Dear Westwood Family,
According to The Book of Discipline, the primary purpose of the Commission on the Status and Role of Women (COSROW) is “to challenge the United Methodist Church… to a continuing commitment to the full and equal responsibility and participation of women in the total life and mission of the Church, sharing fully in the power and the policy-making at all levels of the Church’s life.”
As the Cal-Pac conference co-chair, that vital charge has been on my mind all year. Back in January, a spark was lit during our monthly COSROW meetings. I brought the idea of a local celebration to Dr. Carter and Pastor Molly, who immediately jumped on it. It was a collective dream from the start, and we spent months working together behind the scenes to bring it to life.
That initial spark truly became a fire as the months went on. One major ignition point was Pastor Molly’s incredible work gathering women who have been connected to Westwood over the decades. The other was when Denise Freese and I traveled to Indianapolis for the Women’s Assembly alongside my COSROW co-chair, Pastor Stephanie Rice (Glendale First UMC).
Surrounded by 3,000 United Methodist in Faith, the Assembly’s theme—“Dream it! Believe it! Do it!”—came alive in every workshop and community gatherings. The General Secretary of COSROW, Stephanie York, served as theologian in residence, powerfully reminding us of our collective call to Lead, Preach, and Teach. Denise and I left so inspired that we are already eyeing Spokane in 2028 and Richmond in 2030!
Next week, Stephanie Rice and I are carrying this momentum to the Cal-Pac Annual Conference to lift up all our regional women leaders, celebrating 70 years of full ordination and nearly 300 years of women’s leadership in the Methodist tradition.
But the heart of this journey culminated right here on May 30th. When I first came to Westwood in 1996, we were blessed with two women pastors—Sharon and Jane—and Bishop Mary Ann. Today, that legacy continues with Pastor Molly and Bishop Dottie. On May 30th, the sanctuary and the patio were filled with that very history as Mary Ann, Sharon, Natalie, Dottie, Kathy, Jane, Jeanne, Molly, and Blair all joined us.
Hearing from these phenomenal leaders—with ordination dates spanning from the 1970s through the 2020s—was a profound gift. Learning how much their distinct experiences have shaped their ministries over the last fifty years gave us all a living lesson in how the landscape of the church has changed—and how far we still have to go.
The morning was made even sweeter by the absolute powerhouse of our women’s group, who hosted the beautiful reception on the patio. Over 30 of us came together to bake, prep fruit, and coordinate logistics. A massive, heartfelt thank you to Tonia, Keri, Rhonda, Jane, Denise, Patricia, Mary, Janet, Stephanie, Jo, Rebecca, Sherry, Kimberly, Pat, Johanna, Nancy, Heather, Shirley, Yongju, Louise, Carol, Diana, Patti, Yoteen, Rebecca, Beverly, Yinka, Sherry, and so many more!
We challenged ourselves, we collaborated, and together, we truly did it. Thank you, Westwood, for continuing to be a place where women share fully in the life, power, and mission of the Church.
Ellen Evans Agee
