Kristen Caldwell

Currently I live in Ohio with my husband, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Everett Caldwell, where we serve in ministry together. I am an ordained minister and theologian. My doctoral research goal is to discover the primary hindrances women face in fulfilling their call to ministry. Therefore, my primary angle will be examining the various theological, historical and sociological dimensions as it intersects with women clergy. I received a B.A. in Bible/Preaching from Central Bible College and a Master of Divinity in Biblical Studies from Ashland Theological Seminary. I have served as Assistant Pastor at Faith Christian Fellowship and preached in various churches in Ohio. I have also served as the Ohio State Director for the World Council of Independent Christian Churches, overseeing ministers and chaplains. As a little girl of missionaries from China, I always wanted to sit with the pastors… thinking I could never be one. Not seeing a woman pastor until I was 21, I adamantly believed God did not call women to preach. Consequently, it took about 10 years before I was able to unlock the meaning of a childhood memory, buried underneath my skepticism. One reason I have engaged in this struggle is understanding that my story is one of many other stories of women, who while seeking to find their way, are overcoming various dynamics of inequality by the power and grace of God at work in their life.