Delaney Metcalf is currently a Master of Divinity student at Campbell University Divinity School and an Ernest C. Hynds Jr. intern at Good Faith Media for the spring of 2024.
What story, verse or passage from your faith tradition’s sacred texts has significantly influenced/shaped your life?
The most significant message I remember from childhood was not necessarily a story but a collective of who Jesus is. In Sunday School, I heard and learned all about how he loves people. The Jesus that formed in my mind was loving, caring and inviting. There was no one he did not love. From this connection, at twelve years old, I knew my calling to follow in his footsteps. I wanted to build the kingdom that Jesus imagined.
Who are three people (other than your family) who have shaped your life and worldview? And why?
The first person who fully welcomed me in a way I will always remember is Dr. Randall Lolley. He became an interim pastor at the church I grew up in. His Christlike love and care always stood out. I was always excited to see Dr. Lolley.
During the part of the worship service when you would greet neighbors, I would run down the center aisle to hug him. Furthermore, he did something for me that I will never forget. On his last Sunday, I asked him to baptize me. He came back on a later Sunday to do so. From this experience, I learned how to carry the ministry of Christ – welcoming people with love and care.
Growing up, I did not necessarily feel support for my call. Women were not in leadership positions, such as the pastorate or in the pulpit. One church my family attended clearly explained women are not to have authority in the church and are to submit to men. These teachings were confusing.
How was I supposed to follow the call of God if I was a woman? When I read feminist theology for the first time, my world changed. Elizabeth Johnson’s “She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse” showed me women are called to ministry. It offered my first feminine experience of God. I was no longer restricted to reformed or male-dominated theology. Further works of Johnson and Letty Russell illuminated my perspective and showed me I could be a female theologian.
The congregation at Greystone Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina has become a church family I will never forget. They were the first group of people to welcome me as me and support my calling into ministry. I have become a deacon (something previously told I could never do) and have begun the ordination process. Furthermore, I have the opportunity of watching three wonderful women—Chrissy Tatum Williamson, April Alston, and Anna Beth Cross—preach, lead and teach a church. Growing up, I could only imagine women in ministry.
Now, I am surrounded by them. My dream and story have come full circle.
List three of your “desert island” books, movies or TV shows.
Anything by Brene Brown, the movie “Inception” and the show “Fringe”
What is one of the most critical issues people are facing today?
Church trauma and hurt are very real. The place that was supposed to be the most welcoming and loving is not. Sexual abuse is happening in congregations and by clergy leaders. Denominations and churches fight over supporting women in ministry and LGBTQIA individuals. With all this occurring in the background, Christians have to decide whether to keep attending church or follow another path.
What are a few of your hobbies?
I love to read books of different genres, such as theology, psychology and fiction. Daily, I listen to music and podcasts on true crime and theology.
If you could freeze your life into an already-lived 10 seconds, what would they be?
I am not one to outwardly show much emotion. However, when I received the news via email that I was accepted into divinity school, I started to scream with excitement. I ran around my apartment at school not knowing what to do with all the energy. My dreams and hard work had finally come into picture. I had waited and planned for this moment for around seven years. I would go back to these ten seconds of reading the news and soaking in joy.
Our tagline at Good Faith Media is, “There’s more to tell.” What’s your “more to tell”?
As a lover of books and stories, there is something I always like to remember: everyone’s life is a story as well. It’s made up of the messy, the complicated and the beautiful. Our lives are testimonies to where we have interacted with God, others, and ourselves. Transformation and connection with someone else begin when you start listening.
Reflection and resources at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens.
