Throughout the years, Baptists have affirmed the biblical teaching that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to the members of the church. These gifts are given for the building up of the body of Christ and for the work of ministry.
Hardly is there any disagreement on this. Consensus begins to evaporate when the discussion turns on the question, “Are there ministries from which some members of the church are excluded?” For example, “Might this exclusion be based on considerations of gender?”
Discussion of this question may go on long into the future. There can be no debate, however, over the question of the effectiveness of many women who are offering leadership in Baptist communities around the world. Space allows us only to mention only a few examples.
Among the visionary leaders in the Baptist Union of Austria is President Anita Ivanovits. She performs her daily work with a publishing and distribution company while serving the union, whose general secretary is Walter Klimt, with a clear vision of a vibrant future for the union in its local and international mission. Her passionate support of this mission is helping to make a difference among Baptists in Austria today.
In Chile, Raquel Contreras has just finished her term of service as president of the Union of Baptists in Latin America and vice president of the Baptist World Alliance. She has also completed eight years of service as executive president of the Evangelical Baptist Union of Chile. At the recently concluded BWA Congress, she was appointed as president of the BWA Women’s Department. Raquel’s extraordinary leadership gifts, her commitment to the mission of the church, and her enthusiasm for faithful Christian witness are well known around the world.
Anna Maffei is the immediate past president of the Baptist Evangelical Christian Union of Italy, a position she gave up only recently. An informed theologian, she combines a genuine spirit of compassion with a firm grasp of the social implications of the gospel of Christ and zeal for the church to engage with issues of social justice. Her broad vision and passionate leadership have inspired many.
In Sweden, Karin Wiburn serves as general secretary of the Baptist union. Of course, Karin is not the first woman to serve in a very senior position among Baptists in Sweden. Before her, outstanding women leaders like Birgit Karlsson blazed the trail. Karin’s capacity for clear thinking on theological matters, her thoughtful and caring approach and her giftedness as a servant leader are impressive.
Regina Class, who leads Baptists in Germany, enjoys a background that is firmly rooted in some of the best features of the Baptist tradition — informed belief, missionary vision and strong commitment to social justice. Regina manages to maintain a strong prophetic vision without sacrificing the pastoral spirit that is informed by a mature Christian spirituality.
It is easy to debate the pros and cons of religious argument and, perhaps, too many believers take delight in this. When we focus on the issues that serve as points of disagreement, let us be careful to examine God’s revelation both through the sacred Scriptures and in the life of the church today. When our spiritual eyes are open, it is amazing what we can see. It fills our hearts with joy! This joy could increase if Baptist historians respond to the observation in David Bebbington’s most recent book, Baptists Through the Centuries, that “The role of women among Baptists has generally been neglected by historians.”
Neville Callam is general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance. This column originally appeared in Baptist World and is reprinted by permission.