Women in Missions: Facing the 21st Century

by Virginia Patterson

Is fulfillment of the Great Commission hindered because women are not equal co-workers in all levels of decision-making and mission activity? My answer is yes, for historical, theological, and psycho-social reasons.

Is fulfillment of the Great Commission hindered because women are not equal co-workers in all levels of decision-making and mission activity? My answer is yes, for historical, theological, and psycho-social reasons.

R. Pierce Beaver in American Protestant Women and World Mission traces the history of women in missions in some mainline denominations. Early in the 1800’s, women formed CENT societies. Each one contributed 52 cents a year. These societies became so successful that by 1812 a few women insisted on accompanying their husbands to the field. Over the next few years, single females asked to serve overseas. Male-dominated boards resisted.

By 1860, women ran out of patience, so they started to form their own boards. By 1900, there were 41 such societies in the U.S. and seven in Canada. They were highly successful, fully supported and staffed by women. These missions started teacher training institutions, hospitals, and medical training programs for women. They also ran diverse ministries among women and children.

During the late 19th century women also joined some new denominations and mission boards. William Booth, who with his wife Catherine had founded the Salvation Army, said, "Some of my best men are women." Catherine Booth supported his view in her 1857 pamphlet, Female Ministry. She gave a logical, scriptural argument for women’s right to preach.

For over a century, female officers have filled the pages of Salvation Army history. The roster includes almost every calling and profession, but first and foremost, they are legally recognized ministers of the gospel.

Fredrik Franson, founder of several European foreign mission societies, as well as The Evangelical Alliance Mission and The Evangelical Free Church, wrote a paper in 1897 entitled, Prophesying Daughters. His view of Scripture opened the way for many women to minister publicly as evangelists in Scandinavia and in North America. At the turn of the century, Franson said, "Praise be to God that at present as many ladies as men are being sent out from England and America to the mission fields…. And year by year even greater numbers of brothers and sisters go out."

Delia Olson, wife of Arnold Olson, who was president of The Evangelical Free Church for 34 years, in her book, A Woman of Her Times, emphasizes the importance of women in the history of the Free Church. From its early days, the Free Church ordained women as evangelists and pioneer foreign missionaries. Olson argues that women’s contributions in the past have been either minimized or omitted altogether.

In 1894, A.J. Gordon, founder of Gordon College and Seminary, published a monograph entitled, The Ministry of Women. At a missions convention, he saw a woman barred from giving a report, even though when abroad she had freely ministered in public. Troubled by the inconsistency, Gordon wrote in support of women. Gordon was one of the many Bible institutes and missionary training schools open to women. Women prepared at these schools, because most seminaries were closed to them.

What has happened since then? According to R. Pierce Beaver, agencies governed by men began to pressure the women’s societies to merge with the denominational boards. They argued that women’s societies drained off funds. Eventually, women gave in, but stipulated that they retain their leadership. Within 20 years, 48 women’s societies closed up. By the 1950’s, very few women held leadership positions.

Consequently, the number of single women in missions dropped significantly. Even though females still constitute a higher percentage than men in mainline denominational missions, Beaver concludes that their number is far less than at the height of the women’s missionary movement.

What is the current women’s missionary force? In 1985, there were 1,293 single women and 13,179 married women career missionaries serving with U.S. agencies, according to the Mission Handbook, 13th edition. However, according to the editors, "It is always difficult to get complete reports of the number of male and female missionaries. We know our data are incomplete in the direction of under-representing females. Some agencies do not even report females as missionaries. Others count them, but include them only in an overall count. In spite of this spotty reporting, women keep turning up at between 55 percent and 60 percent of the missionaries overseas."

For the most part, women hold traditional roles-teachers, nurses, office workers, children’s and women’s workers. Although many have done both pioneer and general evangelism, usually women are barred from pastoral work.

SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
Of course, the fate of women in missions is also related to women’s roles in society at large. As long as men and women worked side-by-side on the farm, they shared equally. But when the Industrial Revolution took over, many families left the farms for the cities. Middle-class women stayed home, while men went to work. Men became the sole providers. Many married women contributed nothing to the family income. Sociologist Jesse Bernard observes that not only did men become providers, their status depended on their being good providers. If a man was to be seen as a good provider, his wife would not have to work.

The women’s suffrage movement gave women the right to vote and greater access to education. But the end of World War I and the Great Depression curtailed both education and jobs for women. In times of war and economic crises, traditional roles were reaffirmed. Friedman and Shane claimed that society was ripe for Freud’s idea that women were irrational and conditioned by their biological nature.

But World War II brought a significant swing in the opposite direction. Women again were plunged into the work force. However, when the war was over, relatively fewer women gave up their jobs. Since then, the number of women receiving education and taking jobs has steadily increased. According to the 1987 Statistical Abstract, 52 percent of all college students were women and more than 52 percent of all working-age women were in the labor force.

Feminism revived with Betty Frieden’s Feminine Mystique (1963) and the Civil Rights Act (1964). The push for justice and equality for black Americans indirectly contributed to the women’s liberation movement.

What does this have to do with women in missions? Because evangelical churches allowed themselves to be "conformed to this world’s pattern" (Rom. 12:1,2), traditional hierarchical roles for men and women are presented as the only biblical option. At the same time, evangelical missions have adopted similar teaching and have kept women in subordinate roles.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
Well, what does the Bible say about the role of women? I’m assuming that most readers are familiar with the traditional view, so I’ll limit myself to the egalitarian view, which has strong support from such evangelical theologians and scholars as Walter Kaiser, Jr., David Scholer, Paul Jewett, Roger Nicole, and Gilbert Bilzekian. My primary sources are Scholer and Bilzekian.

The egalitarian view is based on creation. God created man – male and female – in his image. The mutuality of God’s image suggests neither male headship nor female submission. Man and woman together were charged with responsibility for God’s creation. Their relationship was affected by the fall. Consequently, the conflict over dominance and submission is a result of sin and contrary to God’s original plan.

Neither in word, deed or attitude did Jesus view women to be inferior and subordinate. Despite Jewish law, he respected women fully. Although Jewish males in their prayers thanked God that they had not been made a woman, Jesus not only taught women, he included them in his larger circle of disciples and chose them to be the first proclaimers of his resurrection.

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell upon men and women alike. Paul called attention to his many female co-workers. Priscilla, with her husband Aquilla, taught in the church, including Appollos, who then became a noted teacher. Paul’s declaration in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus," is the capstone for recognizing women in ministry.

Jesus came to heal and restore broken, distorted relationships caused by sin and the fall. The church should demonstrate God’s original male-female relationship of mutuality and shared service. Both maleness and female-ness should be represented in all parts of the church and therefore mission agencies as well.

Cultures in parts of the world where missions work should not deter boards from presenting the complete image of God. Rather, missions should raise the level of women in cultures where they are devalued, by modeling equality. Rather than make women accept subordinate roles in such cultures, the mission should show that both male and female can contribute equally to the body of Christ, but including women at every level of decision-making and in all parts of the work. At the same time, in those cultures that have a more egalitarian view of women than American society has, missions must not trample these values.

How might missions go about achieving this goal?

SEX ROLE STEREOTYPES
First, we need to recognize how sex role stereotypes have affected the attitudes and self-image of men and women. During the late 1960s and 1970s, several studies showed a strong agreement about the differing acquired characteristics of men and women. Susan Basow reports a study by Broverman and Rosenkrantz that identified competency traits as masculine: aggressive, independent, objective, dominant, competitive, logical, active, self-confident, non-emotional, blunt, rough and tough. The opposite of these masculine traits were identified as feminine: not aggressive, dependent, subjective, submissive, not competitive, illogical, passive, lacking in self-confidence, emotional, tactful, sensitive, gentle. When respondents were asked to identify socially desirable traits for any adult, the masculine traits were considered more socially desirable than the feminine traits.

When negatively valued traits are typically attributed to women, they come to see themselves as less valuable, less competent, and feel that they should take the subordinate role. Whereas, men come to view themselves as self confident and superior.

This socialization of sex roles by society and the church is a significant factor in how mission agencies view women. Both sexes perceive that men are more competent leaders than women. Therefore, it takes an unusual degree of effort for male leaders of, missions to share their power and authority, and actively to solicit capable women for leadership positions.

Once women assume these responsibilities, men and women alike must encourage and support them. It’s difficult for a woman to maintain an assertive, competent style, if all her life she has been taught to be passive and submissive. Once given a leadership position, as a woman gains self-confidence, she will incorporate more of the stereotyped masculine traits.

Sometimes this causes problems for women. In a leadership position, they must demonstrate leadership traits that are viewed as masculine. But because they are female, they are expected to exhibit female traits as well, which are directly opposite to the traits expected of the traditional leader.

Men and women do carry out leadership differently. Women may be more sensitive to relationships in decision-making than men are. Carol Gilligan’s research confirms that men tend to be more task-oriented, applying rules and principles, whereas women tend to act in light of how it will affect all of the people.

This trait may be opportune for women leaders. Several management articles indicate that sensitivity to people is desirable. Of course, a leadership style that integrates the best of both male and female traits is preferred. Secular research would lead us to believe that indeed it is God’s design to include both male and female in all activity and decision-making. All leaders, male or female, should model the leadership qualities seen in Jesus, which were not a function of his masculinity but of his spirituality.

ADULT DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH
Adult developmental research is another factor to consider in encouraging women to take leadership in missions. Past studies, done primarily with males, indicated that men were achievement-oriented and women were affilial-(relationships) oriented. But more recent research shows that both achievement and affilial relationships motivate women.

Studies done by Dan P. McAdams show that women score significantly higher than men on intimacy and relationship motivation, but not lower on achievement and power motivation. In these studies, men who rated higher in intimacy needs tended to be happier and more confident in their jobs. It seems that by having their intimacy needs met, men are able to be more successful and have a greater sense of achievement.

Adult development theorists agree that somewhere around mid-life there seems to be a reversal in the needs of men and women. Women become more aggressive and achievement-oriented, while men have a greater need for and interest in relationships. This role reversal seems to show that our culture has pushed men into being achievement-oriented and depressed their relationship and intimacy needs. Apparently, both men and women have both achievement needs and affilial needs. If these could be encouraged throughout adulthood, perhaps we would not see these mid-life shifts.

In light of these needs, not only should missions encourage women to achieve and assume leadership positions, but they should also encourage men to develop their intimacy and relationship needs. Do missions push men to succeed and achieve the same way secular business does? Suppose a wife and mother exhibits leadership skills and potential. In order for her to take a leadership position, should her husband be encouraged to develop his affilial needs by sharing more of the tasks of home and child care?

CHANGE WON’T BE EASY
It will not be easy for missions to change from a hierarchical view of the role of women to an egalitarian one. Male leaders will have to check their theological and biblical proof texts. Rather than focusing on 1 Corinthians 14:34, 35 and 1 Timothy 2: 11, 12 as transcultural, absolutely normative texts, they will need to look at the overall teaching of Scripture in light of both balance and consistency in regard to women’s full participation in the ministries of the church.

Are mission agencies prepared to accept and integrate the increasing number of women seminary graduates? According to Christianity Today, "women make up 20 percent of the students in evangelical seminaries. Between 1975 and 1985 there was a 150 percent increase in the number of women students. Many of the women who apply to missions will be seminary graduates. Since all degree programs in most of these seminaries are open to women, many of them will be qualified to do pastoral work. Missions will have to rethink their policies and practices that assume that God calls only men to pastor churches. Is it not possible that God can also call women to pastor churches on the mission field?

If both husband and wife are accepted as candidates, are both given specific assignments for ministry? Is job recognition given to both men and women? Does the mission give the option of separate salaries?

Since two-thirds of the "manpower" in missions is female, and since women have not been allowed to exercise their full potential, surely fulfillment of the Great Commission would be enhanced if women were allowed full participation as equals at every level of decision-making activity.

I see considerable progress. Many missions do include women in their leadership and on their boards. Take SIM International, for example, the mission I served with for 10 years in Africa. When I left Nigeria 18 years ago, having taught MKs and served as school principal, I was told that there was no other place of leadership for me in the mission because I was a woman. In January, 1987, I was invited to return to Nigeria to lead a series of management training seminars for principals and vice-principals of the Evangelical Churches of West Africa and SIM theological schools. My being a woman did not hinder their learning. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the field council, which had included only men when I was there before, had both men and women. Women also serve on their various councils, as well as the Board of Governors.

SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS
Undoubtedly, we will see more changes like these in the years to come. Many significant co-laborers in the proclamation of the gospel will be women. Now, for some specific recommendations to that end:

1. Have uniform educational requirements for male and female candidates.

2. Select and place candidates based on their gifts and abilities, not their sex.

3. Avoid glaring inconsistencies, like allowing women with a Ph.D. to train national pastors and leaders, but not allowing her to preach and pastor herself.

4. Be honest with female candidates about the obstacles in specific fields. For example, if you go to the Philippines our mission leaders there have this approach to women in ministry, but if you go to Taiwan you’ll run into this obstacle.

5. Encourage couples to share child-rearing responsibilities so that both can do ministry.

6. Encourage couples who may opt for the wife to do full-time ministry while the husband primarily does child-care.

7. Formalize a grievance procedure for sex discrimination, so women are clear about what they can do if they sense a problem. Encourage women to express honestly how they are being treated by the mission, and then act.

8. Establish leadership development objectives for both men and women.

9. Allow couples to have separate financial accounts, if they wish, so women can establish credit.

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