The image of God is best reflected and the Church of Jesus Christ is healthiest when both men and women are empowered to fulfill their calling at every level of ministerial leadership.”

That statement from the Network of Women Ministers’ website reflects what I have learned on my own leadership journey. If put into practice, it will help Pentecostal churches empower more laborers to reach more people with the good news of Jesus Christ.

So, we need to talk about men and women serving together in ministry as fellow pastors, board members, presbyters, district officials, and national officers.

Specifically, we need to talk about why men and women should serve together and how they can best do so.

Why Should We?

Let me offer 10 reasons for men and women serving together.

1. God’s design. The Assemblies of God teaches and practices egalitarianism, not complementarianism, when it comes to ministerial leadership.

We believe this is a biblical teaching. Our position paper, “The Role of Women in Ministry,” makes the case for egalitarianism and concludes:

The Bible repeatedly affirms that God pours out His Spirit upon both men and women and thereby gifts both sexes for ministry in His Church. Therefore, we must continue to affirm the gifts of women in ministry and spiritual leadership.

It is important to publish our doctrine, of course, but it is more important to practice what we believe. That is where you and I make the biggest difference — at the grassroots level.

2. Greater impact. Jesus told His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37–38).

Do we really want to reduce our workforce by more than 50% when there are so many to be reached, so much harvest to bring in, so much work to be done?

Don’t we need more church planters, pastors, staff members, chaplains, and interim pastors to do the work of God in our cities?

"The image of God is best reflected and the Church of Jesus Christ is healthiest when both men and women are empowered to fulfill their calling at every level of ministerial leadership.” —Network of Women Ministers

All whom God calls are needed.

3. Role models. When God called me into ministry, I had never seen a female pastor.

As God calls our sons and daughters into ministry during youth camp this summer, do our churches have healthy role models for them?

Do young women have examples of excellent leaders, both male and female, inside our churches? I guarantee they have many examples, both good and bad, outside our churches.

Our young men also benefit from seeing men and women lead together in healthy ways.

4. Moral safeguards. Men and women ministering together on staff creates moral safeguards.

Moral failures typically happen when a power differential is present, e.g., between a pastor and a congregant, counselor and counselee, or youth pastor and student — not between working colleagues. A mixed staff makes the ministry workplace a safer environment when managed properly.

5. Secular examples. Whether they work in hospitals, classrooms, food service, law offices, or construction sites, church members typically go to work every week in environments where men and women labor together.

Where can they better learn the Christian way to interact in the workplace than from the example of ministry leaders? When these leaders implement guidelines of integrity, professionalism, mutual respect, and courtesy that keep the ministry workplace safe, they provide good examples for male and female church members to follow in their secular workplaces.

6. Broader perspective. Men and women gain the benefit of a different vantage point when serving on a team together.

As a diverse staff or committee sees one another’s blind spots, it offers a 360-degree perspective on the work being done. A committee of all men or all women immediately shifts when even one person of the opposite sex enters. Diversity changes the way we talk, what we laugh at, and the perspectives we consider.

We are better together.

7. Communicates inclusion. Men and women serving together as church leaders communicates a welcoming image of a church. When a guest checks out a website or visits a church, a mixed staff tells them there is a place for them and their sons and daughters, both in the pew and in leadership. Such a church is egalitarian not just on paper but in practice.

8. Talent retention. Some of the finest female leaders have been lost to the secular marketplace or other denominations when churches needed their gifted leadership.

Does a woman who is also a professional see a place of leadership in our churches where she might serve?

9. Perpetuation of Pentecost. We are not cessationists in theology, believing the gifts of the Spirit ceased after the Apostolic Era. No, we believe all the gifts are for today.

According to 1 Corinthians 12, God is the giver of all spiritual gifts (verses 4–6). Every Christian believer receives spiritual gifts, which God bestows with no distinction of gender (verses 7–11, 27–28).

No gift named in the Bible (Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 12:7–11; Ephesians 4:11–12) is specific to one sex. If God does this, who are we to quench the Spirit? Do we ignore or suppress the spiritual gifts of women, or do we draw them out and share them with the body of Christ? Why would we limit God’s gifts by disqualifying the female vessel through which He gives them?

By empowering women to use their spiritual gifts, we perpetuate Pentecost. For as Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost:

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy (Acts 2:17–18, quoting Joel 2:28–29).

10. Silent sermon. When a male pastor employs a female minister and treats her with dignity, respect, and equality, his example preaches a sermon to every husband, father, and employer. And it teaches every woman and girl what they should expect in the home, the church, and the workplace.

By empowering women to use their spiritual gifts, we perpetuate Pentecost.

Those are 10 reasons why men and women should serve together in ministry and leadership. The Bible teaches God calls and empowers both men and women for vocational ministry.

And in the Assemblies of God, our Constitution and Bylaws embed egalitarianism in our governance structures. Our national leadership — both the executive officers and Executive Presbytery — model men and women working together.

Yet at the grassroots level, in the local church, I am sometimes asked how we can do better at walking out a stronger collaboration in all arenas of our Fellowship.

How can we do better?  Here are just a few ideas.

How Should We?

Obviously, it is helpful to talk openly about the issue. Churches and leaders who do egalitarian ministry well can mentor other churches and especially the next generation. And church leaders can take specific action steps.

Here are 10 actions that will help our churches more closely align with God’s vision of men and women working together in ministry.

1. Preach egalitarian doctrine. Preach from the pulpit what the Bible says and what the Assemblies of God believes about women in ministry. That sermon should come from the lead pastor in a normal series, not from a female guest speaker on Mother’s Day.

Surprisingly, many AG adherents have never heard a message on what the Bible says about women in ministry. In the absence of such preaching, they will believe errors about men and women leaders they’ve picked up from other denominations, social media, preferences, or experience.

2. Update governing documents. Review the Constitution and Bylaws of your ministry. Do they imply only men can be pastors and board members? If so, they need to be revised.

In 2022, the General Presbytery approved two excellent samples of local church governing documents. You can find them on the landing page of GeneralSecretary.AG.org under the heading “Recommended Church Bylaws.”

Then intentionally mentor and develop men and women to become future board members so an onramp to leadership exists.

3. Call out giftings. Look for God’s giftings in men and women without pigeon-holing them into traditional roles based solely on gender.

If both a boy and a girl get called during the same youth camp this summer, will she be directed to Kidmin, office work, and support assignments, while he is mentored by the lead pastor to preach on Wednesday nights, make hospital calls, and share announcements on Sunday morning?

Where people end up in ministry has a great deal to do with how they are mentored, affirmed, and given opportunities.

4. Provide ethics guidelines. Since the mid-20th century, many ministers have followed a rule whereby they will not be alone with a woman unless she is related to them by birth or marriage.

Historically, this rule was developed by men who were complementarian, not egalitarian. They believed the Bible prohibited women from serving in leadership positions within the Church, as well as in the home and the broader society.

Moreover, the rule emerged more than 70 years ago in a society where men and women did not work shoulder to shoulder in the marketplace, as they do now.

Consequently, the women these male ministers interacted with were church members, secretaries, waitresses, and the like — not ministry colleagues. This means there was a power differential between the male ministers and those women.

The Bible doesn’t change, but culture does. Ethics guidelines should follow Scripture, even as they take account of changing cultural situations.

In egalitarian churches, all ministers — male and female — have a duty to manage this power differential well. Our goal is to help others, not harm them.

The purpose of ethics guidelines is to promote healthy relationships — whether among colleagues or between ministers and those they serve.

Therefore, make sure to implement uniform policies, guidelines, and training throughout the church for leaders of both genders. Require everyone to practice morally safe boundaries regardless of gender.

These guidelines include common-sense rules such as: Keep the office door open. Travel in threes. Show professional courtesy all the time.

Good policies and procedures reduce the risk of moral failure.

5. Talk openly. Watch for the right time and place for the ministry team to talk openly about these issues. Ask questions. Create a culture of accountability.

6. Be self-aware. Check your own bias, preference, and history. Once you’ve done that, work intentionally to be more fair, biblical, inclusive, appreciative of differences, and God-honoring in how you lead.

Can you dream with me of a Church where the gifts of the Holy Spirit flow freely through men and women?

7. Remember, words matter. Be fair in titles, positions, and compensation.

Take the phrase, “pastor’s wife,” for example. There are two reasons why it’s better to say, “minister’s spouse.” First, vocational ministry includes missionaries, college professors, and Teen Challenge directors, not just pastors of local churches. Second, 29% of AG credentialed ministers are female. Women pastors have husbands. And keep in mind that not all ministers are married.

Consider titles, too. If you have two colleagues with doctorates, calling him “Dr.” but her “Miss Debbie” needs to be corrected.

The same goes with the title, “Pastor.” If a paid staff member holds AG credentials and does pastoral work, do you call that staffer “Kidmin pastor” if he is male but “Kidmin director” if she is female?

Finally, on Pastor Appreciation Day, does your congregation compensate staff members equally? Does he receive a check while she gets a bouquet of flowers?

Words and actions matter.

8. Open doors for one another. Men and women need to champion the advancement of women and men.

This is especially true of men advancing women. Male ministers need to acquaint themselves with the gifts, skills, and interests of their female colleagues. Doing so enables them to nominate female colleagues for open positions or committee assignments. She may not be nominated for a situation unless he suggests her name.

Keep in mind that men and women respond to opportunities differently. Men will say yes when believing they know 60% of the task. Women might not say yes until they feel 110% confident. Consequently, the way you ask, onboard, mentor, and empower leaders will look different for men and women.

9. Mentor equally. We all can learn from one another. So, provide mentoring opportunities for men and women equally, aligned with interests, callings, giftings, and gaps.

Young female students especially can struggle to find pastors willing to supervise the internships required by their colleges and universities. A woman I know felt called to preach and asked to be mentored. She was assigned to the pastor’s wife, who was a hairdresser by trade.

There are more favorable options. Mentor in threes rather than one-to-one. Superintendent Don Ross of the Northwest Ministry Network uses cohorts to help women overcome gaps in their training so that can serve effectively as lead pastors.

10. Normalize inclusion. We will know we’re making progress in men and women serving together when we no longer bring attention to gender.

When we draw attention to a person’s demographic — whether it’s race, gender, or marital status — it’s a sign we haven’t yet normalized their inclusion.

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I encourage you to take, discuss, and watch for these 10 action steps. They’re important because, to quote once again the Network of Women Ministers:

“The image of God is best reflected and the Church of Jesus Christ is healthiest when both men and women are empowered to fulfill their calling at every level of ministerial leadership.”

Can you dream with me of a Church where the gifts of the Holy Spirit flow freely through men and women? Of congregations in which anyone God calls is welcomed, empowered, and celebrated? Of ministries where men and women bring out the best in each other to the glory of God for the growth of the church?

Let it be so, Lord!