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It is a truth universally acknowledged that ordained ministry can be both breathtakingly beautiful and extremely hard. This is true for everyone, but the obstacles of pastoral ministry can become magnified for neurodivergent clergy in a majority-neurotypical world. Furthermore, while we celebrate the fact that God calls people of all kinds to ordained ministry, the unfortunate reality is that most congregations are ill-equipped to handle the challenges that may come with supporting neurodivergent clergy. Herein enters the Rev. Dr. Katharine L. Steele’s new book, The Sacred Spark: Exploring the Hidden Gifts of ADHD in Spiritual Leadership (published Oct 1, 2025 by Tehom Center Publishing).
As a neurodivergent clergy woman herself, Steele is uniquely qualified to speak to the gifts and challenges of ADHD in ministry, but she does not stop there. Based on her Doctor of Ministry project, Steele crafts this book with a combination of personal experience, academic research, and data from ten qualitative interviews focused on the reality of being a neurodivergent clergywoman. To begin, she provides a thorough explanation of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and its three subtypes: Inattentive, Hyperactive, and Combined. She explains the official traits of the condition as well as other commonly-experienced traits of women with ADHD.
Following her reader-friendly summary of ADHD, Steele suggests that viewing ADHD as a “disorder”—as its clinical name suggests—limits our ability to recognize and appreciate the spiritual gift of ADHD. As we are all created in God’s image, so the traits of ADHD are reflections of the imago dei among us. Steele follows the recommendation of Dr. Ned Hallowell in using the acronym VAST (Variable Attention Stimulation Trait) to describe this particular brand of neurodivergence. In keeping with Steele’s example, I, too, will use the term “VAST” in the rest of this review as a reminder that having VAST is not a deficit but a gift.
That being said, Steele is the first to acknowledge that being a clergywoman with VAST comes with significant challenges. Across the whole book, Steele emphasizes the need to understand that VAST is both a gift and a disability. While neurodivergent clergywomen bring valuable skills and abilities to their ministries, VAST can make so-called “normal” aspects of pastoral work more challenging. Using examples from her own ministry experience and interviews with other clergywomen, Steele calls on congregations and their leaders to recognize these challenges and work with their pastor to address them instead of discrediting her.
In the midst of her discussion on the experiences of contemporary clergywomen, Steele also introduces an exegesis on the stories of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus of Bethany entitled “Rereading Bethany.” In this analysis, Steele questions traditional interpretations of this story by reading the three siblings as neurodivergent individuals. In this framework, it is not that Martha is a busybody; she has VAST-Hyperactive subtype, and it is a real challenge for her to stop moving sometimes. Instead of sitting passively while her sister takes care of her, Mary has VAST-Inattentive subtype, and she sometimes struggles with the executive function necessary to complete household tasks. In keeping with the genetic nature of VAST, Lazarus, too, finds himself affected by this condition through VAST-Combined subtype, and he relies on his sisters to help him manage his affairs while simultaneously supporting them through his patrilineal inheritance. In Steele’s reading of this text, the three siblings work together to help each other abide as neurodivergent people living under neurotypical social norms.
Reading VAST into the story of these well-known biblical characters invites the book’s readers to imagine themselves and others into scripture in a way that many of us have never felt welcome to do. Her description of these three siblings and their ways of living with neurodiversity as they encounter Christ serves as a powerful reminder that God calls people with VAST—and every other form of neurodivergence—into Jesus’s ministry. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus thus become role models for clergy and for those who support clergy, leading us ever deeper into covenantal community with each other.
Ultimately, The Sacred Spark calls us further into relationship with each other. Steele’s research is both vital and accessible as it invites her readers to consider how they can best support neurodivergent leaders in the church and world. After finishing the book, I immediately ordered a second copy to be shipped to a friend and fellow clergyperson whom I knew needed to read this. But the truth is, we all need to read this. Steele’s research challenges, encourages, and blesses us to grow in the work of supporting the people God calls into ministry. When we do this, we become fully able to see the gifts God gives to the church through its VAST leaders.
