Adding Women to your All Male Team (part one)
This conversation is for leaders who are at great churches who have a history and legacy and want to add women to an all-male team. So, let’s talk about adding women to the teaching team, changing their titles to pastor. and adding women elders. And let’s hear from people who’ve actually done it.
We love Stonebridge in Omaha, Nebraska and have long partnered with them. Senior Pastor Mark Chitwood joins, Teaching Pastor and Elder, Stef Rowe to tell their story.
04:30 (Mark) The story arch of Stonebridge and back story.
I didn’t set out ot make massive changes, but this was normal to be personally.
09:00 The heat came when we began to talk about women elders.
The elders went through studying with outsiders who were objective.
11:48 After we decided we should do this we did…nothing for a couple of years.
12:26 Enter Stef Rowe…
13:07 (Stef) I first preached in 2010, but was in the last 5 years that I preached a “normal Sunday.”
17:18 (Mark) We took our time on the teaching part and it was accepted since Stef was a known person whom our church trusted.
22:04 (Stef) Build a culture where women are seen serving. Our culture is always changing.
24:46 (Stef) The most pushback came when I became an elder.
I was surprised at how my friends did not throw me a party.
28:16 We were surprised that the push back on women elders came from other women and personal friends.
We lost friends, attenders and staff leaders.
31:26 (Stef) Pitfalls to avoid when you are helping a church gain new ground.
Churches have grown comfortable giving women responsibility, but still undercut their influence.
Avoid the taking culture of taking their work without giving them the influence.
35:44 (Mark) We have three on our board now and it has brought some needed fresh air.
40:13 (Stef) I wish I had a different skill set…it would be easier.
There are women in churches who don’t get to do what they could do best.
42:50 (Mark) we did this to be more biblical, not to be more progressive.