What Makes a Godly Leader? | Jennifer Powell McNutt | ADM Conversations

What happens to a woman's sense of identity when she becomes a mother? And how can churches help new mums feel supported, valued and less alone?

What happens in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life can shape their future for years to come. In this episode of ADM Conversations, Jeanie Schwarz speaks with Sarah Condie, former Co-Director of the Mental Health and Pastoral Care Institute, about why this critical period, from conception to a child’s second birthday, deserves greater attention from parents, churches, and communities. Drawing on her experience as a mother, pastor, and mental health advocate, Sarah shares practical insights into fostering healthy attachment, supporting new parents, building resilience, strengthening marriages, and recognising the signs of postnatal depression. She also explains how churches can play a vital role in helping families feel connected, supported, and equipped during one of life's most significant transitions. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, church leader, or someone who cares about helping children flourish, this conversation offers encouragement, wisdom, and practical ideas for giving children the best possible start in life. ADM is a Christian organisation based in Sydney, Australia, that equips and empowers women through theological education, community, compassionate ministry and public gospel witness, helping women bring the love of Jesus to a hurting world. Find out more: https://www.deaconessministries.org.au

What does good pastoral care actually look like — and whose job is it? Sarah Condie, former Co-Director of the ADM Mental Health Institute joins Jeanie Schwarz to explore how ordinary Christians can care well for one another through listening, kindness, prayer and simply being present. They discuss why pastoral care isn’t about fixing people, how small acts of care can help people feel seen and included, and how we can bring the hope of Christ to those going through difficult times. Sarah draws on 30 years of experience in mental health and wellbeing and her work with ADM’s Mental Health & Pastoral Care Institute. ADM is a Christian organisation based in Sydney, Australia, that equips and empowers women through theological education, community, compassionate ministry and public gospel witness, helping women bring the love of Jesus to a hurting world. Find out more: https://www.deaconessministries.org.au

What does it mean to engage with the Bible as a truly “living and active” Word?In this talk, Dr Kamina Wüst challenges us to consider whether our approaches to Scripture can sometimes become overly focused on extracting information and instruction. Drawing on poetry, biblical wisdom literature, teaching experience and personal stories, she explores how the Bible can also shape us through imagination, emotion, experience and creative engagement.Kamina encourages Bible teachers, ministry leaders and theological educators to retain careful exegesis while expanding the ways we read, teach and communicate Scripture — allowing the Bible not simply to be something we work on, but something that works on us.Dr Kamina Wüst is an Old Testament scholar, author and theological educator who teaches Biblical Studies and Hebrew across several Australian theological colleges.This talk was presented at the 2026 Mary Andrews Academic Conference.ADM is a Christian organisation based in Sydney, Australia, that equips and empowers women through theological education, community, compassionate ministry and public gospel witness, helping women bring the love of Jesus to a hurting world. Find out more: https://www.deaconessministries.org.auOUR SOCIALS: ADMTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@deaconessministries/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@anglicandeaconessministries/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/anglicandeaconessministries/Instagram - https://instagram.com/anglican_deaconess_ministries/OUR SOCIALS: MARY ANDREWS COLLEGEFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/MaryAndrewsCollege/Instagram - https://instagram.com/maryandrewscollege/

In this episode of ADM Conversations, Mary Andrews College Dean of Education Becki Philips speaks with Old Testament scholar Dr Kamina Wüst about her unexpected journey into theological study, the barriers women can face in pursuing further study, and why learning theology can shape far more than a career.Kamina also shares how burnout led her to step away from ministry-adjacent work for several years, how encouragement from others helped her return to academic study, and why she believes theological education is “for everyone.”They also explore Kamina’s specialist work on the Song of Songs — including why she thinks Solomon is key to understanding the book, what the Song reveals about women’s voices and experiences, and why this often-overlooked part of Scripture deserves more attention.If you’ve ever wondered whether Bible college might be for you, this conversation is an encouraging place to start.ADM is a Christian organisation based in Sydney, Australia, that equips and empowers women through theological education, community, compassionate ministry and public gospel witness, helping women bring the love of Jesus to a hurting world. Find out more: https://www.deaconessministries.org.au