- Briefly share about yourself and how are you affiliated to Stark College & Seminary?
My name is Mara Morhouse. I’m an active-duty Navy chaplain. I work with Lieutenant Commander Tyler Dunn who is married to Dr. Jena Dunn, who is the Provost at Stark. And so, interestingly enough, I actually got to know Stark through a naval aviator who happened to be personally connected to “La Familia.”
I have also worked with Dr. Brent Rempel a bit on a preaching exchange (me preaching for Stark, Stark students preaching for the NASCC Chapel) and will participate in some focus groups y’all are hosting re: Stark’s developing MDiv program. So that’s how I know y’all. Lots of exciting stuff!
- What are some hopes you may have for the future generations of women theologians, pastors, or religious scholars?
There are a lot of really talented, thought-provoking and profound female scholars, theologians and pastors out there. They’ve got the skill, no doubt. But what I would wish for future generations is that they would experience belonging. That undeniable knowing, in the deepest parts of their soul, that their voices are important and uniquely valued in the Church and in academia. That they are needed to develop the community of saints and they can be trusted as leaders.
I actually asked a similar question to a fellow female Navy Chaplain recently. She’s an 0-6, high-ranking, has worked her butt off and has been successful. But when she became a chaplain (20ish years ago) it was a different military. The beginning of her ministry looked different than mine because she had to work to be allowed into “the club.” So, I asked her, “It seems like the goal of your generation’s work was to get us invited to the table. To be present at the table. What is the work of my generation?” She said, “Be planted at the table.” I thought that was such interesting imagery. So, I’ve been processing what it means to be planted (a woman’s voice) among men since in my context the military is predominantly male. Planted means rooted. Nourished. Blooming. Growing. Taking up space. Causing growth elsewhere (pollens, fruit, bees…I really processed this!) Now that we have a place at the table, it’s time to grow and produce and I’m down for that work.
- To celebrate the “history” part of Women’s History Month—is there a woman from history that you find especially inspiring?
This was actually fun for me to think about. When I was in seminary, I got kind of interested in the mystics and took a class on “Mary, Mystics and Martyrs” – phenomenal class taught by Rev. Dr. Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner. Between the required church history courses and this elective, I started becoming curious about these gals who were often in the background but incredibly powerful women. Hildegard of Bingen is one of my favorites. She was such a boss. A total polymath; a composer; a scientist; probably one of the first holistic medical physicians. She created her own language. She was an evangelist. She was alive in the 12th century but the church didn’t formally canonize her until 2012. She was a Benedictine nun.
Also, I like Saint Catherine of Siena. She came on the scene a little later in the 13th century. Her claim to fame was encouraging Pope Gregory XI to move the papacy from Avignon, France back to Rome. She kind of chastised him. The POPE! She did so with respect, of course, calling him “reverent Father,” but she also told him to stop acting like a child and man up and bring the papacy back to where it belonged. And he did! There were some other mystical things that occurred between them which aided her efforts but I’ll leave that up to the reader to look up and discover. It’s absolutely incredible how this important part of history plays out with the help of a woman.
Both of these historical figures were incredibly talented women that nobody really knows about in our modern Christian context. And they were totally badass.
- What qualities make a great female?
If we’re answering this according to scripture, I think one of my favorite scriptures defining women is Proverbs 31. The woman described in this chapter is not only blessing her family with her abilities, but also blessing her community. She is engaged in commerce. She’s trading. She’s owning. She’s Creating. She is hospitable. She is bringing peace and joy by her Godliness but also by her God-given skills. Wouldn’t you want to know her? Learn from her? Do business with her? Visit her home and be blessed by her? I would!
- Growing up, was there someone in your life that inspired you to become who you are today? Who was it and why?
I was surrounded by a lot of really accomplished and talented women growing up. As a kid, when our extended family got together for big dinners, there was always a formal cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres. Our job, as the youngest kids, was to pass the tray of “snacks” around and make sure everybody’s drink was full. I would eavesdrop on the conversations between the moms, aunts, grandmas, and cousins and the uncles and dads. I remember wondering in awe, “Will I ever be smart enough to be in these conversations?” 7-year-old me did not understand a darn thing that they were talking about! Yet, I always aspired to be as smart as them, and I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to eat the hors d’oeuvres and drink the cocktails while arguing politics and holding my ground (like they did!) I owe a lot to these aunts, cousins and grandmas; the women in my family who just by being themselves, inspired me to be educated and be confident in my brain.
However, the one who gets most of the credit is my mom. My mom has been with God for 13 years now so I didn’t realize this until reflecting on this question: she was kind of a Hildegard in her own right! She had books on homemade apothecary treatments, she was an art professor and a musician, and she was a prayer warrior. Sometimes she would walk around our house at night praying and would tell us about visions that she had. Mom would cook us huge breakfasts on Sundays (she was often discouraged by church politics so we didn’t attend regularly) and we would read the Bible and read Scientific American and then discuss the two together. She wasn’t always a Christian but when she became one, she was completely and holy submitted to Christ. All that she learned in her secular days only made her love Jesus more. It was a beautiful faith…and very mystical. I definitely sought to be like her and can’t wait to catch up with her some day in the heavenly realm.
- What piece of advice would you give to aspiring women professionals?
Step 1: Partner with God to know who you are. There are plenty of voices in this world that are more than willing to define who you are for you. My prayer is that at some point in your professional life, there will come a season where you STOP letting people tell you who you are, and you start getting to know yourself for who God created you to be. Sometimes this season is very, very painful. Sometimes it happens against your will. Sometimes you arrive at this season out of utter exhaustion (being who others want you to be is tiring!) But when that season is over, you’ll be able to confidently say, “I know who I am and I know why God made this way,” and that is one of the most empowering things you can do as a daughter of the Most High King. Honor His creation…which is you, sister! He created you, so be YOU. Emma Stone once said: “I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be yourself.” I tend to agree.
Step 2: Accept yourself at every stage of life. God is going to move you from glory to glory. Chapter to Chapter. Hallelujah! You’re not going to be at the same stage forever! However, not everyone will be supportive of you at every stage. In fact, some people will be outright mean. Jesus said to expect it. So why add to those voices? Be for yourself, don’t be against yourself. Be kind to yourself! Don’t be harsh on yourself. You are in dialogue with yourself MORE than anyone else; control that conversation and learn to accept and love yourself. Ok?
- Why is it important that more women are represented in church and theological institutional roles?
Then Adam said, “This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This one shall be called Woman (isha) for from man (ish) she was taken”. (Bereshit/Genesis 2:23) Man and woman are the fullness of God’s creation. Folks might say that the weakness of woman disqualifies her from some roles. But I would counter with this question: then why would our merciful God name woman Eve, the mother of ALL creation (even after “the fall”) if God didn’t desire for her to still have a role in nurturing and caring for and developing that creation?
Fast forward, I remember in seminary having this huge “aha” moment: without a womb, there would be no Jesus. The savior of humanity came into our midst via a woman. A woman! God used Mary to give birth to The Word and John’s gospel tells us that NOTHING was created outside of Him. A bit mind-blowing if you ask me. The parallels between Eve and Mary – mothers of creation – are astounding and beautiful. I just don’t see how you can reflect on that and arrive at a conclusion where women are excluded from roles that teach, nourish, preach, guide, etc. They’re needed in those roles.
And, for those women who aren’t moms or can’t identify with Eve/Mary in that specific way…let us not forget about Ya’el and how she drove a tent peg through a man’s skull changing the outcome of a war. Sometimes, ladies, we can do things that the boys can’t. Just sayin’.
- What are some of the struggles you faced while in academia as a female student of theology, and how did you learn from it?
I attended a Methodist seminary. In the UMC, women in ministry were not only accepted but encouraged. Because I was non-denominational, however, most of the pushback I faced in being a female pastor came from the churches I attended. This was so ironic because it was in a non-denominational church that I heard my call to ministry. I think that was almost more painful. In academia – you are struggling with new material, new knowledge, and it’s somewhat expected to have knee-jerk reactions when you are challenged in doctrine and praxis. You’re learning. But to encounter a church, a spiritual family and authority that says, “We don’t support you because we believe God doesn’t either…” that can be incredibly wounding. In time, I was able to heal from those wounds and I can honestly look back and see how SILLY that opposition was. God sent me on the journey anyway, despite their disapproval. He opened doors some men wouldn’t open and now I think back on it all and honestly shrug and say to myself, “Oh well! What a shame.”
If I could pull any advice from my own experiences, I would say it is essential to surround yourself with people who believe God has called you. People who encourage you as you learn and wrestle with doubt. People who save your seat at the table because they don’t doubt you or your calling. People who can pray over you, pray with you, and shelter you when you’re tired and second guessing the whole darn thing. Mentors, teachers, spiritual parents. If you don’t have these, ask God to bring them to you ASAP. And when they arrive, USE them! It’s as much for support as it is for accountability. And those who love you will give you both because both are essential to this life of ministry.
- Any added advice to women?
Keep going sister. There will always be reasons to quit. Millions. Make a list if you want, but know this: the Lord will have His way! So just remember that the process is often more important than the product. Let mistakes teach you. Let disappoints form you. Don’t be defeated by them. Be resilient. Be gritty. Be confident. Be bold. Be yourself…and just don’t give up yet. Keep. Going.