A few years ago, I found my first diary in an old storage bin in my house. I flipped through the pages, and came across this entry, written in gel pen, from ten-year-old Margie:
Important Questions:
- Who made God?
- Is God really a boy?
When people ask, “When did you feel called to ministry?” I think of that entry, written in sparkly gel pen, with an earnest mind and a searching heart leaning over the page. Over the years, I have stayed curious about those questions and many more, wanting to explore who God is and what God’s son is doing in the world. That little girl with her sparkly gel pen went on to serve different churches and attend seminary, doing her best to scramble after Jesus when he says, “Come.”
He continues to wave his worn hand my way, ushering me to follow him, even as I trip over my shoelaces.
In December, after 205 years, Vine Street Christian Church called me to be their first woman Senior Minister. I’ll never forget hugging a young mother who was holding her toddler, tears in both of our eyes, as she expressed how powerful it is that her daughter will see someone like her lead a church.
I think about the women pastors who are pregnant or who are new mothers, who experience menstruation or miscarriage as they faithfully follow the gospel. I think about the women at the cross. When a lot of the Disciples scattered, they remained, bearing witness to the pain of another. We are good at that, aren’t we?
I have a framed quote by my desk in my new office. It reads, I learned that I could be both wild and holy. I hope that I don’t lose my wildness in pursuit of holiness. I have learned from enough women leaders that I can be both. One more quote I’ve been thinking about:
I found God in myself and I loved her. I loved her fiercely.
Perhaps that’s the great commission for such a time as this:
Find God, Love God, and Love Her Fiercely.
– Rev. Margie Quinn
An excerpt of this blog post appeared in the March 2026 issue of the New Church Know-It-All.
