The Assemblies of God is egalitarian. Recognizing God calls and empowers women for ministry, the AG credentials them on an equal footing with men.

Even so, male credential holders outnumber females by a ratio of 2.4-to-1. The ratio of male to female lead pastors is even higher: 13.4-to-1.

One reason for this discrepancy is residual discomfort with women ministers at a congregational level, resulting in disparate treatment. While inconsistent with AG theology, disparity persists because of local church autonomy.

Another reason is that men have access to leadership development opportunities, such as one-on-one mentoring, which are often unavailable to women because of practices like the Billy Graham Rule.

Further, men and women follow different leadership development pathways. This seems counterintuitive in egalitarian contexts, but egalitarianism does not mean men and women are the same. It means differences are not disqualifying for leadership.

So, what would a differentiated leadership development process for women look like among egalitarians?

Anna Morgan answers that question in Growing Women in Ministry, which is based on her doctoral research. Morgan is ordained with the Australian Christian Churches (an affiliate of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship). She is vice president of academics at Ascent College and co-pastor with her husband, John, of Word of Life (AG), both institutions in the metro Washington, D.C., area.

Morgan argues that leadership development for women ministers consists of seven processes — three internal, two external, and two resulting in lifelong influence.

The three internal processes are calling and spiritual formation, cognitive development, and emotional intelligence. They act as counterweights to cultural assumptions about church leadership being male, which places women leaders at a disadvantage.

“Leadership is not a zero-sum game. The rising leadership
of women is not a threat to men.”
— Anna R. Morgan

Through these processes, women recognize the spiritual authenticity of their ministry, form an identity as a leader, and lead with confidence and empathy.

The two external processes are home life and ministry empowerment. The crucial question in both is whether a woman receives support from her husband (if married) and church.

Especially if she is a mother, a woman’s career path may look different from that of male colleagues.

“The most supportive ministry leadership environments have a female-affirming culture, offer flexibility, and allow a nonlinear leadership journey,” Morgan writes.

Finally, the two processes that result in lifelong influence are relationship development and communication development. Both processes present unique challenges.

Male-female working relationships in egalitarian churches are fraught. Those ministries have a twofold goal: to safeguard the integrity of male-female working relationships and to develop male and female ministers equally.

This precludes policies like the Billy Graham Rule, which segregates the sexes. Instead, Morgan urges churches to clearly define boundaries and cultivate heightened emotional intelligence.

According to Deborah Tannen, men and women are socialized to practice different communication styles. Male “report-talk” emphasizes information, while female “rapport-talk” focuses on relational bonding. In practice, leaders need the ability to navigate between these styles.

Conversations about male and female roles among Christians can become contentious. They needn’t be.

“Leadership is not a zero-sum game,” Morgan writes. “The rising leadership of women is not a threat to men.”

My father used to say no coach would play a game with half the eligible players benched. Unfortunately, that’s what many churches have done with women for too long.

Growing Women in Ministry offers research-based advice about how to move called and empowered women toward lifelong influence. Women ministers are likely to read it for obvious reasons, but male church leaders should do so too.

In a nation experiencing declining church attendance and increasing secularization, we need every eligible player in the game to win.

Book Reviewed

Anna R. Morgan, Growing Women in Ministry: Seven Aspects of Leadership Development (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024).

This article appears in the Fall 2024 issue of Influence magazine.