Date

5-22-2024

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Chair

Thomas G. Spotts

Keywords

church leadership, female pastors, complementarian, egalitarian, patriarchy, biblical literacy, women

Disciplines

Religion | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Abstract

This Doctoral Research Project aims to answer the question, Is there biblical awareness among the congregation about God’s acceptance and call of female pastors? The problem presented identifies a gap in biblical knowledge about women in church leadership due to the lingering effects of patriarchal influence. There may be resistance to church growth due to the uncertainty of the Scriptures, which sanction women to the call of God. This research project proposed to improve the Bible literacy of ten Christian men and women to cultivate spiritual growth and strengthen their theology. Historically, the conservative church taught that the Bible forbids women to pastor or hold any position of authority over men. There is a resurgence of women having experiences, as do men, reflecting the undeniable call to the pastorate. Women who, through the auspices of the Holy Spirit, obtain professional pastoral credentials but continue to encounter resistance. This qualitative research project uses Sensing’s triangulation method to validate the problem. The researcher used seven data collection methods to study the problem such as a pre-assessment survey, which served as a control mechanism for evaluating the results; a weekly Bible study on the roles of women in the Bible; a middle assessment questionnaire to measure the effectiveness of the Bible study; random participant interviews; and a focus group to test the results. The data collection culminates at a luncheon seminar presentation featuring successful female pastors interviewed by the researcher. The results yielded improved learning about acceptable leadership roles for women in scripture. Ultimately, an objective is to present a teaching tool for other churches to teach biblical equality in leadership roles within their congregation.

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