Sometimes I’m disappointed in my tribe. Not my local church mind you (I’m super biased but Flint Central Church is a great church). No, I’m saddened by USA/Canada version of the Church of the Nazarene. Here’s why: a highly qualified female candidate was not elected to be the lead pastor in a local church (in this case, the District Superintendent was strongly supportive of her. It wasn’t his fault that she wasn’t elected). I’m convinced there was only one reason for her failure to reach the two thirds threshold required by the Manual. She is a female. In far too many places, we will let females be our children pastors or our youth pastors, but that’s it. In far too many places, a female pastoral candidate has no chance of becoming the lead pastor.

It’s a local church issue, you might defend the tribe. I wish that were the case. I wish it were just one local church with a lack of biblical understanding or a lack of Nazarene history and tradition or because (I hate to write it) misogynistic attitudes among the congregation that voted against the over qualified female candidate. But is it a local issue? I’m not so sure.

Yes, we (finally) have a couple of female District Superintendents in USA/Canada (two  in USA; one in Canada). Are three out of 80+ districts really worth celebrating or should we be weeping?  Yes, we have a female General Superintendent. But even she was never a solo pastor. I sometimes wonder if even Carla Sunberg would be elected to be the lead pastor in some of our churches. Of the COK churches (larger churches in USA/Canada), there are only three female pastors (Shawna Gaines at Trevecca Community, Selena Freeman at The Well in Springfield, MO and Beth Nelson at Prairie Heights in Fargo, ND).  Again three out of top 100 or so churches isn’t a great record. Just ask former Nazarene large church pastor, Tara Beth Leach, of the remarks and attitudes she encountered and had to endure in our tribe. It’s not a good report. 

Maybe it’s time for the USA/Canada region to learn from the Asia Pacific Region. That forward thinking region has a “Women in Leadership Coordinator” on its regional leadership team. Dr. Lynne Bollinger is serving in this role. It seems that USA/Canada needs to think of better ways to develop and elevate women in ministry too. But it’s not just giving a seat on the leadership team that’s needed. We must educate our people of the numerous Biblical references of female leaders. We need to call out misogynistic churches and leaders and remind them that “our sons AND DAUGHTERS will prophesy.” We need to confess that our polity (we have always ordained women) and our actions have not always matched.  

To be sure, there are other problems in the church in America. It’s not always easy building a growing, Christ-honoring church in our current culture. Our leaders have a lot on their plates. Prioritizing the endorsement and encouragement of female leaders will help us in dealing with some of these other issues. God speaks through women. We need them. We need their voices.  Just as God used Miriam and Deborah and Esther and Mary Magdalene and Phoebe and Priscilla and… well you get the idea… God will use today’s female leaders if we give them the opportunity.