Young Clergy Women International

Who We Are

Young Clergy Women International is a network of the youngest ordained clergy women, defined as those under forty. …read more…

Our Community

We are our members. The young clergy women that join our project make us the dynamic group we are. …read more…

Our Publications

YCWI publishes new, fresh and evocative articles every Tuesday and Thursday written by members of our community on Fidelia’s Sisters. …read more…

Our Conferences

YCWI offers conferences for continuing education and in-person fellowship. …read more…

Fidelia Magazine Articles

A decorative image of the inside layers of a red onionStux from Pixabay.com

Layers: Responding to Comments Pastorally

Susan is a pastor transitioning to a new call. While introducing herself to the congregations, she engaged in conversation that one would expect around ministry, such as balancing time. But when a question came up about whether she was even…
Read more
A decorative photo of a statue depicting a bare foot pushing off of a wave.Courtney Young

The Heroine’s Journey, Part Ten: Heroine Integrates the Masculine and Feminine

This devotional is the final installment in a series exploring the kinship between the Heroine’s Journey as established by Maureen Murdock, my lived experience of ministry as a female clergy person, and a few familiar fictional characters.…
Read more
A decorative image of a fence of varying heights.Pixabay at Pexels

Pastoral Care with Persons with Narcissistic and Antisocial Personality Disorder: An Interview with The Rev. MaryJane Inman

Although I work in a specialized setting of a state psychiatric hospital, when speaking to church pastors I sometimes recognize behaviors and problems they describe as having similarities to those I witness in the psych hospital. Some of those…
Read more
A decorative image of two women talking.Adobe Stock

Keeping It Real: Friends Who Ask the Right Questions

“Would you be asked to do that if you were married?” My friend Catherine always cuts to the heart of the matter, not mincing words. She is the person who calls out the disparity in expectations that congregations hold, either explicitly…
Read more
A decorative image of a person with a shaved head looking out of a window with rain running down the pane.Klaus Nielsen

Ministering to Persons who Have Depression or Anxiety

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), depression and anxiety are the most common mental illnesses diagnosed in the United States. With almost a third of adults experiencing symptoms related to one or both of these illnesses,…
Read more
A decorative image of two Barbie dolls, one in pink, and one in black and white stripesCourtney Young

Barbie: A Goddess Travels to the Underworld and the Necessity of Divine Paradox

Venus figurines are among the oldest pieces of art humans have created. Through them we can see that there is an ancient relationship between figurines and the elevation of some kind of ideal on behalf of a community or culture. Venuses in their…
Read more
A decorative image of a woman's face refracted over and over again.cottonbro studio

Pastoral Care with People with Thought Disorders

For most church pastors, it can be intimidating to consider giving pastoral care to someone with a psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia, or someone who is paranoid. People who face a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder make up approximately…
Read more

New YCWI Board Recruitment Structure – Nominating Committee

Dear YCWI Community,  As we move forward in our work to ensure the diversity of our membership is reflected in our Board, we are creating an independent Nominating Committee.  The Nominating Committee will be composed of 5 members…
Read more