WithoutWax.tv by Pete Wilson | Tag Archive | women in leadership
Tag Archive - women in leadership

Do Women Rule the Roost?

October 2, 2008 in Cross Point Church, Family, God, Leadership, Parenting, Relationships, Religion with 41 Comments

I read THIS very interesting article in USA Today about decision making in the home. Here’s a quote from it…

Of 1,260 individuals surveyed this summer— either married or living together — women wield more decision-making power at home. In 43% of couples, women made more decisions — almost twice as many as men — in the four areas Pew surveyed: planning weekend activities, household finances, major home purchases and TV watching.

“We’d all like to believe we’re moving toward gender equality — not just in the workplace but in the home,” Morin says. “There’s evidence that men are doing more around the house these days, but when it comes to absolute equality in decision-making, it’s the exception,not the rule, in the typical American couple.”

So, what do you think? Is this a good thing? Where would your home rank in this study?

While this article is not directly addressing men being the spiritual leaders in the home I’m wondering if there is a correlation.

Do you think there is a correlation between men not making decisions in the home and them also not being the spiritual initiators in the home? Can you be the spiritual leader (or initiator as I like to call it) and not make the majority of decisions in the home?

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Guest Blogger-Jenni Catron

April 10, 2008 in Church Leadership, Cross Point Church, Leadership with 19 Comments

Gender or Giftedness?

Hi everyone! It’s an honor to be a guest on Pete’s blog. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Jenni Catron, and I work alongside Pete at Cross Point.

There is a question that we get a lot at Cross Point that I thought I would open up for discussion. The question is, “Where do you allow women to serve in leadership at Cross Point?” Frankly, I hate this question. While I am the first to support and encourage women, I’m also slow to demand equal representation of the sexes, especially in the church. For the most part, I haven’t worried much about this question. I have never really felt like my gender has held me back from serving as I feel like God has gifted me to serve. I realize, however, that I may be the exception rather than the norm. I’m blessed to work and serve at a church that understands and values women operating in their God-given gifts. For me that plays out in my role as Executive Director. My top gifts of Administration and Leadership serve me well in this capacity. (Note that I am usually the lone female among a sea of males in the leadership circles that I run in, even at Cross Point.)

I think the challenge here is to quit seeing gender and to begin seeing giftedness. As I have studied women throughout scripture, I’ve discovered some amazing chicks operating in their gifts. There are the obvious ones like Esther, Ruth and Mary, but then there are some even more obscure women in the New Testament like Tabitha – called a helper and leader, Priscilla – a teacher in the New Testament church, and Phoebe of Cenchreae – an administrative leader that I hope to meet in heaven one day because I’m sure we’ll be in charge of something together! The scripture is clear that God used women in powerful ways and I believe He still intends to do so today.

Unfortunately I feel like culturally women have been raising a battle cry for equality with men that can be boiled down to simply a cry for equal representation rather than a desire to see women allowed to operate in their areas of giftedness. In a desire to find our voice, rules and restrictions have been created such as requiring equal representation of males and females on committees, worship teams, etc. It’s become about being equal in number rather than about being valued for what we uniquely bring to the table.

I don’t believe that God is as concerned about gender as He is about our hearts and attitude for service. If I’m truly seeking to serve Him by using the gifts He has given me, I have to trust that He will put me in the circles where He can best use me.

Is there any role in the church where you believe that women should not serve? Go ahead, let’s open it up!

Ladies, have you found your voice?

February 18, 2008 in Church Leadership, Cross Point Church, Leadership, Staff with 15 Comments

I just finished reading an article from Carolyn Custis James entitled “When a Woman Finds Her Voice” on Christianity Today’s website. You can click here to read the full article.

The topic of women in leadership has always been intriguing to me, but this election year has really heated up the conversation. I have been in Christian leadership circles for almost 15 years now. I have heard a lot of the debates. I have heard the pros and cons.  I have heard scripture used effectively and scripture totally manipulated.  

I have served with some very effective women leaders and some not so effective women leaders. The factors that contributed to their effectiveness had nothing to do with their gender. It had everything to do with them discovering the way that God had uniquely gifted them and living that out in the comfort of their own skin. 

In her article James says,

“While I don’t want to discount the importance of understanding men and how they think and operate, we aren’t men and are giving up something central to who we are if we lose ourselves by imitating them. We end up distancing our very selves from the message we proclaim. We can routinely prepare and deliver messages without connecting our words to our own hearts and struggles, without tapping into the rich perspectives God has given us as women or drawing out of our personal histories with God. “ 

At Cross Point, I get the unique opportunity to serve with Jenni Catron , our executive director. Jenni is a very effective, comfortable leader whom I believe has discovered her unique voice. It’s been a joy to learn from her, walk with her, and partner with her in leadership. There have been a couple of instances where she has been looked down upon and treated unfairly because she is a female in church leadership, but each time, she has handled the situation with grace and understanding.

I think Cross Point and the general church as a whole has a lot of improvements that we need to make in helping women find their unique voice.  I hope and pray this will continue to be a front burner issue for the Christian community over the next couple of years.

What do you guys think?

Opening a can of worms,

Pete