Why Having Women on Your Ministry Staff is a Good Idea

Back in 1994, I was hired as the first “third staff member” (part-time) of a church that had begun as a church plant several years earlier. Two full time men (senior pastor & music/youth guy) had been serving the growing church when I was hired as Minister of Education & Children. I immediately set about providing some structure to the ministries, implemented background screenings, and conducted a child safety seminar. Even then, all of the staff knew we were mandated reporters of any abuse.

Given that experience, it is difficult to believe that all these years later, churches appear to continue to not take seriously protecting both their people and their staff. Many articles are being written right now that outline how to do it. Allow me to add one more item: hire more women onto your ministry staff.

Women serving on staff as ministers is still uncommon in my denomination (Southern Baptist Convention). As I did my dissertation research on challenges facing women in those churches, the women serving often were not included in leadership meetings where such difficult issues would even be discussed. The churches included in my research were all complementarian and did not have women as elders or deacons. The research did not concern that factor except on background, but it did uncover some issues that occur when women are completely left out of leadership. Input from women is needed in our churches.

I discovered the women ministry staff faced many unique challenges due to their gender like difficulty with work/home life balance, lack of opportunity for advancement, or lower pay. Guarding against abuse is one key area is where the presence of women on the ministry staff can be an advantage. One woman interviewed during research shared that she served with a male student minister who was her supervisor and her role was to focus on ministry to the girls. She was very happy with her ministry, but frustrated to not be included in the “ministers staff meetings” especially when decisions made there directly impacted her.  It is understood that gender precludes them from serving as a pastor, but some churches still only look for men when hiring a minister. 

As a female serving on church staff for over 25 years, I have had many opportunities to serve because of my gender and not in spite of it. Women comprise more than half of the church. When we pay the men to minister and the women to “direct,” what does that say to the church about their importance or the importance of the ministry they lead? I'm not personally in favor of women being ordained, but we should not shy away from allowing women to lead, at least in ministries where women and children are present. An often-repeated phrase in our pulpits is “every member a minister” or “you are now entering the mission field,” but when we hire, we shy away from women or don’t take their contribution seriously. 

As I read the heartbreaking stories of girls seduced by men, young and old, I could easily see how the presence of a woman minister on a church staff could have been a help or a deterrent for someone taking advantage of the situation. It could also guard staff against false accusations. I contend that in addition to sharing information, that churches also consider adding more women to their ministry staff.