2021 Lenten Series on Women

There are hundreds of remarkable stories of women who have served the Episcopal Church with love, with persistence, with energy and with creativity. EWHP is presenting a series telling the stories of six women who have made an impact on the Episcopal Church. There will be time for discussion and questions. The Rev. Dr. Jo Ann Barker, President of EWHP will be emcee. The sessions will be presented as a Zoom experience where there is room for all who wish to participate. Ash Wednesday is on February 17, 2021; the series will begin on Thursday, February 18, and continuing on February 25, and March 4, 11, 18 and 25. Mark your calendars!

Here are the topics that will be presented:

February 18: Presenter: Dr. Joan Gundersen, Historian and Archivist

Title: Constance Baker Motley: Doing Justice

Meet the Episcopalian who became the face of NAACP in courtrooms across the South during the Civil Rights movement.

February 25: Presenter: Pan Adams McCaslin: One of first class of undergraduate women to enter The University of the South, Sewanee in 1969, and Chair of the Board of Archives for The Episcopal Church

Title: The Rev. Peggy Bosmeyer Campbell—First woman ordained in Arkansas—a priest, an organizer, a teacher

March 4: Presenter: Sister Hannah of the Community of St. Mary’s, Sewanee; A calling to prayer: a way of life through care for the body, the soul, and the earth.

Title: Sister Constance and her Companions—Known as the “Martyrs of Memphis,” as they cared for the sick and dying during the yellow fever epidemic of 1878.

March 11: Presenters: The Rev. Kim Jackson—priest in the Diocese of Atlanta and the first ever LGBTQ person elected to the Georgia state Senate.

The Rev. Nan Peete: Discussion Leader and VP of Episcopal Women’s History Project

Title: The Rev. Pauli Murray— was an American civil rights activist who became a lawyer, a women’s rights activist, Episcopal priest, and author. Drawn to the ministry, in 1977 Murray was the first African-American woman to be ordained as an Episcopal priest, in the first year that any women were ordained by that church.

March 18: Presenter: Dr. Marty Wheeler Burnett, Associate Professor of Church Music and Director of Chapel Music, Virginia Theological Seminary, and President, Association of Anglican Musicians.

Title: Hope, Joy, and Wonder: The Hymns of Rae E. Whitney

A celebration of the life and work of the Nebraska hymn poet, the prolific author of over 500 hymns. Participants will encounter a number of Whitney’s texts and explore the importance of including women’s voices in worship.

March 25: Presenter: Dr. Robin Woods Sumners—Professor of Child Development, Graphic Designer, writer and entrepreneur

Title: The Remarkable Life of Gertrude Sumners, Missionary Teacher in Kyoto, Japan from 1931-1967, civil volunteer worker during World War II, and life-long Episcopalian.

The Lenten Series will take place on the six Thursdays during Lent: Feb 18, 25; March 4, 11, 18 and 25; at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time; there will be time for discussion after each presentation.

The Rev. Yein Esther Kim is be the administrator for the series. The sessions will be live on Zoom.

You will be able to register in advance for each meeting:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The sessions will also be recorded on the EWHP YouTube Channel.