Feminist Reflections on Mission and Leadership

I am amazed that in the current social and political context in Australia, I am finalising this book with a huge backdrop of outrage by women about ill treatment and violence against women across society. This has exploded and needs addressing by all governments, organisations and deep reflection on basic respect for gender difference and valuing people as equals.

Many people have come and gone in ministry even within the time of my service, and it is in-teresting to look back and to observe with hindsight, the ways in which we have been slow to accept and respond to the impact of social change and values on the church as an institution.

One of the strengths that has been evident in this time of rapid social change is the way in which women have found their rightful place in ministry leadership in a variety of church set-tings. Women have their unique gifting and calling which is equally valid and valuable as it is for men, whom God has called. Having grown up in the 1960’s and 70’s in Australia, as a child of the women’s liberation era, it is not surprising that my pathway into adulthood and ministry has been about permission giving for women. It has also seen lobbying and pushing for signifi-cant change in church practices due to the re-discovery of the ministry of Jesus with women and the rise of the feminist theological movement in the 1980’ and 1990’s.

For those who are in the first half of life today, this may seem irrelevant or unnecessary to re-call. Much of that change has been embraced and forms the foundation and practices of our world and church today. Indeed, other organisations within society including politics, business and community services organisations (or parts of them) continue to support women in leader-ship on many levels, although the glass ceiling still seems hard to break in many places. That is not to say that all is well, or there isn’t room for improvement or renewal, but women in many spheres are much better off in terms of access and equity than they were 40 years ago.

For those in the second half of life, there is much to be remembered and shared about the journey that has taken place, and the wisdom and lessons that have been learnt, in order to create a future that is life giving and Christ centred. For those who have the privilege of leader-ship in the mission of God through the church into the future, I hope that these reflections will encourage you to understand the past and how we’ve come to the present time. I also hope that it will enable those who are younger to persevere as you have the challenge of creating the fu-ture church.

So, drawing on some of my earlier thinking in this field, which I am passionate about, I offer these reflections on the mission of God and the leadership of the church through my feminist lens. I hope this will encourage, mobilise and affirm all of those who believe in the wholeness that comes from being united with Jesus Christ, in his life, death and resurrection and lead to the transformation of the world person by person and community by community.