Tara Beth Leach on Women, Leadership, and God's Mission

Pastor and author Tara Beth Leach shares the story of her remarkable, turbulent tenure as the first female lead pastor of Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene (aka, PazNaz). In conversation with Nikki Toyama-Szeto, Tara Beth recounts her early call to ministry, navigating the complexities of breaking boundaries as the first female preacher or lead pastor in various congregational settings, enduring smear campaigns and deeply personal criticism, and shepherding a congregation through seasons of pain and hope.

She reflects on the sustaining grace she found through therapy, spiritual direction, supportive peers, and the vision of Jesus for the church—a vision she still clings to despite the hardships of social media attacks and attempts to undermine her ministry.

From redemptive ministry moments to the difficult decision to step away and return home to care for her family, Tara Beth’s story testifies to resilience, calling, and the belief that Jesus still believes in the church. This is a story of faith, perseverance, and a vision for a “beautiful mess” made whole in God’s love.

"I think Jesus believed in us then. And I think he still believes in us today."

Key Moments

• “It was as though one day I saw the world in black and white, and the next day I saw the world in color.”
• “I have often been either the only female voice, only female pastor, or the first.”
• “It took my breath away.”
• “I never went into ministry to talk about women in ministry… My passion is the mission of God.”
• “When women are held back in the church, the church limps along.”
• “One week later, we showed up and a third of the congregation was missing. Six hundred people are missing from the congregation.”
• “Clothes were distracting or not professional enough.”
• “It was soul crushing. It nearly knocked my legs out from underneath me.”
• “We want these children to experience the love of Christ until they are reunited with their family member.”
• “I think Jesus believed in us then. And I think he still believes in us today.”

Helpful Links and Resources

• Tara Beth Leach (Website)
• Emboldened: A Vision for Empowering Women in Ministry by Tara Beth Leach
• Radiant Church: Restoring the Credibility of Our Witness by Tara Beth Leach
• Urban Strategies
• First Church of the Nazarene, Pasadena
• Good Shepherd Church, Naperville

About the Contributors

Tara Beth Leach is an evangelical pastor and author of Emboldened: A Vision for Empowering Women in Ministry and Radiant Church: Restoring the Credibility of Our Witness. Since 2023, she has served as senior pastor of Good Shepherd Church in Naperville, Illinois. Her ministry has spanned local churches, national speaking, and advocacy for women in leadership.

Nikki Toyama-Szeto is Executive Director of Christians for Social Action and host of Credible Witness. She leads conversations at the intersection of faith, justice, and public life, drawing on decades of ministry experience in global and domestic contexts.

Show Notes

• Early life in a culturally Christian family; dramatic teenage conversion through Youth for Christ.
• “It was as though one day I saw the world in black and white, and the next day I saw the world in color.”
• Call to ministry at 16 without seeing women in pastoral roles.
• First female lead pastor of Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene (“PasNaz”), a flagship church in the denomination.
• National excitement and symbolic significance of her installation.
• Immediate loss of one-third of the congregation within a week.
• Harsh public opposition: social media attacks, open letters, and organized “Save PNA” campaign.
• Personal criticisms targeting voice, clothing, and appearance.
• “Clothes were distracting or not professional enough.”
• The redemptive ministry of fostering immigrant children through Urban Strategies.
• Sustaining faith through therapy, spiritual direction, and supportive ministry peers.
• Decision to leave to honor and care for her parents during illness.
• Verbatim quote: “It was soul crushing. It nearly knocked my legs out from underneath me.”
• Return to lead Good Shepherd Church, a community that knew and loved her.
• Vision for the church shaped by Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount and Revelation’s vision of the kingdom.
• “They are coming and they have gifts and they love Jesus and they love the