Empowering Relationships

I've just returned from an Arrow residential. One subject we covered was 'empowering relationships'. That can mean mentoring, coaching, spiritual direction - or just a friendship which has been empowering.

When I got back to my desk, there waiting for me was a biography of Kathy Keay. Kathy died of cancer at the age of only 40 in 1994. Flicking through the book has reminded me already how 'empowering' she was for me.

To some extent she was a friend of a friend, someone whose lectures I listened to, whose books I read, and who came to meals occasionally. But as with all those people who are passionate about a cause, there was more to it than that.

Kathy was the founder of Men Women and God, a group promoting biblical equality, and which itself stimulated the founding of the much larger group in the US, Christians for Biblical Equality. I joined the steering group of MWG as a theological student in 1992, and have remained with it ever since, being both inspired by its work and its members, and in turn trying to inspire and inform others. That connection has probably formed my life and career more than I realise.

I'll be reviewing Whatever Happened to Kathy Keay as soon as I've read it. But to whet your appetite, here's a short extract from the promotional material:

For nearly twenty years until her tragic death in 1994, Kathy Keay engaged, challenged and inspired the Christian world, speaking, writing and debating on a myriad of subjects. Using Kathy's own writing, including personal diaries and letters, and interviews with those closest to her, Marion Osgood reveals the intense inner struggles that accompanied her achievements as she endeavoured to follow her calling in the midst of human frailty.

You can find out more on the author's website.

New year reading resolutions

Are you reading this because you're like me, stuck at home in the snow?

Then maybe it's also a good time to reflect on your leadership development needs for the coming year.

I'm firmly convinced that good leaders need to be leaders who continue to grow and learn. Going to conferences, listening to sermons, talks and podcasts. And that traditional way, using old-fashioned printed paper: through reading!

To get you started, there's a new book review for January on the main CPAS site (click here for a link). Bill Hybels needs no introduction for most Christian leaders. I found his book Axiom fascinating, and full of wisdom to apply to all aspects of leadership.

Or if that title does not grab you, there are lots of 'back copies' of reviews. I recently went to a meeting where we were discussing the biblical case for women in leadership. Maybe that's a subject you need to get to wrestle with this year, and several books (including mine) will get you started. Or maybe it's about whether men and women lead differently: again, look at some back reviews. Order a book, and by the time it's come, maybe the post can get through to deliver it!

So, if you're snowbound, redeem the time and keep learning!

One Hundred Awesome Women

I'm so excited that the number of members of Awesome has reached one hundred!

The name Awesome is an acronymn for 'Anglican Women Evangelicals: Supporting our Ordained Ministries'. We're a network of ordained Anglican women from across the evangelical spectrum, and aim to support each other and to equip each other for ministry in the Church.

The network was launched in January 2004, so almost six years on it's good that we have attracted good numbers of women, and a record number of 42 at our most recent conference in September. Click here for our website, where there's more information.

Membership has reached 100, and we know that there are more women who support our aims. Some 20+ have been members but are lapsed or no longer active, and many others agree with our aims but find support through other networks.

It can be tough an evangelical woman at this point in the life of the Church of England. Many of our ordained sisters come from a more liberal perspective, while some of our evangelical brothers don't believe that those of us who are priests should be ordained!

But there are always signs of hope around too. I'm excited about a couple of books I've just read. One is called Inspiring Women: discovering biblical role models, and it's about the significance of role models and how to preach some of the women in Scripture so that women find new roles models there. Click here for a review. It's a great little booklet, which deals with some of the tricky passages about women as well as encouraging preachers to look at some of the 'little people' in Scripture. Jehosheba, Sheerah, Shallum's daughters? I'd never heard of them either, but I have now!

What else is good news? Another woman appointed archdeacon: Christine Wilson, currently vicar of Goring by Sea has beeen appointed Archdeacon of Chesterfield, bringing the number of women archdeacons to 15. It's going to take a while to change the climate of the church when it comes to senior leadership, but there's slow progress being made.

I want to change the world, but I realise that progress usually only comes in very small steps.

The first review

How exciting is that! My colleague has just forwarded to me a link to the Sophia website so that I could read a review of my book; you have to join the network to read most of the resources, but I've provided a link to the review here!

If you've not encountered the Sophia network (http://www.sophianetwork.org.uk/ ), it was launched just over a year ago to provide support, information and training for women leaders in youth work. The website is a fabulous source of information and comment on all kinds of issues relevant to women leaders, especially those who are leading work with young people.

But back to my review, one of the strange things about writing a book is that you put an incredible amount of hard work into it, submit a manuscript to the publisher, and then sit back and wait for nearly a year - by which time it all seems a long time ago.

Now it seems quite a while since September, when the book was published. It's been great to meet those who've said, 'what you wrote is so appropriate for me', or 'it was great, so helpful,' but I've been looking forward to seeing a proper review in print.

These days, more people are on-line than read written reviews, so it's not surprising that the first review I've seen is on-line. I was so encouraged to read it - and hope that it will encourage others to read the book.

Maybe I will consider writing another book some time...!

Gifted to Lead

It's exciting to see that there are more like-minded women around!

When I first started working at CPAS, there was not much activity around the subject of women as leaders in the Church. But now there are more resources, more groups, more interest.

It still seems a shame that we have to bring a woman over from the USA - so perhaps we have got a way to go! But Nancy Beach, who is coming in January, will be worth hearing, I think; I am going to hear her myself. She is speaking in Bristol on 28th and London on 31st - details from http://www.willowcreek.org.uk/

Nancy Beach has been a leader and teacher at Willow Creek since 1974, and her book, Gifted to Lead, encourages women to own their calling as leaders. Read a review of this book here (and if you've not discovered it already, you can read a new book review each month).

What is encouraging to me is that this blog seems to be meeting a need - the counter is up to 2,300. Do keep the comments coming, with feedback or ideas.

Evangelical Feminism

I enjoy train journeys - a good chance to catch up with reading.

On Saturday I had a meeting in London, which gave me three hours to read. Among other things, I picked up the latest copy of Priscilla Papers, the theological journal produced by CBE.

I discoved, to my surprise, that I had missed hearing about the latest book by Wayne Grudem, published in 2006, Evangelical Feminism. But an excellent review by Kevin Giles told me as much as I probably need to know.

In my optimistic moments I dream that one day I'll read that Wayne Grudem has had one of those lightbulb moments and changed his views. But that's not happened yet, and his latest book continues his crusade to buttress his view of the permanent subordination of women as God's ideal. That is the theme of this latest book.

But I discovered that it's getting even more unpleasant. This time, Grudem gives a long list of names - eminent evangelical Bible scholars, whom he regards as 'liberals'. The book seems to move Grudem's case out of the world of reality into fantasy: all those who don't believe that women are permanently subordinated to men are 'liberals'. In other words, 'If you don't agree with me, you're wrong, and a liberal.'

The redeeming feature of reading about this depressing book was Giles' sense of humour: 'Why this humanly devised theological construct should be judged the only true interpretation of Scripture escapes me.'

Giles also takes issue with the use of the word 'feminist', which he contends Grudem uses deliberately, and is inevitably loaded. Most of those who believe in gender equality don't use the word 'feminist' but Grudem knows that by attacking 'evangelical feminism' he may find assent, in some quarters at least.

What makes me really angry is the effect of books like this on people who have read nothing else. They will not know that the views he attacks have been modified, that this book his previous books, depend on a (recent) heretical view of subordination in the Trinity, or that Grudem is a lone voice, citing only his own works and those of few others who agree with him. So many Christians will continue to believe that egalitarians are 'secular feminists in sheep's clothing who in reality deny the authority of Scripture.'

Nothing could be further from the truth - but reading about the book made me wonder if recent attempts to create an 'us and them' mentality within evangelicalism in the Church of England are suffering from an overdose of Grudem.

The Myth of Mars and Venus

It's already half way through July!

And I've just remembered I have put a new book review for July on 'Book of the Month.'

It's a fascinating book which explores the thinking behind popular self-help books like Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. This issue has lots of implications for women as leaders. Do women and men come from different planets? Or, do you think that the differences between women may be greater than the differences between all men and all women?

'Mars and Venus' thinking has been very popular and influencial in the last 20 years. But if you've ever wondered if it is actually quite dubious, read the review - and read the book!

Mentoring Leaders

There's a new book review on the Women in Leadership area of the CPAS website.

To read the review, click here.

There's a wealth of wisdom on leadership and mentoring in this book, so it's worth looking at the review to decide if it's for you.

Originally published in the USA in 2005, it may not be stocked in in all UK Christian bookshops. However, it should be readily available to order - at your local bookshop or through internet sites.

Through the Labyrinth

This is perhaps the most significant book I’ve read in the past year, full of research (a third of the book is footnotes) from a variety of disciplines.

It asks important questions, such as:

• ‘Is there still a glass ceiling?’ (the answer is No, but women have to find their way through the twists and turns of a ‘labyrinth’)
• ‘Do people resists women’s leadership?’ ‘Do women lead differently from men?’
• ‘Do organisations compromise women’s leadership?’

The bottom line is that there are few differences in personality between men and women, and these are getting smaller. Women make just as good leaders as men do, yet people still discriminate in a number of ways against women in authority and leadership.

Women may be in a ‘double bind’ because the expectations of women (to be so-called ‘feminine’, attractive, kind and caring) can conflict with expectations of leaders (to be assertive and competent).

Women leaders have to navigate their way between these expectations. While these conclusions relate to women in business and the professions, it is not difficult to see very similar patterns in the Church. (Rosie Ward.)