b'Elder Rosalyn Coleman:Ministry TrailblazerBy Debra YoungMore and more women today are answering the callAfter high school Coleman attended Morris Brown totheministry,whichhistoricallyhasbeenamaleCollegeinAtlantaGAmajoringinPsychology. dominatedprofession.TodaywomeninministryWhenshegraduatedfromcollege,shewas canbefoundinleadershiprolesatalllevelsofthedisappointed that she had not heard back from any of churchpastors, elders and even bishops.This wouldthe schools she wanted to attend to study psychiatry. not have been possible but for the brave women inOnedaywhilevisitinghersister(aWomanist ministrythroughouthistorywhohaveblazedtheTheologian)attheInterdenominationalTheological path.OnesuchtrailblazerCenteracrossfromMorris isElderRosalynColeman,BrownCollegeDr.Cecil PresidingElderoftheCone,DeanatTurner ColumbiaDistrictintheTheologicalSeminaryand SeventhEpiscopalDistrictLiberationTheologian,saw oftheAfricanMethodistherandcalledherintohis Episcopal (AME) Church. office.Irecallhimasking mewhatweremyplansfor Coleman,alifelongAME,mylife.Afterleavinghis describedherupbringingoffice Coleman says she went asapreacherskid.Herdirectlytotheadmissions fatherservedasapastorinofficeandregisteredfor theAMEchurchfor39seminary.Shefiguredshe years.FromkindergartenwouldenrollatTurner toeighthgrade,ColemanTheologicalSeminaryuntil attendedCatholicschoolandmasseverymorning.sheheardfromherchosenschool.Afterstarting Sherememberscominghomeonedayandsayingher second semester, Coleman heard from the school to her father that she wanted to be a nun.He toldshe initially applied to, but by then she says she had her as long as you are in my house you are AME,made up her mind to stay at Turner. I always knew sherememberedsmiling.Bythetimesheleftherthat whatever I did I was going to be serving God fathers house he had instilled in her what it meantbecauseGodwasnumberoneinmyhousehold, to be an AME and he taught her to love the church. Coleman said emphatically.Coleman has two sisters Coleman says that her desire to be a nun subsided asintheministry,oneinacademiaandtheothera she graduated high school and went to college. Butpastor. When she took the step to answer the call to ministrywasstillinmyveins,sheacknowledged.ministry, she was grateful that her dad and sister were Enteringtheministrywasjustanaturaltransitionthere for her.formebecausethatiswhatmyparentsdidand thatiswhatIobservedallthoseyears,soitwasaA Change of Plansnaturalthing.ColemansaysthatshealwaysfeltAfterseminaryColemanplannedtojointhe called,becauseshewasalwaystaughtthatshehadmilitarybecause,sheexplains,whiletherewerea a responsibility, first of all, to God and then to helpfew women who were out there beating down some people.ofthosebushes,theyhadnotbeenreceivingthe 12IMARA'