Rev Dr Christine Redwood, Lead Pastor at Seaforth Baptist Church, reflects on the importance of gender equality and power of collaboration for the flourishing of our church and broader communities.
Rev Dr Christine Redwood, Lead Pastor at Seaforth Baptist Church, reflects on the importance of gender equality and power of collaboration for the flourishing of our church and broader communities.
_________
On International Women’s Day, I occasionally see posts celebrating particular women (like a sister or a wife). It can be easy to focus on individual women we admire, but that can mean we miss or deny the real challenges facing women in our communities. We are not a gender equal society or even church. That’s what this day is about.
I remember feeling isolated as a female pastor in 2015, so I started researching the book of Judges, and for the next six years, I immersed myself in the stories featuring women and found company with feminist scholars. One of the things I learned was the importance of collaboration. Judges 4 can be dragged, kicking, and screaming, into the theological fight over whether women can lead or not. It can be easy to focus on the individual women we like and admire in this story, like Deborah (and maybe Jael). But we can miss how this story celebrates collaboration. Deborah and Barak work together as a team to protect their community. A foreigner, Jael, joins Israel and brings peace to the land. Finding company with others is crucial.
As I was finishing my thesis, I spoke by chance to three female pastors at different points in their ministry. Hearing their stories, it hit me – we have stalled. I felt convinced that more needed to be done in the church to address gender equality. I wrote to women I knew in a variety of leadership positions, asking if they wanted to talk about what we could do together. Everyone was keen. Across the following year, we came up with a list of changes necessary to see real gender equality in our churches. There were concrete suggestions about training and development, creating good governance and policies to support inclusion, cultural changes needed, and pastoral support.
We wrote letters, spoke to boards, and spoke publicly to our denomination. I felt less alone and began to see glimpses of a willingness to change by some and denial about the issue by others.
This could look like worshipping in a church where gender equality is preached and practiced, collaborating with others you know, working for change in the systems and communities you are in, or if that fails, being prepared to leave with others and start something new.
PRAYER
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
We praise you because you are a relational God,
We are humbled that you invite us to partner with you
Sharing the good news of Jesus in our words and in our actions.
Forgive us for the ways we fail to live out this good news,
Today, in particular, we think of the ways we have not included women in decision making,
And for the damage that has caused.
Help us find company with others, to dream and collaborate together,
We pray your Spirit would empower us to work for justice,
Amen
Rev Dr Christine Redwood is currently the Lead Pastor at Seaforth Baptist Church in Sydney’s northern beaches. She recently completed her PhD in preaching, the Old Testament and feminist hermeneutics which she is adapting into a book titled 'Hear Her Voice'. Outside of work she loves spending time with her nieces. Christine loves being creative and is passionate about films, theatre, writing, and most of all communicating God’s story with others.
Rev Dr Christine Redwood, Lead Pastor at Seaforth Baptist Church, reflects on the importance of gender equality and power of collaboration for the flourishing of our church and broader communities.
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