Women In Leadership: A Systems Approach To Leadership Development
Twenty-five years ago, our denomination voted in favour of giving each local church the autonomy to decide on whether it would function as an egalitarian or complementarian congregation. Since the decision, numerous churches have embraced the opportunity to vote and transition to an egalitarian model, where men and women share equal roles in leadership and ministry. These congregations have worked diligently to align their practices with a vision of equality rooted in their understanding of scripture. Yet, for every church that has successfully made this shift, there are others where the conversation has stalled. Some have never held a vote, whether due to leadership resistance or congregational division. In other cases, votes have fallen short, sometimes by just a few percentage points, leaving churches in a state of tension and unresolved aspirations.
What pains me as I reflect on this process is the inherent bias within the system. Requiring a supermajority of 66% to adopt an egalitarian structure tilts the scales toward maintaining the complementarian status quo. Complementarianism, which emphasizes distinct roles for men and women in church and family life, remains the default unless a significant majority actively chooses otherwise.
Due to the complexity of our dual system, while open to egalitarianism, our denomination places women at a distinct disadvantage. In Growing Women in Ministry, Anna R. Morgan writes, “Women leaders frequently begin their leadership race at a disadvantage, starting further behind their male colleagues because of hindrances they must overcome. These are often unseen forces that push against their forward progress, causing leadership development to be more difficult and slower for them.”[1]
This book is not an apologetic for either view. She favours mutuality more than egalitarianism or complementarianism, for its emphasis on partnership rather than equality.[2] It’s a word that I prefer as well. Morgan is addressing the uniqueness of developing women in egalitarian churches. Her study was guided by four core questions. They were:
- How does egalitarian theology shape female ministry leaders?
- What are core processes of development for female ministry leaders within egalitarian contexts?
- How do female leaders increase in influence and authority in egalitarian contexts?
- What are best practices for supporting the leadership development of women leaders in egalitarian churches?[3]
Based on her research on female leaders in egalitarian contexts, she found that women were still not developing on par with their male counterparts.[4] She discovered that it required intentionality on the part of the organization to develop a unique approach to leader development for women. Women will lead if they’re encouraged and developed intentionally and uniquely. They don’t need to be reshaped into male-style leaders. They need environments that recognize and cultivate their distinct strengths. She notes, “To successfully grow women leaders, we need a holistic understanding of how women are formed for ministry leadership.”[5] In the majority of her book, she outlines seven ways women need to be shaped and developed.
Unless our leadership development strategies intentionally address the unique ways women are shaped for leadership, we won’t see many women stepping into many key roles. Even in denominations that claim egalitarian values, the playing field is far from level.
What Can We Do?
This raises a vital question for those of us shaping leadership formation in the organizations in which we serve. How do we influence culture, develop systems, and create space for women to grow into leadership? Morgan writes:
A woman’s leadership development involves more than being granted a position or an opportunity to lead, even though this is important. A woman is not simply born to lead because she has a charismatic personality. Leadership doesn’t come from completing a training program or learning information. Even a Damascus-road experience alone cannot create a woman leader. A woman leader is formed gradually over a lifetime by forces shaping her thinking and actions and through relationships with other leaders. Christian women leaders build credibility, oh so slowly, to guide others toward a kingdom vision God put in their hearts.[6]
This reminds me that the task of growing women in ministry should be approached from a systems leadership approach and an understanding of how to address wicked problems. A systems leadership approach considers the various aspects of the system and how they interconnect. Solving this problem is not a quick fix, but it will take a long-term strategy that involves the whole system. In Rethinking Leadership, Annabel Beerel notes that systems can disable even the most capable leaders and that individual leaders can only be effective if the whole system is supportive at the same time.[7] Until we address the systemic issues, we will only take tiny steps towards solving the problem.
Since reading this book, I have begun to reflect on how I might address the uniqueness of leader development in my corner of our national denomination. However, the larger question that I must wrestle with is how I can use my influence on the larger system to address the systemic and cultural issues that are hindering the development of female leaders.
The bottom line from Growing Women In Ministry is this: if we don’t intentionally address the unique ways women are shaped for leadership, we won’t see them in key roles, especially in movements like the Alliance. It’s not enough to say we’re egalitarian (well, sort of). We must build systems and a culture that reflect it.
This is an important conversation for all of us. Let’s keep asking the hard questions, and let’s commit to building a culture that truly reflects the diversity and mutuality of the body of Christ.
[1] Anna R. Morgan, Growing Women in Ministry: Seven Aspects of Leadership Development, 1st ed (Baker Academic, 2024), 99–100.
[2] Morgan, Growing Women in Ministry, 17.
[3] Morgan, Growing Women in Ministry, 27.
[4] Morgan, Growing Women in Ministry, 18.
[5] Morgan, Growing Women in Ministry, 11.
[6] Morgan, Growing Women in Ministry, 31.
[7] Annabel C. Beerel, Rethinking Leadership: A Critique of Contemporary Theories, 1 Edition (Routledge, 2021), 209.
About the Author
Graham English
I was born in Cape Town, South Africa 30 minutes from Table Mountain, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. My family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada where I spent my teen years, met Wendy, and got married. We now live on the Canadian prairies in northern Alberta. I think God has a sense of humour. I'm a follower of Jesus, work in leadership and church development, love my family and walk a lot.4 responses to “Women In Leadership: A Systems Approach To Leadership Development”
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Thanks for your post Graham. You mentioned the term, as does Morgan, of mutuality instead of egalitarian. How might a change of terms help your denomination navigate this challenging process? How much does language impact systems development in this regard?
Hi Graham, I agree that leadership development is an ongoing process. Your quote from Morgan that leadership development takes time is so true. I wonder if floating way back to Tom Camacho’s Mining for Gold might offer some possibilities for any denomination that would step out to support and encourage women through coaching. I look at that route because it is tailored to the needs of the individual person rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to leadership development. The real question, though, is, do you think your denomination would even consider the investment if it passed the whole concept off to the local congregations?
Hi Graham,
Thank you for your kinds of peace – I appreciate it.
In what ways might churches shift from programmatic leadership development to more relational and formational approaches that nurture emotional intelligence and character across genders?
Graham, Over the past few years, I have really appreciated talking to you about women in church leadership. As you grapple with your influence in the larger denomination and system, what do you feel is the first step God is inviting you to do?