MEDIA RELEASE - Australian Women Preach looks to new directions
13 February 2025
The team behind the Australian Women Preach podcast is looking towards new directions, four years after launching a platform to raise women’s voices in preaching the Gospel.
With more than 200 episodes and almost 50,000 listens, the podcast has provided a space for Australian women to break open the Gospel with theological insight and relevance to contemporary life. It has been a gift of hope and renewal for many.
“Australian Women Preach is seeking new ways to be a prophetic voice on the inclusion of women,” said Tracy McEwan, a founding member of the podcast team.
“Preaching is a Spirit-given gift that is not restricted to the ordained. Everyone benefits from hearing a diversity of voices preaching the Gospel.”
Australian Women Preach emerged in response to the Australian Catholic Church’s Plenary Council process and continued throughout the Vatican’s Synod on synodality (2021-2024).
As these two significant meetings discerned the future of the Catholic Church, the podcast sought to witness to the fact that people long for good preaching and that there is no shortage of faithful Christians, especially women, longing to provide it. The final documents for the Plenary Council and the Synod both mentioned the possibility of new ministries for women. This gives us hope.
The podcast has been intentionally diverse and ecumenical, sharing the voices of women who are already valued preachers in their own church communities and recognising the struggle for equality in other places too.
The final episode of Australian Women Preach podcast will be released in the week of International Women’s Day, 8 March 2025. All episodes will continue to be available on Spotify. The catalogue of episodes will be organised into an accessible, searchable format on our website.
As we enter a new season, founding team member Patricia Gemmell reflects, “The Australian Women Preach podcast belongs to a moment in history, born of the Plenary Council and the COVID pandemic, and intersecting with the dynamic activity (mostly online) of numerous Catholic reform-minded groups across the country. We believe it was a transfiguring moment in the Australian church, but now it is time to come down from the mountain. The Spirit is calling us to something new.”
Australian Women Preach is an initiative of WATAC (Women and the Australian Church) and the Grail in Australia.
Media Contact: australianwomenpreach@gmail.com