In June of 2015, about 20 women gathered in London for a meeting to discuss women’s ministries in complementarian contexts around the world. Our hope was to learn from one another and encourage each other in our task.
We heard from women in Australia, South Africa, Europe, UAE, and the USA. Led by the Proclamation Trust, we first met at The Evangelical Ministry Assembly (EMA) and enjoyed excellent teaching and fellowship. Afterwards, we traveled to The Oast House Retreat Center to debrief, discuss, and get to know one another.
It was one of those gatherings that left me wanting to share with others the kingdom work being done by women in a variety of settings. I’ve asked these ladies to tell us a bit about their ministries, so that we can all glean from their wisdom and prayerfully support their labors around the world.
Today, we’ll get a glimpse into the ministry work of Karen Soole. She lives in Lancaster in the North of England and for the past 20 years has ministered at a variety of places. In the last year she and her husband have been involved with establishing a new Church – Trinity Church Lancaster. She helps teach of the North West Ministry training course and is the chair of the Northern Women’s Convention.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Brought up in a Christian home I learnt the hard way about the importance of handling scripture correctly. When I first left home I ended up involved in a ‘Christian cult’ drawn in by their enthusiasm and by my belief that if they said Jesus is Lord they must be alright. When I left after two difficult years I was told that by rejecting them I would never have a relationship with God. A friend persuaded me to go to St Helen’s Bishopsgate where I heard the gospel again and learnt to fully understand the work of Christ on the cross.
At St Helen’s under the ministry of Dick Lucas I learnt how to read and study the bible, and how to teach the bible to small groups. It was there that I met my husband. Together we have shared a passion for helping others to learn how to handle the word of truth correctly. We have led a variety of small groups over the years from training leaders to evangelistic bible studies. We have taught children, teenagers, students, and adults of all ages. Our ministry has taken us from London, to Nottingham, Leyland and now Lancaster. In Lancaster my husband works part time as a doctor and we have four nearly grown up children.
Can you share with us a little about the culture where you live and the work you are doing?
Lancaster is in the north of England. It is very small city but it has two universities, it attracts some professionals but it is much less prosperous than the south of England. I have a role regionally and locally although I am not formally employed or paid in any ministry position. My husband and I are ‘tentmakers’ seeking to serve God to the utmost without being a financial burden to the Church.
I am involved in training women in a regionally in a variety of ways but mostly through The North West Ministry Training Course. I organize The Northern Women’s Convention – an annual day of bible teaching for women from the whole of the North of England. I am passionate about helping women become women of the word. Over the last few years we have had the privilege of enjoying the teaching of some familiar Gospel Coalition speakers: Kathleen Nielson, Nancy Guthrie and Carrie Sandom.
Because of my work regionally I often speak at evangelistic events for women and also for students. This term I am speaking at several universities on the subject of feminism and the gospel which I hope to write up in book form to provide a resource for christian girls to pass on to their unbelieving feminist friends.
What are some of the challenges of your ministry in Lancaster? What are some of the joys?
This last year has been one of great change. My husband and I with one other couple began a ‘church start’ in Lancaster meeting in a local Methodist church which did not use its building on a Sunday mornings. We wanted to be in the public square not behind closed doors so we could engage the local community. This summer we have had to move on from there because they decided we are not ‘an inclusive’ church which interpreted means we do not like your position on sexuality or the role of women. We are a tiny church with about 15 -20 of us now proclaiming Christ and Him crucified week by week but as we do so we are very conscious that we are part of God’s worldwide church and we are joining with the praise of saints from across the world.
In what ways have you seen the Lord at work?
He has provided us places to meet! Despite being removed from our first building we now can rent a community centre which has turned out to be better and gives us lots more scope for outreach.
The real joy of ministry is people. Last autumn I was contacted by a postgraduate student who saw Trinity’s advert on Facebook – she had just moved into the area and said she was not a christian but wanted someone to explain the bible to her and from our website she thought it looked like we might be able to . I started meeting with her in a local pub, she had many challenging questions and devoured all the books I gave her but especially she grappled with the bible. On my fiftieth birthday after six months of meeting she gave me my best present – a card in which she wrote that she had been like the man in Mark’s gospel who said ‘Lord I believe help my unbelief” but now God had answered her prayer! She is a delightful additional to our baby church. She is keen to serve and has just done an online catering course so we can have a cooked English breakfast in the community centre before our service on Sundays.
How have you been encouraged or supported in your ministry by pastors and elders?
My husband is my pastor! He has taught me and encouraged me to use my gifts to the full. He believes that reaching out with the gospel to women is vitally important ministry and supported my not returning to secular employment after we had our children so that I could care for them and do as much women’s ministry as possible. I thank the Lord for him! I am also grateful for the ministry of Dick Lucas and leaders at St Helen’s Bishopsgate who taught me many years ago to be rigorous in handling scripture and gave me a passion to share God’s word with others.
For those reading this today, what are two specific ways we can pray for your work?
P
lease pray for our church in Lancaster that we may reach out to ‘lost sheep’ who know nothing of Jesus. Please pray that we may have more workers for the harvest field and that our church may be established and secure for the long haul so that the light of the gospel keeps shining out.
Please pray for the work I am trying to do reaching young women for Christ. In particular pray that I may find the time to produce a useful resource that can communicate the gospel to contemporary feminist women.
To learn more about Karen, you can visit her blog, Karen’s Desk or find her on twitter. Her book, Unleash the Word (10 of those.com) is available here or as an ebook.
