{"id":524,"date":"2013-11-10T03:27:56","date_gmt":"2013-11-10T03:27:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/beta.dminlgp.com\/?p=524"},"modified":"2014-10-28T17:06:33","modified_gmt":"2014-10-28T17:06:33","slug":"the-love-of-christ-compels-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/the-love-of-christ-compels-me\/","title":{"rendered":"The Love of Christ Compels Me…"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI have to be honest\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 I sometimes \u201ccringe\u201d when I hear a person start their conversation with those words.\u00a0 I mean, really, is there any other way to be?\u00a0 Yet, in this case, the \u201cI have to be honest<\/em>\u201d is not for others, it\u2019s for me! \u00a0I have to be honest<\/em> with myself.\u00a0\u00a0 As I read through the \u201cHandbook of Leadership Theory and Practice\u201d<\/em> I stopped on chapter 14, \u201cWomen and Leadership: Defining the Challenges.\u201d\u00a0 I have to be honest<\/em>\u2026I didn\u2019t want to stop on chapter 14 and reflect on this topic.\u00a0 I have to be honest<\/em>\u2026I didn\u2019t want to write on this topic and risk being named \u201cone of those women\u201d who needs to get over this \u201cissue\u201d and move on.\u00a0 Well, I have to be honest<\/em>\u2026I have worked through this issue, but it is still an issue!<\/p>\n

As I continued reading, I was captivated or perhaps overwhelmed by the way, Robin J. Ely and Deborah L. Rhode, the writers of this chapter, captured many of the struggles, barriers, attitudes and stereotypes women have endured throughout the years in the area of leadership.<\/p>\n

The authors point out that a fundamental challenge to women\u2019s leadership arises from the mismatch between the qualities traditionally associated with leaders and those traditionally associated with women.[1]<\/a> \u00a0The words assertive and authority are usually terms that are associated with leadership. However, when a woman demonstrates these traits she is considered to be aggressive, abrasive, bossy and pushy (and these are a few of the \u201cnicer\u201d words).\u00a0\u00a0 In my conversations with women leaders, they have shared some of the things they take into account when preparing for a meeting, presentation, etc\u2026 For example, they think about how their voice may sound.\u00a0 If it\u2019s too high pitch they try to lower their pitch so that they won\u2019t be considered too girly, too whiny, or too \u201cnagging.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0They want to appear confident, but not too self-confident because they don\u2019t want to be considered pushy.<\/p>\n

Another area the authors write about is in the area of self-promoting.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Women tend to see themselves as less deserving than men of rewards for the same performance and as less qualified for key leadership positions. [2]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 The author goes on to say that this behavior may keep them from taking risks that are critical for developing key leadership skills.<\/p>\n

I remember sitting with a young woman who had just started working, half time, as the spiritual formation pastor in a church. \u00a0This young woman had completed her seminary degree, was professional and clearly had a pastoral calling.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Her colleagues included two male pastors \u2014- the lead pastor (full time), who was also seminary trained and had many years of experience, and a youth pastor (half time) who had just started his seminary education.\u00a0 When they were in a board meeting and the issue of salary increases was presented the board decided to give the youth pastor a raise because they did not want him \u201cflipping burgers.\u201d\u00a0 As for the young woman, the spiritual formation pastor, they told her that since she has a husband she has other income.\u00a0 One of the women on the board, jokingly said, we could give her $75.00 to help her with make-up and nylons!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As I heard this young woman\u2019s story, I could not help but cry with her.\u00a0 I could not help but be outraged for her.\u00a0\u00a0 It is injustices like this that often keeps women from taking risks and stepping into the leadership positions that can empower others.<\/p>\n

It is sad, no perhaps painful to say, that I have seen many women fulfill their work without the same compensation that men receive.\u00a0 Often times these women continue doing their work without an official role or the permission of the ecclesial structures. \u00a0Some women have chosen to fight from within the structures.\u00a0 Others have chosen to leave and go to other places that were more accepting.\u00a0 And yet, others have decided to create their own church or organization so that they can be free to work more effectively.<\/p>\n

At a conference on women in ministry at the Hartford Seminary in 1996, men and women of the Latino Protestant church gathered with the purpose of \u201cdoing theology\u201d in relationship to the issue of women in ordained ministry.\u00a0 The method for theological reflection began with the hearing of the \u201ctestimonios\u201d (testimonies) of four women in ministry.[3]<\/a>\u00a0 One of the women shared the following:<\/p>\n

My gifts of leadership had been nurtured and affirmed in the church since I was a little girl.\u00a0 I was encouraged to take part in the different ministries of the church.\u00a0 I was mentored by deacons, deaconesses, Sunday school teachers and by the pastor.\u00a0 I learned not only the skills for serving but the spirit of servanthood.\u00a0 Part of this was how to pray.\u00a0 In prayer I was taught to listen for God\u2019s voice.\u00a0 I saw God\u2019s voice and the voice of the church align themselves when it came to my call to ministry.\u00a0 However, when it came time to give me the actual position and title, some people left the church\u2026The only way I understand that is as a place where the Spirit of God and the traditions of the church didn\u2019t seem to agree\u2026I felt the call of God to the pastorate even more strongly and the authority of God\u2019s voice in me was the one I obeyed.\u00a0 It gave me great power to act without fear.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the \u201ctestimonio\u201d of this woman is not unique.\u00a0 Many women have walked similar paths.\u00a0 Being a leader, in this case a woman leader is not easy.\u00a0 It\u2019s not easy being left off the partnership track.\u00a0 It\u2019s not easy listening to the stereotypes.\u00a0 It\u2019s not easy not having your voice heard or being criticized because of the way you sound.\u00a0 It\u2019s not easy seeing people leave simply because you\u2019re a woman.<\/p>\n

So why continue? Why continue this thing called leadership?\u00a0 Well, \u201cI have to be honest\u201d <\/em>with myself\u2014I continue because \u201cthe love of Christ compels me!\u2026And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

As a leader I continue to realize that this is not about \u201cme,\u201d it\u2019s about others.\u00a0 Leadership is about creating and strengthening relationships, about building commitment\u2026It\u2019s about creating meaning\u2026True leaders are merchants of hope, speaking to the collective imagination of their followers, co-opting them to join them in a great adventure\u2026Great leaders inspire people to move beyond personal\u2026[6]<\/a>\u00a0 It\u2019s about loving the people you are leading.\u00a0 \u00a0May the love of Christ urge us on!<\/p>\n

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[1]<\/a> Robin J. Ely and Deborah L. Rhode, \u201cWomen and Leadership:\u00a0 Defining the Challenges,\u201d in Handbook of <\/em>Leadership Theory and Practice, <\/em>eds. Nitin Nohria and RakeshKhurana, (Boston, MA:\u00a0 Harvard Business Press, 2010), p. 378.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[2]<\/a> Ibid., p. 388.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[3]<\/a> Martell-Otero, Loida I., Maldonado P\u00e9rez, Zaida, Conde-Fraizer, Elizabeth. Latina Evang\u00e9licas:\u00a0 A Theological\u00a0<\/em>Survey From the Margins.<\/em>\u00a0 (Eugene, Oregon:\u00a0 Cascade Books, 2013) p. 96.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[4]<\/a> Ibid., p. 97<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[5]<\/a> Bible: New Revised Standard Version, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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[6]<\/a> Manfred Kets de Vries and Elisabet Engallau, \u201cA Clinical Approach to the Dynamics of Leadership and Executive Transformation,\u201d in Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice, <\/em>eds. Nitin Nohria and Rakesh Khurana, (Boston, MA:\u00a0 Harvard Business Press, 2010), \u00a0p. 199.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI have to be honest\u2026\u201d\u00a0 I sometimes \u201ccringe\u201d when I hear a person start their conversation with those words.\u00a0 I mean, really, is there any other way to be?\u00a0 Yet, in this case, the \u201cI have to be honest\u201d is not for others, it\u2019s for me! \u00a0I have to be honest with myself.\u00a0\u00a0 As I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","cohort-lgp4"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=524"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1857,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524\/revisions\/1857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}