Women in Ministry and Church Leadership

Women serving in leadership roles, especially in their ministries and churches, has been taboo for centuries.

While women have always been considerably active in participating in church as members of the congregation, the idea of women serving in leadership roles within their churches and ministries has always been a controversial topic of discussion. 

Recently, I was presented with the opporurtnity to lead my Delight Ministries chapter as the Worship Leader for the upcoming academic year, and today, I thought it would be a fitting time to discuss the history of women in ministry and church leadership, some good traits that make up these women, and advice to women interested in these roles.

The 2024-25 Delight worship team playing putt-putt golf together!

History of Women in Church and Ministry Leadership

In the very beginnings of the Christian church, women such as Phoebe from the Book of Romans in the Bible were described as supporters of the church. Other prominent female figures from the Bible served in the early Christian church, such as Mary Magdalene and Priscilla.

However, once Christianity started spreading and became more popular, women in leadership roles quickly diminished. Many influential men in the church gave theological perspectives stating that women were to be subordinate to men in all aspects, including the church. Specific Bible verses were cited in these arguments, such as 1 Corinthians 11:3 and Ephesians 5:22-33, which are both verses that discuss women being submissive to their husbands.

As the centuries went on, the patriarchy within the church was relentless. Women were only supposed to go to church and not do anything more than that.

However, the times have changed drastically over the centuries, specifically over the Protestant periods, and women now serve as nuns, pastors, youth ministers, and more within their ministries and churches.

Let us take a look at how the data illustrates the change in women serving in leadership positions within their ministries and churches.

Desirable Traits in Female Leaders

So, now that we have explored the history and statistical changes of women in leadership positions within their ministries and churches over time, we need to look into what makes a good leader.

There are many traits that we can explore, so here are some of my ideas and preferences when looking at a woman serving in a leadership role within her church or ministry.

1. Spiritual depth - This one is a given. Women in these roles need to have some depth into their faith before helping another person dive into their faith. After all, how can you pour from your cup if your cup is empty? Women serving in these positions should be able to have a more intermediate or advanced understanding of religious teachings. 

2. Empathy - Women in these roles need to also have empathy for the other people they are working with. We are all on our walks with the Lord, and these walks have plenty of bumps in the road. From losses in the family to financial struggles, we all suffer weaknesses in faith. We as women in leadership need to be able to pray for others going through these struggles without instantly going into judgment. Countless scriptures state we should never judge people, especially in their times of struggle.

3. Communication Skills - Women need to be able to communicate effectively in roles that require leadership. Even though Jesus spoke in parables, Jesus was able to communicate His teachings very clearly to His disciples. While we don’t necessarily need to speak in parables to get our messages across, we should be able to communicate effectively to help others with their faith journeys.

4. Collaboration - A good leader does not just listen to themselves - they listen to other people. A woman serving in a leadership role should be able to listen to others’ advice and accept ideas from others openly. She should be able to delegate tasks accordingly (even though it can be difficult at times not to want to do everything), and should be unafraid to work with others to get tasks accomplished.

Dora, one of our girls in Delight, and I spending time to get to know one another at a tennis event with Delight. Genuine communication with others is a great way to be a great leader!

Even though I have a few different points listed here, there are plenty of other wonderful traits that go into making a woman a great leader within her church and ministry. So, I asked my friends and family what they thought made a woman a great leader within her church!

Advice to Women Wanting to Pursue a Leadership Role in Her Church or Ministry

Now that we’ve explored the history of women in leadership roles within their churches and ministries, and now that we’ve discussed what makes a good leader, we need to tackle our last point: what should a woman do if she wants to pursue a leadership position within her ministry?

I am about to embark on a leadership position within my ministry, Delight Ministries, for the very first time. I recently took the position of Worship Leader, where I will be planning out songs for the semester and practicing them with a mini worship band made up of the women in our ministry.

Emma, who was also the Worship Leader for Delight, handing me the speaker for worship service.

Submitted By: Callie Tregre, Delight at Nicholls Team Director

My best advice to a woman wanting to pursue ministry leadership is to pray on it. If you feel unsure if you should do it, pray about it. If you feel sure, but you don’t know where to start, pray on it. Prayer is the thing that will guide you through all aspects of this transition, and I recommend that anyone pursuing a leadership role within their church or ministry pray about it.

However, as I am not an expert on this subject, I brought in two of my fellow Delight leaders, Abby and Lilli, for a podcast episode to advise all women interested in pursuing their leadership roles!

To Wrap Things Up…

Today, we dove deep into women serving in leadership roles within their ministries and churches. We talked about the history, what traits these women possess, and where women should turn if they are interested in pursuing these roles within their churches and ministries.

If you are a woman interested in pursuing this type of work, I hope you are inspired to take action! God’s got your back, girl!