Encouraging Space For Women Leadership In Church And Society

ENCOURAGING SPACE FOR WOMEN LEADERSHIP IN CHURCH AND SOCIETY.

• Globally, of the 190 heads of state, only 10 are women.

• Globally, only 27.5% of parliamentarians are women.

• Roughly 11% of heads of global businesses are women (Fortune 500). This percentage is in decline and stood at only 5% in 2017.

• Only 20% of non-profit leaders are women.

• Women face much harder choices than men, when it comes to juggling personal, family, and professional lives. Two-thirds of male are senior managers, whereas only one-third of female are senior.

• While the situation is slowly improving, only 10% of Protestant senior or solo pastors are women.

• Full-time male senior pastors receive 27% more in pay and benefits than their female senior pastor peers.

• Meanwhile, about 61% of women go to church compared to 39% of men

The society and church need to move beyond giving “a nod” to females in leadership, and actually prioritize this and do something about it now. It seems a sad commentary on the church and on its understanding of the Holy Spirit that “official” leadership and ministry is allowed to come from only one half of the community of faith. The New Testament evidence is that the Holy Spirit is gender inclusive, gifting both men and women, and thus potentially setting the whole body free for all the parts to minister and in various ways to give leadership to the others. [This] is a Spirit agenda, a plea for the releasing of the Spirit from our strictures and structures so that the church might minister to itself and to the world more effectively.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO EMPOWER AND RELEASE MORE FEMALE LEADERS IN THE CHURCH?

1. Men who are senior leaders in society and Christian organizations need to help women reach for leadership opportunities, honor their gifts and talents, and encourage them to believe in themselves and have a go. Address the systems and structures that prevent female leadership, and enable women to “sit at the leadership table.” in our churches, teams and boards. Encourage women to be assertive and to believe in themselves. Encourage women to reach for promotions and recognitions. Invite females in key leadership positions within the church and the workforce to undertake training and development for teams, and to share their stories. Provide “networking” opportunities for women, so that they can learn from women leaders who have gone before them.

2. There is need to be thorough when recruiting and ensure that selection criteria is not subtly aimed more at men. Women need to be invited into leadership training and development programs; asking women to help empower and reshape themselves so that they are accessible and relevant to both women and men.

3. It is necessary to emphasize the importance of real partnerships between men and women (in all spheres of life, including church, professions, and in the home). We must emphasize this by example, and also verbally in business meetings and social gatherings. We must take every opportunity to elevate and model equal partnerships between women and men (including emphasizing this in school and college classes, and in a multitude of church and home settings, so that younger generations of men get the message). We must encourage girls and women to settle for nothing less than real partnerships.

4. The society and church need to make a commitment to build an environment where women and men can equally succeed. This involves addressing misogyny and sexism and patriarchy. It means settling for nothing less than equality and honor for all people—all women and all men. It means addressing subtle and unrecognized prejudices and barriers, and showing the world what redeemed and restored gender and personal relationships truly look like.

5. Women should be encouraged to “keep their foot on the gas pedal until the very day they need to leave to have a child”. Employers should make it easier for women (and men) to return to the workforce after having children, and to continue in their career and ministry aspirations. Older women should encourage younger women to embrace this perspective. Older men should show younger men what truly honoring and promoting women looks like, and to encourage younger men to do the same. Our society must seek to build a culture where men and women are equally able to succeed, and equally able to be liked and respected for their accomplishments and gifts.

We need Society and Christian leaders who value this, and who can release these values into their marriages, families, churches, teams, businesses, and organizations.

A DIVINE PRAYER

“Forgive us for holding women back from using their gifts fully and freely. Give us a passion to see this change. Give us the courage to build churches and organizations that value and honor women and men equally and fully, and that invite everyone to contribute with all the gifts that God has given them.”

By Sheryl Sanderg