Kadi Cole’s second best practice for opening doors for women to lead in the church is undoubtedly the most important one. The very same day that I reviewed this for our Hobart AFES staff, our University Fellowship of Christians staff listened to this podcast in which Village Church staff detailed the 18 month process, 60 page report and changes they implemented over the years based on their theological foundations. As a result of this this endeavour, Village Church’s outcomes exemplify why this hard work is fruitful for the church’s mission.
Best Practice #2: Clearly Define What You Believe
Cole communicates the two distinct theological assumptions that shape the two main approaches to gender leadership in the church. She fairly describes both the egalitarian and hierarchical view of the Trinity that divides people on the practical application of women serving at various roles in the church. (It’s very interesting that the Village Church rejects the hierarchical view of the Trinity and see it as the Complementarian camp shifting the Doctrine of God and allowing their Doctrine of Man to re-write the orthodox view of the Trinity per the Council of Nicea.). With those conclusions in mind she then maps out the spectrum of beliefs and practical outworking in the church, the world and the home.
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Knowing that there is a spectrum to engage with helps us have conversations without immediately assuming that the “other” side is the fringe beliefs. But that’s not the point of this chapter. The point is that churches need to be crystal clear on their theology and communicate to both men and women how they may serve in their local church. Communicating this widely and in detail helps church leaders and members rise in leadership overall, no matter where they lie in the spectrum. Women are known to play it safe and stay well below the bar of leadership possibilities out of a desire to faithfully live by the scriptures and to lovingly not rock the boat. But this causes them to under-perform and second-guess their decisions as a leader.
Image from Chapter 2, Developing Female Leaders
An example Cole gives is a woman who has been given the task to coordinate the Welcoming Team. Both men and women serve on this team. But she’s unclear where the line is for her as a leader. Is she allowed to lead the group in prayer before their meetings or should she ask a man to? Is she permitted to give some form of teaching element to help the group perform well at their task? Or is it more appropriate for her to source a man to deliver that training? Is giving a devotional okay? Or is that overstepping the mark. As a result, many women in this position would tend to under-perform in their role because they are unclear. Not because the church leaders have explicitly said she’s not allowed to do any of those things.
Men can also be unclear. What about the expertise and experience of women outside the church? A woman congregation member is an expert in her secular field on a matter that the church needs particular help with. But the all-men Board of Management in the church are unwilling to engage her services as that may be overstepping the mark of a woman leading or teaching men in this matter. This Board of Management are likely unclear on their theology and practical implications of women serving the kingdom of God.
You can see that a lack of clarity can be both un-loving and counterproductive to the mission of the church.
As churches put in the hard work of determining where exactly they stand theologically and on the spectrum, they may find that doors become open to women where previously they were closed (whether formally through church teaching or standards or informally by self-doubt or local culture). It is loving and wise to be clear on this issue so that all church members are leading and performing to their potential for the kingdom of God and the mission of the church.
AFES - We need to constantly be stretched in this area as students from either no faith at all or all denominations engage with our misison and become student leaders and possibly future ministry leaders. We have a responsibility to teach clearly and apply what we believe about men and women serving God, using their gifts and shape them and prepare them for a lifetime of service to God. The AFES board have been studying this issue over many years and are working very hard to clarify how men and women work together to be on mission together.
Best Practices:
Clearly Define What You Believe
Developing Female Leaders: Navigating the Minefields and Releasing the Potential of Women in Your Church, Kadi Cole, Thomas Nelson, 2019, 224pgs.