Can a Sistah Get a Little Help?: Encouragement for Black Women in Ministry (PB) (2008)

Can a Sistah Get a Little Help? Encouragement for Black Women in Ministry focuses on how Black women can faithfully continue to navigate the internal and external challenges of ministry. Drawing from experiences throughout her twenty-two years in ordained ministry and as a seminary professor, Teresa L. Fry Brown asserts she has learned that with a set of cultural coping mechanisms and values, African American women can not only survive but thrive as leaders and mentors in spite of the brick ceiling. These coping mechanisms and values include survival skills; network and support systems; a work ethic; mentors and sponsors; a sense of self-worth and self-confidence; spiritual values; a balance in life; a leadership style; and acultural identity. In preparation for the book, Brown spoke with approximately 200 ordained and 450 laywomen in ministry about the issues most relevant to them. Here, in the form of remembrances, vignettes, and discussions, and interwoven with common concerns raised by these women, she shares the lessons learned and to be learned during a journey to self-empowerment in ministry.