Carol McLeod: A Today’s Purpose Woman to Watch in 2025

Carol McLeod is a best-selling author and sought-after speaker who has dedicated her life to encouraging women with the truth and transformative power of God’s Word. Known for her joyful energy and relatable approach, Carol inspires women to discover purpose and hope through her dynamic biblical teachings, infused with humor and practical wisdom.

From keynote addresses at women’s conferences to intimate retreats, Carol’s heartfelt messages resonate with women from all walks of life, reminding them of God’s faithfulness in every season. With her unique ability to connect deeply and authentically, she empowers others to embrace the abundant life God has called them to live.

We sat down with Carol to learn more about her passion for ministry, what drives her, and how she continues to uplift women across the globe.

What led you to pursue a calling in ministry and how has your faith shaped that journey?

I felt a tug on my heart when I was just a little girl at the altar of my church. However, at that time, all women were allowed to do was play the piano, teach Sunday School or chair the annual church turkey dinner. While all of those are noble assignments, I just felt that the Lord had something different for me.

When I went to college, I met and was impacted by women such as Corrie ten Boom, Elisabeth Elliot, Katherine Kuhlman, and Ruth Bell Graham. I realized as a young college student that I, as a woman, could make a difference for Christ and His Kingdom. I could pray for the sick and preach the Word; I could travel to distant lands and lead people to Jesus Christ. What an amazing possibility!

I have always prayed, “Lord, if You are going to use a woman, would You use me? I give You everything I am for service in Your unshakable Kingdom.”

Can you share an experience in your ministry that has profoundly impacted your life and those you serve?

I have over 30 devotional plans on YouVersion, which reaches people around the world with the Word of God and with powerful devotionals translated into hundreds of languages. My devotionals have been downloaded over 4 million times. At the end of each of the devotionals I have written, we ask the reader to let us know if we can pray for them.

Every week we receive 100’s of emails from around the world from desperate men and women who ask for prayer. I have a team of 25 volunteers who answer every one of these emails. The emails we receive are heartbreaking, encouraging, and personal. Each email represents a person who God loves and who Jesus died for. It is our delight to respond personally to each one with a scripture and a word of encouragement.

Every month, the team of volunteers meets for a Zoom prayer meeting; we pray for every person who has reached out to us that month. As we call their names out to the throne room of God, we weep over each name believing that God has heard our petition and that He is moving on behalf of these men and women whom we have never met. Loving people around the world, praying for them, and encouraging each one has changed my life forever.

In what ways do you feel your ministry is making a difference in the lives of women and families in your community?

We are making an eternal deposit in the lives of women across the world and in our own backyard. We intentionally plan local events for women who live where we live, so that we are encouraging women in our own backyard. We have a regional conference annually as well as a lovely Christmas brunch; both events bring in 100’s of women whose lives are forever changed in Jesus’ Name.

We also minister to women in the prisons in our region with Bible Studies and special events at the prison. Speaking at Mom Co meetings (formerly known as MOPS) is also very important to me. I love encouraging moms who are in the trenches of motherhood daily.

How do you balance your personal life, faith, and ministry responsibilities, and what advice would you give to others?

One of the most important aspects of serving in ministry is making your personal relationship with Jesus a vital part of your daily life. Reading the Word daily, memorizing the Word, worshipping and having an intimacy in prayer are all foundational in the life of one who is called into full-time ministry. If I am not spending quality time with the Lord daily, my ministry is only a performance not a calling.

I also spend large quantities of time ensuring that my marriage is vibrant and that my relationship with my children and grandchildren flourishes. I must be the woman that I profess to be by investing in my personal relationships.

When the ministry has been especially demanding, I always try to then take some days of rest to recharge my batteries and to maintain my enthusiasm. Rest is not optional but it is a healthy discipline in the life of one who is committed to the teaching of the Word.

Who are the women in ministry that inspire you, and how have they influenced your own path?

I have been deeply impacted by a woman named Ellen de Kroon Stamps who was the personal traveling companion of Corrie ten Boom for over a decade. Ellen then married the chaplain at the university which I was attending. Ellen demonstrated what it meant to be a woman who gave herself first to the Lord, then to her family, and finally to the ministry. Even today, decades later, I often ask myself, “What would Ellen do? How would Ellen respond?”

I have also been greatly influenced by women such as Elisabeth Elliot, Ruth Bell Graham, Corrie ten Boom, Marilyn Hickey, and Katherine Kuhlman. These amazing women taught the Word, exhibited hospitality, and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ wherever they went. These women were trailblazers for the women of the 21st. Century and we stand on their shoulders today.

What legacy do you hope to leave within your community as a woman in ministry?

I hope to leave a legacy of the eternal truth of Scripture. The Word of God is never outdated, never archaic and will perpetually be the source of all truth. I don’t have a better idea than God and I must submit my life, my thoughts and my words to His will and His ways. I hope that the statement on my tombstone will be, “Have you read your Bible today?”

I also hope to leave a legacy of deep and abiding joy. While life is difficult and suffering is a certain part of our journey, we have been given the joy of the Lord to strengthen and sustain us as we walk through life this side of heaven. Joy is not an emotion, but it is a choice. When we choose to be sustained by the Holy Spirit and are captivated by the presence of the Lord, we are choosing His unexplainable joy. What could be better than that?!