In my recent book, God Forgive Us for Being Women, I chronicle the history of the Pentecostal tradition and specifically highlight the ways in which women in the Assemblies of God negotiated and renegotiated their place in ministry.

As I researched women who served in the earliest days of the Movement, a common theme began to emerge: Not only did women believe (as did their male counterparts) that Spirit baptism empowered them for service, they took that empowerment beyond the walls of the traditional church and carved out space for ministry in places few dared to venture.

The Pentecostal experience led women in particular to live out their understanding of the intersection of faith and practice in unique ways, both domestically and on the international mission field. The empowerment they received served, and continues to serve, as a catalyst for making a tangible, physical impact on the world.

While researching my book and working with church planter Loralie Crabtree to contribute to a larger study on women’s leadership, I began to revisit other historic and contemporary studies of women who had engaged in what I call “entrepreneurial” approaches to ministry. These are not alternatives to the work of the Church; they are direct avenues to building spaces where women can lead without the baggage of discourse on a woman’s right to church leadership.

Medical doctor Eleanor Kue began prayer meetings in Lansing, Michigan, at His Healing Hands, the medical clinic she established for her uninsured and low-income neighbors. The prayer group soon morphed into an Assemblies of God church that ministers to the unique needs of the community.

Sandra Mick, who came out of a lifestyle of drug and alcohol addiction, planted Recycling Grace Ministries Assembly of God Church in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. This church reaches out to people facing life-controlling addictions. Out of that came a facility for women who were homeless due to addiction: Recycling Grace Women’s Center.

What the women of the past and women in Pentecostalism today have in common is this: The experience of the Holy Spirit and the indwelling power that comes with that experience create space where it did not previously exist.

Women who lead unique ministries can be the people God designed them to be, create a church’s culture from its inception, engage in innovative ministry models, and lead thriving congregations out of these unique spaces as a result. These women — and many others — show creativity in their pursuit of God’s call to lead that is reminiscent of Pentecostal women from the early days of our Movement.

Many women ministers are not serving as pastors in traditional church settings. Rather, they are running social programs, clinics and home churches that developed into gatherings where services and worship could occur. They had to begin with small groups of people in need of recovery and healing from church hurts before they could proceed to grow as a new church body.

Leading ministry through social enterprise and community development provides a meaningful opportunity for women to exercise their God-given leadership gifts in new venues and to contribute toward the fulfillment of Christ’s Great Commission. The Word of God affirms women’s participation in leadership. Pentecostal history provides numerous examples of women who left a legacy both as ministers of the gospel and as leaders of meaningful social change.

However, if we continue to talk about ministries that engage in compassion through social work and development as “other,” we not only limit the avenues through which genuine disciples can take place, but we also limit the avenues through which women can forge opportunity to lead and grow communities of faith.

A compassion-based approach opens more paths for women’s leadership, and reconciles faith and practice in ways that tangibly impact communities — restoring the perceptions of the work by the Church among an increasingly disinterested generation.

Women have been, and continue to be, a formidable force in Pentecostalism for knowing their faith, and how that faith translates in social concerns and mission to the poor and lost. The role of women in society at large and the ethos toward justice have created space in favor of women’s leadership like never before. The opportunities to craft new faith communities and address societal challenges are also great.

What the women of the past and women in Pentecostalism today have in common is this: The experience of the Holy Spirit and the indwelling power that comes with that experience create space where it did not previously exist.

Pentecostal women are sensitive to the leading of the Spirit, and this openness moves them toward not only a faith experience but also a work experience that serves others. There is no doubt that the influence of these women has made an eternal difference in their communities and the kingdom of God.

Once women have experienced the power of the Holy Spirit, they are compelled to live out their faith tangibly, as the Book of James describes. We need women leaders who announce good news to the poor, both as a proclamation of the gospel and as a means of demonstrating Christ’s compassion to the world.