As Told to Jessica Hanewinckel
Not everybody is called to the same level of leadership influence, but I’m convinced many women are called and gifted for far more leadership influence than they have. I am ordained through the Assemblies of God, a denomination without limits on the roles and callings of women. In the West, we’ve seen trends of declining church engagement and Christian identification. A big piece of the solution is women who are called and gifted into church leadership roles stepping into that calling. It’s not that we need to usurp men, but women can take their place alongside men with their unique gifts and strengths.
Fundamentally it starts with a woman identifying her own calling. That’s often one of the biggest hurdles—especially if she’s never seen anybody use a leadership calling like hers. It’s hard for her to conceive the possibility, but once she realizes that, then she’s got to settle the theology of it within herself. This is what God wants for me. That takes a lot of spiritual development. Beyond that, much of leadership is just practical skills learned through practice and risk-taking. It’s being willing to put yourself out there and being OK with sometimes failing. All those things are my responsibility, as a woman, to continue to move forward.
I believe there are several things complementarians can do to elevate women in leadership in their context. First, elevate women to the full extent of your beliefs. In many complementarian contexts, women are more inhibited than necessary because the focus has been on what women can’t do rather than empowering women to do all that God has called and gifted them to do. If your church believes women can lead in every area except for the role of senior pastor or elder, then consider how you can elevate and empower women in every other area. If there is a lack of women in leadership, then consider what needs to change. For example, if your church isn’t training women to preach and teach, then you are missing an opportunity to release women to use their gifts in the church and world.
Men can start by recognizing that leadership development in ministry is a little bit different for a woman, but different doesn’t mean inferior. It requires reaching out and saying, Hey, I think you have something in you that maybe you haven’t recognized in yourself. I see it in you, and I want to encourage you to say yes to this opportunity I’m putting in your hands. Some church leaders do not develop or teach a well-thought-out egalitarian theology, even in egalitarian environments. Pastors can reconcile within themselves by saying, As a church, as a leadership team, let’s grapple with it. What do we really believe about what the Bible says? When we make these things clear for our church, women who are unsure and hovering on the edges can say yes to the things that are deep in their hearts.
Anna R. Morgan is vice president of academics at Ascent College and co-pastor with her husband, John, of Word of Life Church in the Washington, D.C., area. She is also affiliate associate professor of leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary. Her latest book is Growing Women in Ministry (Baker).