Narrative Summary
Interview with Sandy Herr by Allen Robbins
Sandy Heer is a retired United Methodist Elder. She currently attends, and is active in lay
ministries, at Asbury United Methodist Church in Springfield, MO. She was the pastor at four
different churches during her time as an active Elder. At all four churches Sandy was the senior
pastor, and was the first female pastor at the church. She mentions times where people told her
that her vocal tone made her difficult to listen to. She also talked about some people’s
assumption that she wouldn’t know how to balance a check book. Sandy’s early life well
prepared her for these challenges she faced. Sandy is the mother of five boys and one girl, and
she was well aquatinted with balancing the check book in her household. Sandy also had
experience with buying and selling multiple homes, which gave her a good knowledge base for
dealing with the properties that the churches owned.
Sandy mentions that in California the fact that women were placed as senior pastors was
something that had to happen. She mentioned the lack of diversity with the United Methodist
pastors here in Springfield, and commented that things haven’t changed here because they
haven’t had to. The positions are still able to be filled with male elders, so the push to have
women and even minority ministers hasn’t happened. In the Methodist church pastors are
appointed by the bishop, this does allow a small group of people to affect change or to maintain
the status quo.
Sandy’s discussion about the “three waves” of female Methodist Elders was a great
explanation about the process of how women entered the ministry in the Methodist Church. The
first wave was women who dressed like men and tried to act like men. The second wave was a
strong reaction to the first wave. The second wave would flaunt their femininity by wearing short
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Religious Lives of Ozarks Women
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skirts, or breast feeding during business meetings. The third wave, which Sandy claims being
part of, would be a compromise between the two. The third wave did not try to hide the fact that
they were women, nor did they try to make it a point of contention for others. This pendulum
effect between the three waves seems all to telling about our culture. The initial pioneers trying
to sneak in without really being noticed; then the next group swing to the other side, frustrated by
the pioneers, aggressively shove in the face of everyone what they are and what they want; and
the third group swung to the middle, finding a middle ground where they neither have to deny
who they are, nor shove it in anyone’s face. It is at the point of the third wave that people can
just be who they are.
Sandy is just that, she does not try to be anymore than what she is. She has always been,
and will continue to be active in her church. Her goal in life is to be worthy for Christ.
Missouri State University
Fall 2012
Religious Lives of Ozarks Women