Madi's Cornerstone Experience
WHAT I DISCOVERED
Part IV
I discovered that there was, indeed, a definite skew towards men in the field of ministry, but I also found that people would likely be susceptible to change. It seems to be a fear of compromising critical Christian values by accepting feminism as portrayed by the media that keeps churches from fully adopting the idea, but I propose that rebranding feminism as the basic seeking of equality on a spiritual and opportunistic level will solve thus problem and absolve unfounded fears.
THE SEARCH
Part III
I started with developing my basic understanding of the breadth of this issue. This involved background readings and annotated bibliographies, as well as some simple google searches to familiarize myself with the topic. The overarching theme of almost every source I encountered not only recognized the divide (such as the $15-25,000 wage gap), but also identified valuing women as indistinguishable from valuing men from the standpoint of Christ and other inherent Christian values. I tried to make sure the sources I used could be applied cross-culturally, which is why, in addition to American scholars, I also used European and even African pieces.
​
There is, however, the possible issue of bias. Whether the author is female and seeks to elevate females, or male and can't quite grasp the full scope of a female issue, there could be reason for either to write something that only achieves their own personal goals and understandings. A slight bias, however, indicates a personal stake and interest in the issue, which is also very important.
WHAT I KNOW
Part II
I know that I have seen and interacted with very few female pastors. I also know that when I started this mentorship my expectation never included any sort of speaking/teaching because, without realizing, I never believed that I would be some sort of pastor or speaker. Any church I've attended have always seen women staff members as administrators or perhaps children's pastors, but never the actual leaders of churches. Until recently, I hadn't even realized that I not only accepted this as the norm, but I didn't even notice this was an issue at all.
WHAT I NEED TO KNOW
Part I
"Well, I'm sure you know the challenges you'll face trying to be a pastor since you're a - well, you know." I was puzzled as I looked at the visiting pastor. I wasn't quite sure what this meant. I was what exactly, I wanted to ask? But I let it go, dismissing it as a passing comment about my age. But as we continued to speak to one another, it became glaringly obvious that the issue he seemed to have was that I was a girl.
​
As both religion and gender roles are a large topics, there is a great deal I need to know. Particularly, I need to understand the biblical stance on women and their roles in relation to men. I also need to know the current state of female leadership within the Christian church and judge what sort of measures would be accepted and effective for genuine change.
