Evangelical pastor, talk-show host, university chaplain, municipal politician, musician. Pentecostal Preacher Woman explores the multifaceted life of the Reverend Bernice Gerard (1923-2008), one of the most influential spiritual figures of twentieth-century British Columbia, whose complicated blend of social conservatism and social compassion has lessons for our polarized times. Gerard grew up in the provincial child welfare system and was briefly a teacher before entering the Christian ministry. Attracted to Pentecostalism's emphasis on direct personal experience of God and the use of spiritual gifts, she became an evangelist and preached around the world. As a pastor, radio personality, and alderman, she was a compelling communicator for the Christian right and an ardent critic of liberal social mores. She was also a contradictory figure. Gerard aligned herself with individuals in the Social Credit party while supporting social justice causes that included the plight of refugees, Indigenous people, and Vancouver's homeless population. She remained firmly rooted in patriarchal religious institutions but practised a kind of feminism and shared her life with a female partner.

Based on Reverend Gerard's personal archives and life writing, Pentecostal Preacher Woman foregrounds her own voice to trace the complex evolution of a conservative woman's ideas about faith and society.