The We Pray With Her project has been reborn in partnership with Abingdon Press for a book for ALL women who lead. This will feature all NEW content.
Available for Pre-order on Cokesbury.com https://www.cokesbury.com/product/9781501869709/we-pray-with-h
Find more information about the project here!
“The glass ceiling feels like an ever present invisible barrier holding women back from the highest positions of leadership, but when Hillary Clinton was nominated in 2016, it was like hearing the biggest crack in that glass ceiling yet. She was the first female major party presidential nominee in United States history. Her nomination inspired other female leaders to continue pushing against the glass — or stained-glass as the situation might be — ceilings holding them back, empowering a movement of women across all levels and spheres of life.
For a group of young United Methodist clergywomen, it inspired a project to write daily prayers and devotionals encouraging fellow United Methodist woman, Hillary Clinton, both during and after the campaign.
During that time, our group developed a voice for encouraging women who lead in a variety of contexts. We came to realize that we, too, benefitted from the practice of writing, reading, and praying these devotions each day. As we wrote, it became clear that women in leadership need devotions as a way to connect with God during the daily challenges and joys that are a part of leading while female.
Since the project in its original form came to an end, many of us have discovered how much we miss the work of praying for women leaders in our world. We realized it was time for We Pray with Her to become a new project. It is time for a rebirth.
New life for “We Pray with Her” means supporting all of the “hers” leading in our world today — at home, in business, in the church, and in communities. Whether breaking glass ceilings or just starting up the ladder, you are not alone: and we are praying with you, too.
Who are the members of the We Pray With Her project?
Nearly 100 United Methodist clergy women (elders and deacons) under the age of 40 were part of the original project, and 70 of them have written devotions and prayers for the new We Pray With Her book coming in September of 2018. These women serve all over the country, from upstate New York to the West Coast to Atlanta to rural North Dakota. They also serve in a variety of ministerial roles in the local church, chaplaincy, academia, and more.
Given the virulent pushback that Hillary herself received, we recognized that such a project could be deemed partisan, despite the fact that one can pray for a leader without voting for her. We hope this solidarity and encouragement by women in all types of leadership will offer a unique kind of support to women leaders in a variety of contexts.
How is the money from the project serving others?
All royalties from the forthcoming book, “We Pray With Her: Encouragement for All Women Who Lead,” will support scholarships for young women who are certified candidates enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at one of the 13 United Methodist Seminaries. If you would like to make an additional donation to this scholarship fund, please follow the link to the General Board of Scholarship & Education who is administering the scholarship on behalf of the project.”