Are there signs that we hang on the metaphorical front door of our churches or our denominations, that unwittingly, subtly, in the most gentlest of fonts communicate “Go Away” to certain individuals that don’t fit comfortably into our communities or our theology, or certain kinds of people that are different than us–in gender, ethnicity, or sexuality?” Why in 2023 are women still not rising into leadership roles in the Church?     

Jayne recently gave a message to a room of mostly pastors–mostly men and mostly white–starting with an introduction about the subtle Go-Away signs on the front doors of our Churches. It was essentially a message about the need to diversify leadership among a tribe of churches that is mostly white and mostly male, both at the local level and national level. 

At this event, a bit later a pastor in attendance asked this question: “Where are we excluding people– how are we excluding women and poc in our churches? I don’t see it. I don’t see how we are excluding others.” In Part- One of this episode, the SHE-Team work through definitions and examples of Second Generation Gender Bias that are barriers for women rising in leadership roles.

WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR SOURCES?

Defining the term: Second Generation Gender Bias in Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers

Stephanie Dyrness Lobdell, There’s Something in the Water | WomenLeaders.com || Christianity Today, Jan 2018.

Herminia Ibarra, Robin J. Ely, and Deborah M. Kolb, Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers, Harvard Business Review, September 2013.

Heather Mattews, Uncovering and Dismantling Barriers for Women Pastors, Priscilla Papers, 36, no. 1 (Winter 2022).

Andrea Ackermann, 5 Definitive Signs A Church Is Invested In Women – CBE International, CBE International Blog, Nov 7, 2017.

JR Briggs, 9 Ridiculously Practical Ways for Male Leaders to Empower Female Leaders in the Church – Missio Alliance, MissioAlliance, Aug 23, 2017.

THEME MUSIC CREDITS:

“Play Like A Girl” by June & Jean Millington is licensed under an Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License that can be found here, Creative Commons Legal Code.

Find out more about the SHE-Team members.