As a female preacher I was treated very differently to my male counterparts - in the end I left

Katherine Spearing worked in a church for years but was expected to take on more work than her male collegaues and her sermons were described as ‘cute’.

When my vocation was ministry, the stakes were high each time I received a speaking opportunity. If I had any hope of being invited back, I had to knock it out of the park. But I wasn’t just representing myself, I was representing every woman who wanted to communicate. The weight on my shoulders stemmed from knowing, because opportunities for women to teach, preach, and speak were so rare, I’d be assessed not by myself, but for the merit of all womankind.

For women in the spaces I worked, we had to be hyper focused on our biblical knowledge, because every word would be scrutinized for accuracy and precision. Next, we had to speak and teach coherently and be entertaining (let’s make it a good show so no one will pay attention to her female body).