Women and Authority: For Such a Time as This

When men lead and make difficult decisions, like demoting, reassigning, or even firing, it is often called strong leadership. When women leaders make the same decisions, it's called bullying, authoritarianism, and power mongering. So when Carolyn Moore, in her fresh-thinking When Women Lead, titles a chapter “Authority,” I have a sense there will be some who react to this term. Because the authority that she writes about is the authority of a woman who leads in a church, or a Christian institution.

Let me begin by expressing my reserve. I have seen this term authority arise in discussions of pastors and Christian leadership dramatically since the 1990s. Frequently enough, those most concerned with authority are the types who are abusing authority already or they are the types that want to seize authority and be in control. Moore’s chapter is about authentic, Christ-based leadership. So let me define authority as it is used in this chapter as authorized leadership of a person with the gifts to lead other Christians. You may know, and I have said many times, that the word authority is not used for Christian leaders in the New Testament. But there can be no question that Christian pastors, and other leaders of course, have a responsibility to lead. Let us say that authority is that responsibility to lead.

As followers are those who follow, leaders are those who lead. The New Testament word most frequently translated with the word leadership/leader is a word that means in its roots, to stand in front or to be in front.

Moore Begins this chapter, and it is Chapter 7, with an assignment that says “Lord, make me ________.” She tells us that when she was asked to fill in that blank she said “an elder.” And then she burst into tears. She realized that one of her heart's deepest desires was to be recognized, to become, and to be an elder in Christ’s body. Becoming an elder is very much about becoming, rather than being assigned or employed. It is not a role “conferred by contract.” It is a role called by God, and it is spiritual.

The opposite of spiritual authority is a celebrity or some one famous for their capacity to generate an audience on social media. Spiritual authority derives from “an authentically holy character.” She asks a wonderful question: “How do I wear this mantle of leadership?”

A major point in Moore’s chapter about authority is that women lead differently than men. In my four decades of teaching, much of which has also been spent in conversations with pastors in churches, I have heard different opinions on this, but I believe that it is true that women lead differently than men. And the maps for leadership have almost always been drawn by men. Male leaders are frequently guilty of mansplaining.

Two authors she studies said “That while men tend to develop autonomy and separation from others early on in their leadership journey, ‘it is only much later in their leadership development that women can tolerate separation and finally see themselves as equal to others’.” (Discuss, that’s what I’d say in class.)

I quote Moore:

“Women also tend to invite more folks to the table. Women's leadership authority tends to look less like ‘command-and-control’  -- in other words, less hierarchical and more collaborative.”

Then she mentions three kinds of leadership: Transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire. Those she is reading contend women are drawn to transformational while men are drawn to transactional. Stereotypes, of course, until they aren't. Another scholar that she refers to, has concluded that “women have superior leadership skills because their natural inclinations tend toward more effective styles of leadership.” I would like to see this teased out and discussed. I wonder, if women have learned the art of collaboration because men have drawn the map of leadership.

Moore: “And we don't recognize the natural differences in leadership leanings, and when we try to be something we're not in order to get along in a world we don't trust we'll accept us, we not only lose the best of what we have to offer, we also lose our sense of authority.” That’s another one for discussion.

She contends that women need to receive or take the authority that is appropriate to each one of them. Not the authority drawn on previous maps, but the kind of authority that fits the individual person in that context.

Another major idea that Moore has in this chapter is her encouragement for women leaders to find a role model. Someone after whom they want to pattern their own form of leadership. And, she is referring to women finding a women role model. At our church, I love that young girls in our church see mother Amanda as the rector of the church. Northern seminary has several very clear role model women leaders. But I can't move on without grieving the loss of my friend, Lynn Cohick, who had become in her two short years a powerful role model for many women. More about that some other day.

Her next major idea in this chapter concerns authenticity which she calls “the ‘secret sauce’ of effectiveness because it builds trust.” She defines two terms: “Authenticity is about owning your role to the extent that you live it out with integrity. Transparency is about being honest within your role.” Here’s a tweet-worthy quotation: “Go looking… the image of God that is within you. It contains a world of peace, an ocean of holy ambition, a mountain of quiet confidence. It is the headwaters of spiritual authority.”

Finally she calls women to find “your” prophetic voice.  She writes, “You have a prophetic voice, and the world is waiting to hear what God would say -- and would say through you.” And, “the the result of embracing the image of God within us is the discovery of our unique voice, which God will use prophetically to speak his life-giving message into our communities this is the prophetic edge of authentic leadership.” She continues with “Discovering our voice not only makes us a better preacher, pastor, teacher, leader -- it allows us to bring so much more to the table than simply a good mother's heart.”

Carolyn Moore is on fire in this chapter.