On this episode of The Alabaster Jar, Dr. Lynn Cohick and Kelly Dippolito talk with Melissa Pillman, a Pastor and Elder at Missio Dei Wrigleyville in Chicago. They discuss Melissa’s experiences as a female pastor, her journey toward embracing her role, and the importance of being recognized as a pastor within her church.

The conversation also delves into the church’s involvement in supporting asylum seekers in Chicago, their collaboration with other churches, and the challenges they face in finding adequate funding and support for their efforts.

Episode Breakdown:

0:03 – Pastoral roles and identity
5:17 – Naming and recognizing spiritual gifts and serving the immigrant community
9:46 – Housing asylum seekers in a Chicago church
15:13 – Using churches as sanctuaries for immigrants
20:10 – Church support for immigrant families
24:55 – Church identity and response to crisis
30:12 – Recognizing and cultivating spiritual gifts in pastors and their communities

Episode Resources:

Missio Dei Wrigleyville

The Letter to the Ephesians (New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT)) by Dr. Lynn H. Cohick

World Relief

Faith Community Initiative

Episode Sponsor:

The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology.