Narrative Summary
Interview with Cynthia Saddler by Ravyn Brooks
From a very young age, Cynthia Saddler learned that nothing comes easy in life. As the
primary household manager for a family in her neighborhood, she developed interpersonal skills.
She cared for the family’s mentally disabled son. Not only did she care for him, she provide
special care for him, she cared for his siblings—some of which were older than her. However,
Saddler’s work for the family did not end there. She created a monthly food budget for the
family, and paid off debts they had racked up in food charges at the local grocery store. One
would assume that the two adults of the house would have a problem taking direction from a
twelve year old, but Saddler’s wisdom clearly surpassed their own and they yielded to her
leadership.
This story highlights when she believes she was first called by God. She understands,
now, that the wisdom she had so early in life was a gift from God meant to be used to serve
others. However, she has not been always been so confident in God. She has always been aware
of her gifts, but maintained a strong curiosity about the very existence of God throughout her
life. In period of her life, she experienced doubt. In a narrative about women and the call of God,
she writes, “I have always believed that God has His hand on me, but at the same time I doubted
if God really cared about me. I have been in situations and circumstance where I should have
died, or lost my mind, yet [He kept me]—and still I doubted” (The Modern Magnificat, 16).
Though she always acknowledged spiritual discernment present in her life, she sought out further
education to not only confirm that it was God and to understand how it worked.
After teaching Sunday school for a few years at her home church, she felt a pull from
God to do much bigger things in ministry. Ironically, at the time, she did not believe women
should be in the pulpit. In an attempt to reconcile the internal conflict surrounding her spiritual
Missouri State University
Spring 2015
Religious Lives of Ozarks Women
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purpose, she dismissed her calling completely and chalked it up to be emotions. She cleverly
states, “As I continued to struggle, God did a lot of convincing, and I did a lot bargaining…I
even rationalized that I wasn’t called; that maybe I got caught up in some emotionally spiritual
moment” (The Modern Magnificat, 17). She thought that the ministerial work she was already in
her church, would satisfy the “obligation” God placed on her heart, but, in spirit, she knew
otherwise.
After years of years of going around in circles, she finally accepted her called. She says
God spoke this words of peace into her heart: “I am faithful”. This gave her the confidence she
needed to face the male-domination traditions of her Baptist upbringing. For many years, she
was rejected by men in the ministry and the communities that did not support female pastorship.
Through this journey, however, she stayed focused on her goal: to help disadvantaged people.
She pursued a Master of Divinity degree from Central Baptist Theological Seminary while,
simultaneously, developing outreach programs for women and co-writing her book, Seasons of
Wholiness: Inspiration for the Seasons in a Woman’s’ Life. After establishing a strong influence
on the women in her community, God led to her to a role of pastorship at Englewood Baptist
Church of Kansas City, Missouri.
She believes God began preparing for this life of service back when she was just a wise,
twelve year old girl helping out a neighbor. She is able to make the connections, now, that
answer the questions had growing up. About her life’s journey, she stated, “I believe all my
experiences to this point have happened to make me a strong pastor, who can lead with
compassion, patience, integrity and strength. I will continue on this journey and celebrate the
faithfulness of God and be reminded that God will call whom God will call” (19). Her story is
one that inspires and ought to be shared for generations to come.
Missouri State University
Spring 2015
Religious Lives of Ozarks Women