The History of Women’s Ministry | How Women’s Forum Helped Blaze the Trails

From creation until the cross, and from the cross to the present, God has used women to impact the kingdom. 

Many people today may not realize that modern women’s ministry, with its focus on in-depth Bible study and spiritual growth, is a relatively recent development. For decades, ministry for women in the church was primarily centered on missions and service. But over the last fifty years, a significant shift has occurred, largely driven by women’s spiritual hunger and a desire to go deeper in their faith. 

My own journey began in the mid-1970s. Though I had trusted Christ as a child, it was not until my young adult years that someone challenged me to pursue personal spiritual growth through daily Bible study and prayer. That challenge set me on a lifelong pursuit to know, love, and obey Jesus—and stirred a passion to help other women grow deeper in their faith as well.  

For Southern Baptists (SBC), our history with ministry for women began with Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), a mission-focused entity of the SBC, led by passionate godly women. This laid the groundwork for all we see today. Cooperation was sought even though at times there was a sense of competitiveness between the spiritual “work” of women’s hands and the “depth” of women’s hearts.

This transformation, from a sense of volunteerism toward a broader ministry for women, is a testament to the Holy Spirit’s work, moving and guiding women and church leaders to create new opportunities for discipleship and community so that women could serve according to their callings and giftings. 

A New Hunger for God’s Word 

Beginning in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a new movement began to take shape. Women in many churches, particularly in certain Protestant denominations and larger congregations, started seeking more than just missions-focused activities. They craved a deeper understanding of the Bible and a more personal relationship with God. This spiritual hunger was a catalyst for change. 

Two key resources emerged in the late 1980s that helped satisfy this craving: 

Inductive Community Bible Study: Ministries like Precept Ministries, founded by Kay Arthur, and Bible Study Fellowship, founded by A. Wetherell Johnson, taught women how to study the Bible inductively—learning to observe, interpret, and apply Scripture for themselves. This approach empowered women to engage directly with God’s Word, leading to profound spiritual growth. 

Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby: This popular workbook helped individuals understand how to recognize and join God in His work, offering a practical framework for living out one’s faith. 

These resources helped women realize they wanted more than a program; they wanted a process of intentional spiritual growth. This desire led them to ask their churches to create specific ministries for women, and the term women’s ministry began to gain traction. 

Many pioneer churches and women’s leaders began to pray and wait on God before proceeding into new ministry ventures. Pastoral support was vital for women’s ministry to serve the overall purpose of the church. Women’s discipleship needs had to be identified and addressed. Leadership training was needed to equip women to serve in this church ministry. As the Lord directed and opened doors, leaders took steps of action. 

In 1990, Monte Clendenning, who was in the Missions Department at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, hosted the first Women’s Leadership Consultation. This event was a unique opportunity for leaders to meet with national women’s leaders to discuss issues they faced. WMU and the North American Mission Board (NAMB) also participated, along with women from churches throughout the state and beyond. It created a space for open discussions on ministry practices, allowing participants to share what was working, what wasn’t, and how to move forward with changes based on biblical principles. 

The Rise of Women’s Ministry at the National Level 

As local churches began developing their own women’s ministries, the demand for resources and training grew. Pastors and women’s leaders saw the need to equip women to serve and lead. They reached out to the Baptist Sunday School Board (BSSB), now known as Lifeway Christian Resources, for guidance and resources. 

This led to several key milestones: 

1993: Journey Magazine was created by Selma Wilson as a devotional resource for women to encourage them to get into the Word daily. Its overwhelming success in the first month alone demonstrated the widespread need for women-specific content. 

1994: A full-time Women’s Ministry Specialist position was created at Lifeway. This role was a direct response to the growing need for national leadership and training for women’s ministry leaders in churches. Prior to this, a part-time non-local position was created, and Denise George filled that role. It quickly became apparent that it was going to take a full-time local leader to handle the requests and training for women’s ministry leaders across the country. I had the honor of serving as the first full-time Women’s Ministry Specialist in December of 1994 until retirement in March of 2017. Kelly King followed in this role after my retirement, and now Alicia Wong holds that position. 

1995: Beth Moore’s first Bible study, A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place, was published, marking the first time the BSSB (Lifeway) produced a video-driven study, and the first study specifically for women. This new format made in-depth teaching accessible to women across the country. Lifeway Women’s arena events began with Beth as the teacher. Since then, the publication of women’s studies has continued to grow, resulting in a library of studies to meet needs. 

1996: The first Women’s Ministry Metro was offered at the request of women’s leaders from large churches. Smaller churches then desired to be included in this networking opportunity. These quickly grew from one hundred to five hundred women’s leaders as the demand for networking and training increased. This was a catalyst for change, and it was rebranded as Women’s Leadership Forum. If you have attended a Forum, you may not know the beginnings behind this event that helped launch women’s ministry. This year, you have the opportunity to attend and celebrate the 30th Lifeway Women’s Leadership Forum! 

1997: Women Reaching Women, the first women’s leadership manual was published by Lifeway. Several others followed.  

This national investment helped formalize women’s ministry, providing resources and training that supported the grassroots movement happening in local congregations. The growth of women’s ministry has led to increased opportunities for women to study theology and leadership, with universities, seminaries, and other organizations now offering formal training including certificates, undergraduate, masters, and even doctorate degree plans that include women’s ministry.  

Lifeway provided training opportunities that included networking leaders, a training manual launch, and other training events across the country. Due to the growth of women’s ministry, a team of trainers, women serving in local churches, state conventions and other organizations, was developed to meet the training needs across the country in churches of all denominations. Today, Lifeway Women is a team of leaders covering the publishing, training and enrichment event needs of women. 

The Future of Women’s Ministry 

The story of women’s ministry communicates a powerful story of God’s faithfulness, beginning with the quiet prayers of individuals and growing into a national movement. It is a testament to the countless women who said yes to God’s call and joined together to help others grow deep in their faith. 

My friend and colleague Martha Lawley said this so well: “The Bible demonstrates that the way God created women to connect helps us see that while many things such as methods or programs change over time, God’s plan to use women to minister to other women was part of His divine, eternal plan! All of this reminds us we don’t own any of it. It’s all God’s, and we must remain close to Him and trust in His ways and timing. And that we must hold everything but God Himself more loosely.” 

As the culture and the church continue to evolve, we are blessed to watch God raise up new generations of women to live out their faith in fresh ways. He continues to reveal that He is always doing a new thing, and His plan will always include women. This means that ministries for women will keep moving forward, following God’s lead—even if they look different. This is a valuable perspective that we have today, one that may not have been so easy to understand when God first called each of us to join Him in doing a new thing among women. 

The work continues as women seek to apply their faith in a complex world. The enduring mission remains the same: to help women know, love, and obey Jesus, and to share His light every day. 

At this stage of my life, I think often about legacy. I’ve been blessed to live the legacy of the women who went before me, learning so much about God’s faithfulness from them. My deepest desire is to pour into the generations coming behind me. Just recently, while writing this article, I was part of an event to encourage women to find community within our church. Our team—on which I have served for almost thirty years as the oldest member—poured out to help our women make new connections. The day after, I shed tears of joy, knowing the future is bright. These younger women are eager to engage and disciple others, building a legacy that will impact the next fifty years of women’s ministry. For those who have been watching this story unfold for the past five decades, you know this is nothing short of a God story! 

We have much to celebrate! Join us, as we reflect on all God has and continues to do in the lives of women, on November 6–7, 2025, in Hendersonville, Tennessee, as we come together for the 30th Lifeway Women’s Leadership Forum. 

©2025 Chris Adams 

 About Chris Adams