How Women Hear the Sermon (with Pamela MacRae)

How Women Hear the Sermon (with Pamela MacRae)

Author: Mike Neglia May 27, 2025 Duration: 47:48

In this episode, Mike speaks with Dr Pamela MacRae, Professor of Ministry to Women and Ministry to Victims of Sexual Exploitation at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. With decades of experience in local church ministry and nearly twenty years teaching at Moody, Dr MacRae offers thoughtful insight on how preachers can communicate the Bible with clarity and care - particularly when speaking to congregations that are often more than half women.

Pam reflects on the first time she taught the Bible, how she has grown as a communicator, and what bad habits she has worked to leave behind. She and Mike also discuss her chapter How Women Hear the Sermon from The Moody Handbook of Preaching, exploring the dynamics of how women engage with preaching and what opportunities and challenges that presents.

The conversation also touches on a class she teaches called Pastoral Care of Women, which equips male pastoral students to preach and minister more thoughtfully to the women in their churches. She offers advice to male pastors and preachers - particularly those from complementarian settings - on how to serve the women in their churches with greater attentiveness and understanding.

This episode is a valuable conversation for anyone serious about teaching the Bible faithfully to the whole church.


Recommended resources: 

Shepherding Women in Pain: Real Women, Real Issues, and What You Need to Know to Truly Help


Beverly Hislop

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7944332-shepherding-women-in-pain 

 

Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women

By Elyse Fitzpatrick and Eric Schumacher :

https://elysefitzpatrick.com/book/worthy-celebrating-the-value-of-women/ 

Cheer Her On interview with Dr MacRae:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7HeHAKwRTwTYESbPres1bq?si=fc0f8cffa8764a78 


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Mike Neglia hosts Expositors Collective: Expository Preaching, Bible Teaching and Sermon Preparation, a space dedicated to the craft of clearly opening the Scriptures. Rather than offering abstract theory, this podcast grounds itself in the tangible realities faced by pastors and teachers every week. You'll hear genuine conversations that feel like pulling up a chair in a mentor's study, where experienced practitioners discuss the challenges and joys of preparing messages that faithfully explain the biblical text. Episodes often take the form of interviews or practical workshops, delving into the nuances of effective communication for diverse settings like church pulpits, youth groups, or women's ministries. The collective wisdom shared here is about more than just structure; it's about the spiritual discipline of listening to a passage before speaking on it, ensuring the sermon's heart beats in rhythm with the Bible's intent. Tuning into this podcast provides a form of ongoing coaching, a resource for anyone who wants their teaching to be both deeply rooted and readily understood. It’s for those who believe that the careful work of exposition is a profound act of service, and who are looking for a companion on that journey.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Expositors Collective: Expository Preaching, Bible Teaching and Sermon Preparation
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