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What's being said about the book: Making a Way out of No Way

“Monica Coleman’s elegant prose makes Making a Way out of No Way a clear and accessible introduction to postmodern womanist theology. This book is a wonderful synthesis of the best of the past with attention to the foibles of our twenty-first-century present and realistic hope for creative future possibilities.”

Karen Baker-Fletcher,  Ph.D. Professor of Systematic Theology at Perkins School of Theology,  Southern Methodist University 
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Minister

 

I was not the little girl who thought, “When I grow up, I want to be a minister.” But I did grow up loving church, loving God and loving church work. It took awhile for me to find my own voice and style in ministry. My preferred places of worship and service are those locales that foster spiritual development, a genuine sense of community, inclusive language & politics, and social justice commitments.

I was christened in my parent's home church of Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington D.C. I grew up at Bethel AME Church in Ann Arbor, MI. While in college, I became active in Harvard Christian Impact , an affiliate of Campus Crusade for Christ as a Bible study leader. I also attended St. Paul AME Church in Cambridge, MA. In July of 1994, I accepted my call to the preaching and ordained ministry. In August of 1999, I was ordained an itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

In search of formal training, I went to Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, TN. While there, I affiliated with Lee Chapel AME Church. I also served as a pastoral assistant at Metropolitan Interdenominational Church . I benefited from the AME offices in the Nashville area. I worked with the Christian Education Department and wrote articles for the Christian Recorder and AME Church Review. During my five years in Nashville, I learned more about myself and the ministry to which God is calling me. At that time, I picked up the affectionate moniker, “Rev. Monica.”

I moved to California for my doctoral studies. While in southern California, I worshipped at Johnson Chapel AME Church in Santa Ana. For two years, I lived in Atlanta, GA where I worshipped at Antioch AME Church and Circle of Grace Community Church . I enjoy parish ministry – especially teaching spiritual disciplines, teaching and preaching reimagined understandings of biblical texts and working with young adults. Yet I've always had a broad definition of ministry. I have found ministry in writing, teaching, and social justice work. I have tried to build my personal and professional lives around these things. For more information, check out the following bio-narratives