Th.D. qualified faculty who blended spiritual Winchester returned to America to teach (Doctor of Theology) degree from Drew graces with keenly honed intellect. And religion at . University in 1925. none met his expectations better than Then she moved to Berkeley, Olive Winchester (1880-1947), one of Her differences with President Russell California, to earn the S. T. M. degree the best-educated Nazarenes of her day, V. DeLong precipitated her resignation (Master of Sacred Theology) from the in 1935. Wiley again came through, who followed him to Nampa later that Pacific School of Religion. She met year. inviting her to teach theology at Wiley there and soon received his Pasadena College, where he had invitation to join the faculty at Nampa. In 1902 Winchester earned her returned in 1927. She taught there until bachelor’s degree from Radcliffe, the Throughout her tenure at Northwest her death twelve years later. women’s college associated with Nazarene, Winchester taught her Winchester’s had earned high marks in . Her Harvard specialties: Biblical language and instructor in Semitic languages regarded at Glasgow but literature. But she also grew her as “a student of exceptional ability.” was conservative in her interested in the whole idea application of this knowledge After Radcliffe she broke new ground at of religious education in the the as the first within the Nazarene context. local church, and at woman admitted to and graduated from Her books included studies of Northwest Nazarene she Moses, the prophets, and the life the program. developed and taught the of . Her Crisis Experiences initial courses in religious She also opened up another door while in the Greek education. She spurred studying in Scotland. She attended the (1953) stood in the linguistic-exegetical further interest in that emerging Parkhead Pentecostal Church, the tradition pioneered by Daniel Steele, a

4 ...... NEW HORIZONS Methodist scholar at University. headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, Steele defended the doctrine of entire Parts of this article were adapted from since 1985. He has a Ph.D. from Duke sanctification by a study of the Greek “Pressing the Vision: Olive Winchester University and is a specialist in aorist tense, and Winchester and Northwest Nazarene College,” American religious history. He is appropriated his agenda and attempted Herald of Holiness (April 15, 1988): 11. married to the Rev. Cheryl Somers- to develop it further, though this Ingersol, a pastor in Overland Park, approach has since fallen out of favor Kansas. with many Wesleyan-holiness biblical Stan Ingersol has been manager of the scholars. Nazarene Archives at the international

She also wrote for a variety of church periodicals, including The Young People’s Journal for Nazarene high school youth, where for many years she had a standing column. In it she Sign Up Now! explored topics ranging from Christian th history to the relationship between For “Come To The Water”—The 5 International theology and science. The religion and Wesleyan/Holiness Conference for Women Clergy science series ran throughout 1931, and in it she expressed her opposition to April 18-21, 2002 biological evolution but stated her Colorado Springs Sheraton Hotel grounds for belief in cosmic and Colorado Springs, CO geological evolution. Come with us to beautiful Colorado Springs for the Wesleyan/Holiness Women She rejected the premillennialist Clergy Conference. Surrounded by shimmering aspens, blue sky (300 sunny days perspective that, over her lifetime, grew every year), and snowcapped mountains (did we mention that Pikes Peak and the in popularity within the church. Garden of the Gods are just minutes away?), drink in the beauty that is Colorado. Reflecting the tradition of Drink deeply of Spirit-filled preaching and practical workshops. Quench your Wesleyan-holiness biblical scholarship thirst with refreshing conversations with women who, like you, take their call to shaped by Daniel Steele, she was an a ministry seriously. Featured speakers will include: Rev. Mary Jane Davis, Rev. millennialist and interpreted the Book of Robin Smith, Rev. Linda Adams, and Rev. Dr. Diana Swoope. Revelation as a coded record of events Conference Registration Form that had occurred in the New Testament Use separate form for each person registering. You may photocopy era, perhaps during Nero’s reign, not this form if additional copies are needed. predictions of the future. Registration Fee: (includes 6 meals and dessert reception)

Early Registration Fee: $200 (through 3/10/02) Winchester was not the only woman to After March 10: $225 teach religion at Nazarene colleges Fee for spouses: $100 (includes all meals) during her lifetime. For much briefer Mail registration form with fee to: spans, so did Emily Ellyson, Myrtle Rev. Bonita May Mangum White, and Elliot J. Sheeks. 8875 NW Ash But Winchester far surpassed them in Portland, OR 97229 academic background and achievement, Make checks payable to: Wesleyan/Holiness Women Clergy paving the way for other professional female theologians in the church, Name______Title (if desired)______including Maude Stuneck at Trevecca; Address______the incomparable Mildred Wynkoop, City______State______Zip______who encountered Winchester as a Home Phone (____)______Work (____)______freshman at Northwest Nazarene Email Address______College; and Diane LeClerc at Northwest Nazarene College. Denomination______Position______

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