Date

5-2020

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Master of Arts in Global Studies (MAGS)

Chair

Porfirio Rodriguez

Keywords

Women, Ministerial Leadership, Seminary, Ordination, Liberty University

Disciplines

Christianity | Missions and World Christianity | Religion

Abstract

The literature shows that women in positions of leadership are more accepted in the realms of business and politics than in the church. There is an increase of women entering seminary programs and theological training centers in the pursuit of ministerial leadership roles yet, upon completion, job placement is challenging. There is still a polarized view of women in ministerial leadership that has led to inconsistencies, confusion, and the need for clarity. The purpose of this study is to identify the views of graduate students in Liberty University Rawlings School of Divinity on women in ministerial leadership roles. The most interesting finding of this research was that while 55.85% of participants believe women should not lead the church, 58.05% believe women can lead men in the church, and 37.21% believe the statement “if men do not lead, women should.” These seemingly contradictory responses reflect complex viewpoints that make it imperative that theological training centers, seminary programs, organizations, and the church seek to better understand the intricacies of this subject.

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