Covenant News - New Women in Leadership Resources Being Tested

Covenant News

New Women in Leadership Resources Being Tested

CHICAGO, IL (July 28, 2004) - Educational materials addressing the subject of women in church leadership will soon be available to Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) congregations.

A newly developed curriculum that will be evaluated by a number of churches this fall is based on the booklet Called & Gifted developed by a task force as part of the Commission on Biblical Gender Equality. Sharon Cairns Mann, lead author of the booklet and curriculum, was joined by writing team members Donn Engebretson, executive vice president; Gary Walter, Department of Church Growth and Evangelism executive minister; David Kersten, Ordered Ministry executive minister; North Park Theological Seminary Prof. David Nystrom and commission member Mark Moffett.

Kersten believes the curriculum can be a helpful resource for laypersons wishing to more fully address matters of women in leadership within their congregations. "I think what's helpful and somewhat unique about this material is that it is . . . discussing the issue not just from the exclusionary text point of view," Kersten observed. "It doesn't just discuss the (scriptural) texts that exclude women from leadership. It builds a broad theological foundation of equality. The basic premise is that (1) we are equal in creation, (2) we are equal in 'the fall', (3) equal in salvation, and (4) equal in the Kingdom. Ultimately, this should reflect that the church, in its present reality, should reflect the Kingdom.

"I've heard some people say, 'Why are we dealing with this, aren't we past this?'" Kersten continued. "But we haven't done a good job of direct advocacy and we have not had a thorough and broad-based formation and educational strategy."

Although the ECC affirmed the ordination of women during the 1976 Annual Meeting, there have not been many educational resources available to help Covenanters study and discuss the matter, other than a Bible study series written by then-NPTS Prof. David Scholer in the 1980s. A consultation on Women and the Ministry occurred in the fall of 2000 and, as a result, the Commission on Biblical Gender Equality was organized 18 months later. The commission sought to address issues involving not only women in ministry at the pastoral level, but at staff and laity levels as well. The new booklet, affirmed by the Covenant Executive Board, Council of Administrators, Council of Superintendents and Board of the Ordered Ministry, was given to pastors attending the 2004 Midwinter Pastor's Conference and was later sent to Covenant churches.

An additional resource will become available in the coming months - a document based on a sermon preached by seminary President Jay Phelan during the 2001 Annual Meeting, according to Carol Lawson, director of staff ministry for the Department of the Ordered Ministry. Phelan has revised the material to be presented in study guide form under the title Jesus Extends the Boundaries. It will soon undergo a field test much like the process for Called & Gifted. Workshops on both series will be part of the 2005 Midwinter program.

Both Kersten and Lawson believe lay leaders will not need a Master of Divinity or a Doctorate in Theology in order to lead a study on the new materials, suggesting that adult Sunday school classes or evening Bible studies might be effective ways to explore the material. They suggest the new resources also should assist pastors in preparing sermons addressing women in leadership within the church. In describing the curriculum, Kersten says the material is "dialogical," or meant for a wide scope of opinion to be shared in the discussion process. The curriculum also contains less formal theological language. "This curriculum is written by a gifted lay theologian for the whole church," he said. "It presents an opportunity to move forward on this topic," Lawson added. "It's put in the hands of the church rather than just a paper to read. It allows for a process to occur, but it takes a person being willing to be open to another point of view."

The Commission on Biblical Gender Equality was approved by the Covenant Executive Board in March 2002. Core strategies include:

Educating Covenanters in biblical equality regarding gender
Advocating for justice in the structures of the church regarding gender
Equipping the church to articulate the truth about biblical equality regarding gender
Advocating for the modeling of women in ministry and leadership in all possible venues within the church

Churches interested in being part of the curriculum field test should call the Covenant Resource Center at 800-338-IDEA.

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