Joyce Sommerville Interview
JOYCE SOMMERVILLE: I am Rev. Joyce Sommerville and I attend the Macedonia Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon, NY where the Reverend Darren Morton is our Interim Pastor and I am serving there as an Associate Minister. I have been a member of this church since 1963 approximately. I was born in Weldon, North Carolina. I attended Weldon city schools and I went to Elizabeth City State University and received my Bachelor of Science degree in Business Education. And I moved to New York when I graduated from college. And I joined Macedonia Baptist Church, where I am very happy and I have been here ever since. And I received my call to the ministry under the Pastorship of Rev. Richard H. Dixon, Jr. And the odd thing about it is that I didn't believe in women preachers. I was reared in the south and I didn't see much of it when I was there and I it was indoctrinated in me that it was something for men only. But when I got off the "milk" of the word and got on the "meat" of the word, then I understood the word of God. And I said, I don't believe that God is going to send me to hell for preaching the gospel. And of course, I ran. I didn't believe that God would call a young girl who used to stand barefoot on the railroad tracks in North Carolina to preach the gospel, so I ran as long as I could. But I finally received it.
MORRIS: So, you were professed your call to the ministry in the 1990s, but you were called to the ministry in the 1960s. What was going on between that period of time?
JOYCE SOMMERVILLE: Well, I had gotten married. And I had one child, Carl Sommerville. And I began to work in the church: teach, go to Sunday School, attend Bible Study, I even taught Bible Study, taught Membership Orientation classes, and I became the Director of Christian Education. And I just began to really study the word of God and understand the deepness of the word and why Jesus really had to come and how much He really loves us. And I began to have a desire to win souls and to talk to people and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And it wasn't enough to just teach it or lecture on women's day; I really wanted to have the fullness of proclaiming the word of God. And of course, I had my trials and my struggles and my backsliding, but I finally made up my mind that I just wanted to live for Christ. I just surrendered everything to Him. I wanted to see something in the sky; I wanted to hear an audible voice, but I realized that that wasn't going to happen to everybody. I had the burning and nothing could satisfy this burning; it was only satisfied when I said yes to Christ.
MORRIS: You talked about being Director of Christian Education and taught Sunday School, so there was already a teaching ministry that was going forth. Would you say that there is a difference between a teaching ministry and a preaching ministry?
JOYCE SOMMERVILLE: Well the Bible says "we should be apt to teach". And so teaching is when you are simply explaining the word of God. It concerns meanings of words and geographical explanations and theological theories, but preaching is when you proclaim it from your soul. It's like a well of living water springing up out of your belly where you just have to get it out. You preach for a verdict. You're not just teaching so people can understand. You are teaching to win somebody. You are preaching to convict someone. You are looking for someone to change their mind, to change their lifestyle, for someone to have a breakthrough.
MORRIS: Anyone who has the knowledge base can teach, but there has to be an experience to preach. Is there any formal training in your background? Did you attend any theological seminary or college?
JOYCE SOMMERVILLE: I attended Christian Life School of Theology, the Beacon University branch in Mount Vernon out of Columbus, Georgia. I attended for seven years and I receive my associate's degree in Christian Theology and I am still pursuing my Master's from the same school.
MORRIS: You talked about your early start and some of the foundational beliefs that you were taught concerning the role of women in ministry. When and where did you come to the understanding that the role of women was greater than what you were initially taught?
JOYCE SOMMERVILLE: You know, there was just such a burning in myself. And I thought that women could teach, but I didn't think that women should preach or even be in the pulpit. I knew that the man was the head and I didn't think that women should pastor men or govern over men in any form. But then I remembered when Jesus told Mary Magdalene to go and tell the people that He was the Savior and I said, well He sent her. And then I thought about other women in the Bible: Lydia and Phoebe and Anna. And I began to say, I know He's not going to send me to hell for preaching. All I'm doing is preaching the gospel. And so, I just got that old school out of my head. I'm not trying to boss anyone or trying to govern anyone; I'm just trying to preach the gospel! And then I met so many other women who were preaching and I just decided that I wasn't going to be bound by that any longer.
MORRIS: So, to the woman who believes that she has been called to the ministry, but still has tradition rooted into her, what do you say to her?
JOYCE SOMMERVILLE: I would just tell her to stay prayerful, to keep serving, to keep studying, and just recognize the anointing (which is the power of the Holy Ghost) that God has put on them and just stay close to Him and if they feel the calling, to just go on with it; don't be discouraged and don't be held back. Your prayer should be, "Lord, put me where you want me to be". And if you are really ready to do it, He will open that door for you.
MORRIS: What final words would you leave with our readers about where the church is today?
JOYCE SOMMERVILLE: Well, I would just like to say that I don't look at women in ministry as anything sexist (like we are just out for women). We know that the first duty of a woman in ministry is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to men, women, boys and girls to win souls who are lost.But as a woman, I do feel that women in ministry can help others who have these problems (because our issues are different than men). As a woman, I can speak to women in ways where some male preachers don't dare go. We have different things that men don't go through. And there are so many lonely women, so many widows, so many young, single women, so many divorced women. I look out my window and I see young girls pushing strollers through the snow. You go to the grocery store and see women shopping alone. You go to restaurants and you see all women sitting together. It's like the women have been left to fend for themselves. And I feel that women need a forum to discuss these issues and to be healed. I believe that where the church is now is that we have to come out of the tradition because the generation has changed. I mean, when we were growing up, we didn't see momma in the bed with her boyfriend... we didn't see momma on "dope"... we didn't see them on crack and involved in prostitution. But the children today see it all. So, the church has to come out of the "churchology" and get out there and deal with the problems of today. We are going to have to get our clothes dirty now. It's no longer just singing in the choir, sitting in the meeting discussing corsages and what color we're going to wear when people are dying at the door steps of the church. We have to come out of the church now and hit the streets. The kids are crying out for help while we are in the church celebrating with each other. The church has to "come out of the closet" and hit the streets!
