“When it comes to gender roles in leadership what would you consider the church or organization that employs you?”
Thank you for participating in the September 2016 question of the month. A small group took part and answered the question, “When it comes to gender roles in leadership what would you consider the church or organization that employs you?”
The group was given the option to choose between hierarchical, complimentarian, egalitarian, feminist or other. As you can see 54% reported that their organizations was egalitarian, 36% complimentarian and 9% hierarchical.
Egalitarianism would believe in the principle that all people are equal and deserve the same rights and opportunities in leadership within their church or organization.
Complimentarians would hold that there is essential equality of men and women as persons (created in God’s image) but hold to gender distinctions when it comes to functional roles in society, church or organizations.
It can be argued that hierarchies can be present in both egalitarian and complimentarian models. But hierarchies can also stand separately as a top down model that focuses on skill rather than looking at gender when making decisions about leadership roles.
There is great diversity in our association on this issue – driven by theological view, culture, upbringing, modern societal pressure and the list could go on and on. There is clearly a need to engage in conversation with each other within our churches and organizations and across the association on these issues. We need to clearly be able to articulate our beliefs about gender roles within mission and not just rest on our laurels and hope it takes care of itself. How do we do this?
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Cor. 13:4-7
Friends, co-workers, brother and sisters let us be aware that sin, at the root, makes these discussions difficult. Sin has clouded and overshadowed the reality of God’s design. Let us commit ourselves to submitting ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and let love be our driving force as we seek to see each person be exactly who God has called them to be for the sake of His glory and the expansion of His Kingdom.
Presenter: Matthew Soerens, US Director of Church Mobilization, World Relief Description: Refugee and immigration issues have dominated headlines globally recently. While many American Christians view these…
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The group was given the option to choose between hierarchical, complimentarian, egalitarian, feminist or other. As you can see 54% reported that their organizations was egalitarian, 36% complimentarian and 9% hierarchical.
