Inspire, Winter 2000

18 Winter 2000 Alumni Profile: Kate Tompkins Schenck ’74 T he Bible is filled with stories of inspirational people, many of whom are women. Kate Tompkins Schenk ’74 has been inspired by several biblical women. Now she is inspiring others by bringing new life to those stories of old. Kate is her own monodrama ministry. The vision for Kate’s ministry started with reading a book on biblical women. “I asterisked characters who jumped out at me,” Kate explained. “Deborah was one. And so I went to the bookstores to get more [material] on her.” Kate couldn’t find much as there was very little written specifically about Deborah. Kate wondered why she hadn’t heard much about her from any pulpit. “She’s a fascinating woman,” Kate said. “What a wonderful example for women today. Even though it is an Old Testament story, her message is relevant for our culture because Deborah stood alone for what was right. There wasn’t a man; it was just her. I think her message was that she was available for God to use as He chose.” After learning about Deborah and embracing her story, Kate thought, “What a wonderful message to communicate with women—I shouldn’t keep it to myself.” So Kate developed Deborah’s story into a dramatic monologue. Being a singer, she included songs in her presentation with piano accompaniment. For the past decade she has been ministering at church services, women’s meetings and retreats, and mother/daughter banquets. Through her More Than Words Ministry, Kate uses the Bible to dramatically tell the story of biblical women. “I wanted my drama to be what God had to say about these people. I don’t fictionalize—I take the story development straight from the word of God,” she explained. Her monodramas are about 45 minutes in length. Kate focuses on one woman for three years, and during the second year she researches and writes the script for the next one. Deborah and Miriam are retired now. “I am currently presenting Mary, mother of Jesus,” Kate noted. “She will be replaced with Esther in 2002.” Ruth, Anna, and Elizabeth are others Kate is looking forward to dramatizing. Kate feels blessed that God has allowed her to combine her passion for the Word, musical gifts, and business administration degree into a ministry and career. She says her Bible minor at Cedarville helped prepare her for this outreach. Kate explained, “I was involved with Swordbearers. We went to churches and helped with their Sunday school programs. We would do music or anything else that was needed. That experience got me used to the ministry lifestyle and not just sitting in church being a benchwarmer.” Kate says the greatest challenge of a dramatic ministry is staying healthy. She noted, “When people are paying me to perform, I need to be at my best. My body is my temple, so I need to take care of it. In the last 10 years, I have only had to turn down two performances for health reasons.” A decade of portraying biblical women has been very rewarding for Kate. “What I’ve learned most from doing this is that God is bigger than any denomination,” Kate summarized. “When His spirit moves, it is so powerful that you reap the blessing. I see the faithful remnant every time. They are grateful for the encouragement that the biblical message provides.” To learn more about More Than Words Ministries, contact Kate at 330-682-9438. Ministering in Her Words