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Danae King The Columbus Dispatch @DanaeKing

Even though the women live hundreds of miles from her andlead vastly different lives, the Revs. Anna Guillozet andApril Casperson feel a kinship with Hillary Clinton.

DuringClinton'scampaign, the women were chatting on Facebook with a group of about 115 other United Methodist clergywomen aboutsupportingtheDemocraticnominee for president.

The women said they related to Clinton becauseofexperiences they shared dealing with gender and leadership. The 115 women from across the country wanted to encourage the candidate, whether they supported her politically ornot, said Guillozet, senior pastor at Church of the Master in Westerville, and Casperson, a deacon and vice president of institutional advancement at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, in Delaware.

The members of the Facebook group contacted Clinton's campaign to begin emailing her daily devotions and encouragement in 2016.On Tuesday,the Rev. Bill Shillady's book, "Strong for a Moment Like This: The Daily Devotions of Hillary Rodham Clinton," was published, and includes some of the women's daily devotions.

When Guillozet received an advance copy of the book, she excitedly flipped throughit, looking for the devotion she had sent Clinton. She found it on page 331.

Titled "Growing With God,"her page focuses on Psalm 65 and includes some of Guillozet's personal thoughts.

"I wanted her to remember that the decisions she would make on the campaign trail would impact people who had no voice," said Guillozet, 31, of Westerville. "No matter what we do, all the women that follow us will be impacted by who we are and how we interact."

Casperson did the samewhen she got the book,andfound her contributionon page 377. The entry, titled "God Is Present," corresponds with Esther 4:14 and was intended to remind Clinton that her work is not hers alone, but "part of the whole."

"I could only imagine how isolated she felt while doing this work," said Casperson, 36, of Groveport. "Being the first one doing so much in the face of all of this vitriol and so much was tied to her gender ...

"I wanted her to remember that any work we engage in is part of the whole, even if she can't see it today, it moves society toward a world that is more just."

After excerpts of the book were released, it was discovered that Shillady, a friend and pastor to the Clinton family for more than a decade, had plagiarized part of the book from a blog post written by the Rev. Matt Deuel, of Mission Point Community Church in Indiana. Shillady said he did so by mistake, apologized to Deuel directly, and said he will credit Deuel in future editions.

Casperson and Guillozet said the sentiment Shillady was expressing whenhe failed tocreditDeuelis one that many ministers use as a recurring theme in ministry. They hope people look beyond themistake and beyond party ideologies to see a book that is about grace and mercy, Guillozet said.

"It's not recapping an election cycle, it is living in the word of God and the way that was communicated to one person," she said.

In the book's foreword, Clinton writes about how Shilladygot upbefore dawn each day and wrote her an email of Scripture and lessons from him or others.

"Sometimes he wrote about strength and perseverance qualities the campaign demanded endlessly," she wrote. "Sometimes he wrote about joy a reminder to seek and savor exhilarating moments, even amid the chaos and intensity of the trail ... Every day, he helped me stay focused on the values at the heart of our campaign, which matter not only to me but to our national life: compassion, justice, dignity, love."

The sentiments that Casperson and Guillozet sent to Clintonalsoare examples of the way they cheer on fellowMethodist clergywomen.

Though women have been ordained in the Methodist church for more than 50 years, there are still structural barriers and bias against women in ministry, Casperson said.

"We saw similarities in what Hillary Clinton was facing: barriers and bias in relation to gender and gender roles," she said.

"Even though we're allacross the political spectrum, we saw akindred spirit in the work Hillary Clinton does," Casperson said. "Her public service is a direct response to her faith."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

dking@dispatch.com

@DanaeKing

Read more from the original source:
Central Ohio clergywomen's bond with Hillary Clinton included in new book - The Columbus Dispatch