What happens when faith communities quietly replace women’s leadership with unpaid, invisible labor? In this powerful Best of most downloaded episode of 2025 re-release, historian and bestselling author Dr. Beth Allison Barr joins Lori Adams-Brown to unpack how the role of the “pastor’s wife” became a substitute for women’s ordination—and the deep harm that followed. Drawing from her book Becoming the Pastor’s Wife, Beth combines rigorous historical research with lived experience to show how a once-fluid vision of women’s leadership in Christianity narrowed dramatically in the late 20th century. What emerges is a sobering picture: women expected to perform the equivalent of multiple full-time jobs for free, while being told their obedience—not their gifts—is God’s highest calling. Together, Lori and Beth explore how this shift didn’t happen gradually, but almost overnight, during the Southern Baptist Convention’s fundamentalist takeover. They discuss the psychological toll on wo…
In this episode of "A World of Difference," Dr. Beth Allison Barr shares her expertise as a historian, author, and pastor's wife, offering a unique perspective on the historical and contemporary experiences of women in ministry, particularly as pastor's wives with her new book "Becoming the Pastor's Wife."
