Tearfund Launches #ThisPastorCan Campaign for International Women’s Day

Celebrating Women Leaders in the Church: Tearfund’s #ThisPastorCan Campaign

Tearfund’s latest campaign for International Women’s Day places admired female leaders of the Church in the spotlight.

Rev Lisa Coupland, who gained popularity through her participation in BBC1’s The Traitors, steps into the limelight as the representative of Tearfund’s #ThisPastorCan initiative. This campaign, launched to honor International Women’s Day, features a unique video project.

Joining her are Rt Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, noted as the first Black woman to serve as a Church of England bishop, and Pastor Josephine Brown from Kenya.

The campaign aims to highlight the significant roles played by women pastors and priests in communities around the globe.

Set to premiere on March 8 across Tearfund’s social media, the #ThisPastorCan video will present inspiring stories from female religious leaders in nations such as Kenya, Myanmar, and the Philippines.

These leaders will share their journeys, the lessons that have molded their faith, and the advice that has guided them in their ministry.

Rev Coupland shared her enthusiasm about her participation, saying, “It’s wonderful that Tearfund is spotlighting women pastors! We often downplay our strengths, and I admit, I was initially hesitant to talk about my job as a priest on The Traitors. But this International Women’s Day, I’m ready to shine – and I’m thrilled to join so many inspiring women in doing so.”

Bishop Hudson-Wilkin offered a piece of transformative wisdom from Maya Angelou, “People are more likely to remember how you made them feel than the actual words of what you say.”

She remarked, “That has really been a blessing to me.”

Pastor Josephine Brown also shared her insights, crediting her mother and spiritual mentor for instilling resilience, determination, and focus in her.

She highlighted a scripture passage (Proverbs 31: 10-31) to stress the value of empowering women in leadership, noting, “Just as the Bible says, a noble woman, she is rare to be found but if she is equipped, she can achieve a lot for her family, for her community and even for the nations.”