I can’t help looking at the little signs outside churches. “Faith makes things possible, not easy” has been the message on the board of the Methodist church near my house for two weeks now. Recently, something else has started to catch my attention: the number of women’s names next to the title “Senior Pastor.” I’m seeing them more often these days and it’s made me start wondering what the pastoral landscape will look like 10 years from now. Will there be an equal ratio of female pastors to male? What will come to be the assumed strengths and weaknesses of both based on church experience? Once the novelty and stigma of being a female pastor wears off what will our presence have contributed to the pastorate?
Lisa Cole Smith
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I’m sure people will be exposed to different gifting in the pulpit, pastoral care, even administration. We’ll probably find that some of our expectations are met and others disappointed (some for better and others for worse). But aside from gifting, personality, gender stereotypes, strengths and weaknesses, aside from anything having to do with a woman specifically filling the role, I wonder if we may gain a greater awareness of our own assumptions about what things like leadership look like. Maybe we’ll get better at talking openly about difficult issues, get better at handling conflict and become more inclusive in our decision making just by benefit of having someone “different,” someone usually outside the inner circle, suddenly front and center.
A predominantly white church might experience this same thing when it calls an African American pastor. Or a Hispanic congregation would face these issues if they called a Chinese pastor. I’m sure it happens when a rural pastor is called to lead a city church and vice versa. When the leader of an organization has different assumptions about the world, experiences and expectations, it becomes an unavoidable catalyst for serious self-evaluation and potential conflict. In the case of women serving in congregations with a history of exclusively male leadership I think this could be a really excellent opportunity for some very healthy conflict. Perhaps that conflict would encourage us to examine other people we unintentionally exclude and how that affects our culture, decisions and ultimately theology.
Early on as a pastor, I attended a church-planting seminar. When I walked into the room filled with men I was immediately greeted by the only other female present who without hesitation asked, “Whose wife are you?” The well-meant greeting highlighted the unspoken assumption of the meeting: church planting was primarily a male endeavor with the help of his wife. I’ve seen this change in just the last couple of years. A multiplicity of expressions of church planting are being embraced and supported, many primarily led by women.
Of course, we all tend to assume that other people think like us and have the same needs as us. We usually feel more comfortable with and surround ourselves with decision makers who are like us. That is natural. The problem is that when the “other” is not included in positions of authority we are not required to heed their voices, especially when it costs us something. This is precisely why it becomes essential to have those who are “other” in positions of authority — so that they can speak into our lives balancing our perspective and providing accountability. Ultimately, we are strengthened when we are challenged by the diversity of one another. I think every church would be healthier if church leadership included both men and women.
I’m fortunate to have had men as teachers, pastors, mentors, friends and peers. I’ve benefitted from their diverse ways of seeing the world, interpreting Scripture, relating to people and doing business. If I had not had the opportunity to interact with men on this level, how could I possibly be a pastor to the men in my congregation? How much richer my life is because I have worked for, with and as supervisor to men. The reverse is not the experience of most men in church life. This is a new chapter and a new opportunity.
As more women are called to positions of authority in churches, some of what is accepted as normative is shifting and it’s a good thing. Whenever we are challenged to see through a perspective other than our own, we and those we serve, benefit.
I look forward to seeing the names of more female pastors on signs outside churches but even more I look forward with curiosity to see the way women serving in authority alongside men will challenge us and equip us to better serve our congregations and our world.
Lisa Cole Smith ([email protected]) is pastor of Convergence: A Creative Community of Faith, in Alexandria, Va.