Carrie Parrish's legacy holds lessons for today

Key points:

• Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde and other advocates for human dignity are embodying the legacy of the Rev. Carrie Whitehurst Parrish.
• Parrish, a trailblazer for women clergy in The United Methodist Church, was a champion for equality and inclusion.
• She withstood verbal assaults, and even cross burnings in her yard, as she advocated for sharing God’s love with all people. 

 

The Rev. Carrie Whitehurst Parrish.
Photo courtesy of Anna Riddle.

Throughout history, political forces have distorted religion to serve their own agendas, turning faith into a battleground instead of a force for unity.

This pattern is repeating itself, with politicians advocating for the intertwining of Christianity with policy and law. Laws are being pushed that promote racism, sexism, exclusion and bias, sparking battles between conservative and liberal Christians and others.

At the forefront of the current controversy is Bishop Mariann Budde, an Episcopal bishop who spoke at President Trump’s recent inauguration prayer service, asking him to “have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.”

Budde, who has since received hate and death threats, specifically appealed to Trump on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community and illegal migrants. Even as demands grew for an apology from Budde, she refused to back down, saying simply that she will continue to pray for President Trump.

Bishop Budde — who is her diocese’s first woman bishop — and other advocates today are, in many ways, fighting the same battles and advocating for the same freedoms and rights that the Rev. Carrie Whitehurst Parrish fought for throughout her life. 

Parrish was a trailblazer who embodied the true essence of faith — one rooted in equal opportunity, courage and unwavering compassion. As a public-school teacher and United Methodist minister, she championed inclusion and equality, leaving a legacy of bold leadership and a steadfast belief that all people are loved by God.

Parrish’s story, as shared by those who knew her best, is a testament to strength, resilience, guidance and love. She dedicated herself tirelessly to opening doors for others, protecting the weak, supporting those in need and sharing her love for God.

Parrish was born in 1942 into a tenant farming family that struggled against constant financial obstacles. The family often did not have running water, heat or indoor plumbing, and the children were forced to work the fields when not in school.

Despite the odds, Parrish became the first in her family to go to college. Her love of learning and passion for basketball provided a way out of poverty, enabling her to get scholarships to High Point College, where she received her first college degree.

Rosaline Ruegg, former economic consultant and childhood friend of Parrish, recalls the time they spent together at Stokes High School. Both Ruegg and Parrish, who often felt like outsiders, were drawn to each other through their shared dedication to academics and their uncommon love for sports.

“I totally respected her choices and respected her core values, which seemed ambitious,” Ruegg says.

During this part of Parrish’s life, schools were still segregated, women were discriminated against and racism was rampant. Parrish found her voice and began making waves in the male-dominated leadership and athletic arenas. Her pursuit of higher education and participation in basketball were not just personal passions but were quiet acts of resistance against the constraints placed on women during that era.

Over the next 30 years, Parrish’s voice grew louder and her aspirations larger, making her a target for hate, sexism and threats. Instead of conforming to the rules of society, where women were expected to get married, have children and support their husband, Parrish went to Northwestern University and earned her master’s degree. And while she did end up marrying and having children, that is not the story that defines her.

Parrish’s real story begins in 1975 when she enrolled in Southeastern Theological Seminary and with the barriers and ceilings she broke after. Like Bishop Budde in Washington, Parrish was a forerunner for women in the North Carolina United Methodist Church, where she became one of the first women ordained, and she later published “Journey of Women Ordained in the United Methodist Tradition,” examining women’s fight for ordination.

Lisa Cole, manager of the Chaplain Services Department at Duke Regional Hospital and former divinity school peer of Parrish, recalls Parrish as a “pioneer woman” in their conference.

“She had strength in continuing to pursue ordination when it wasn’t easy or done by many women. She helped open many doors for us and was a strong voice for loving everyone and giving everyone the opportunity to be who they are and live their lives,” Cole says.

Sheila and Andy Wood, who knew Parrish personally and professionally, describe one of her battles with sexism and bias within the church. It occurred when Parrish was appointed to the former Halls United Methodist Church in Autryville, N.C.

“We had a very prominent member who just thought it was going to be terrible if Halls Church had a female pastor, even going to the superintendent saying, ‘This isn’t going to work,’” Andy Wood says. Ironically, that same member later became one of Parrish’s biggest supporters, deeply respecting her leadership and the impact she had on the church community.

Whether it was crosses being burned in her yard or verbal assaults, Parrish did not back down. She did not just endure these attacks, but she transformed them into steppingstones for the future — and future generations. Some battles she won, and some she handed off to the next generation, to people such as Bishop Budde.

“She wasn’t afraid to speak out and speak up and advocate for people. Her strength in character and her strength of calling were something I just admired greatly,” Cole adds.

In a world where religion is often distorted for political gain, Parrish embodied what it truly means to be a leader, have power and live as a person of Christ. Carrie Lee Whitehurst Parrish’s story is a call to all: to lead with bravery, to stand for what is right and to remember that faith.

Riddle is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she is a writer and photographer for The Durham Voice. She is the granddaughter of the Rev. Carrie Lee Whitehurst Parrish.

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