LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

In my home office, centered between the two windows that look out onto campus, I have a framed quote from C.S. Lewis that reads,The development of women's leadership at Indiana Wesleyan University has deep roots, notably influenced by early Methodist leaders like John Wesley and Francis Asbury. Both men demonstrated remarkable openness to women's spiritual authority, laying a foundation that would later support expanded leadership opportunities.

John Wesley was heavily influenced by the example of the Apostle Paul, who regularly utilized and supported women in leadership. The names of Junia, Tabitha, Priscilla, Phillip's Daughters, Euodia, Syntyche, and more are frequently mentioned in his letters for their leadership and service in the early Church.

Significantly impacted by the leadership gifts of his mother, Susanna Wesley, John Wesley encouraged women to lead class meetings and even preach, so long as they demonstrated clear spiritual gifts. Notable figures like Mary Bosanquet Fletcher, one of the first women recognized as a preacher in Methodism, were empowered by Wesley’s support. She defended female preaching using both Scripture and Wesley’s endorsement.

Francis Asbury, a key figure in spreading Methodism in America, similarly respected the contributions of women. Asbury encouraged the spiritual leadership of women in private and communal settings. He frequently visited and supported the work of women who led Methodist societies, such as Barbara Heck, the "Mother of American Methodism." A later holiness leader, Phoebe Palmer, founded her ministry on the roots of Asbury's ecclesial structures.

Today, the tradition continues in The Wesleyan Church, and particularly at Indiana Wesleyan University, to promote women in all areas of leadership, in part because of the theological foundations laid by Wesley and Asbury. Following their legacy to the early days of the denomination in the 19th century, The Wesleyan Methodist Connection, one of the movements that formed today's Wesleyan Church, supported abolition, education, and women's rights. In fact, Luther Lee, one of its early leaders, preached the ordination sermon of the first woman ordained in the U.S., Antoinette Brown, in 1853.

This legacy invites modern Christians to reflect not only on historical precedents but also on how the Spirit calls and equips leaders – whether male or female - for the work of the Kingdom. The leadership of Wesley and Asbury disrupted the norms of their time. It inspired later generations of women to claim their voices in pulpits, seminaries, and leadership positions across the Church.