A Dream Deferred, Then Fulfilled: The Rev. Lily White’s Journey to Ordination

Lily White

When she first felt God’s call to ministry as a teenager, Lily White imagined herself as a music minister. She loved music, and as a young woman in a Southern Baptist congregation, that seemed like one of the only options.

“I felt that was the only place I could be a minister,” she said. “There would be more acceptance for a woman in music rather than behind the pulpit.”

White pursued a degree in church music at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas. But during college, her life took an unexpected turn. She met a fellow student who would later become her wife.

“That rocked my world in so many ways,” White recalled. “I found love, and I was afraid I was going to have to choose her over God.”

In the Baptist circles she knew, women faced barriers to ministry. As a lesbian, she thought, there was no place for her as a minister. After graduation, she set aside her ministry dreams and eventually built a career in the hospitality industry.

Years later, White found a church home in Austin. She began to deconstruct her faith, eventually discovering what she calls “a loving relationship with God.” That long-buried call to ministry was rekindled.

“It took me a little while to realize that it was God calling me, and not just my imagination,” she said. “So I said, ‘Okay, God, wherever you want me to go, I’ll go — but you’re going to have to handle this.’”

Within just a week, a friend asked if she’d ever heard of Perkins School of Theology. That led to White to the Rev. Dr. Jaime Clark-Soles, then director of Perkins’ Baptist House of Studies. The introduction became a turning point.

White needed to stay in Austin to work and support herself, so Perkins’ hybrid Houston-Galveston program proved a perfect fit. She enrolled in 2021, becoming a Baugh Scholar — a scholarship for Baptist students that covered her tuition for all four years.

White thrived as a seminary student. Even living in another city, she immersed herself in campus life, becoming a student ambassador for the Baptist House of Studies Board of Visitors, joining the ecumenical Latine student group L@s Seminaristas, and serving in the Perkins Student Association. Sometimes that took some doing.

“I tried to advocate for other students who weren’t in Dallas,” she said. “If there was worship onsite, I’d ask if there could be a remote option so everyone could stay connected.”

Her engagement and leadership earned her four awards during her time at Perkins, including the Dr. & Mrs. Glenn Flinn Senior Award (selected by Perkins faculty for the student who best exemplifies the aims and aspirations of the school and the church for its ministry;) the Karis Stahl Fadely Scholarship Award (for the student who exhibits a commitment to Jesus Christ and the mission of her church, ability in a wide range of ministerial functions, a high sense of responsibility and good management of time;) the  W.B.J. Martin Award in Homiletics (presented to the outstanding student in preaching class;) and the Bishop John Wesley Hardt Award (the Perkins Student Association’s award to a student well-rounded in community life, worship, and student government, their local church, and in their community.)

In May 2025, White graduated from Perkins with a Master of Divinity. Two months later, she was ordained at University Baptist Church (UBC) in Austin — her home congregation. UBC is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and the Alliance of Baptists, all moderate to progressive groups that affirm women and LGBTQ+ people in ministry. White now serves as UBC’s director of hospitality. She manages communications within the church and with the wider community, coordinates events, oversees the office and connects with students and faculty who use the church’s facilities.

Her years in the hospitality industry — including 14 years with an event planning company — inform her approach to ministry.

“If you walk into a five-star hotel or restaurant, people immediately make you feel welcome,” she said. “I want to bring that spirit into the church — genuine hospitality, not just putting out a rainbow flag. It’s about making changes to spaces and traditions so people, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community, know they truly belong.”

Looking ahead, White hopes to help other churches live into their commitments to be open and affirming. She hopes that one day she’ll be able to bring some of the insights from hospitality into churches.

“There are churches that say, ‘All are welcome,’ but then expect people to change once they’re there,” she said. “I want to walk alongside congregations as they create spaces where all people can experience God’s love — just as they are.”

White and her wife recently celebrated 30 years together. Reflecting on her journey — from a young woman who felt her path to ministry was closed, to an ordained pastor in a welcoming church — she sees God’s hand throughout.

“As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized there are churches that will affirm someone’s call to ministry, no matter who they are,” she said. “Ministry can look like so many different things, because God calls us all to serve.”