Not Your Normal Academic Conference
A Powerful Moment at the Society for Pentecostal Studies
When people hear "academic conference" they might think of a bunch of stuffy eggheads trying to outdo each other to see who can sound the smartest. Or perhaps some dry, boring presentations that don't speak to real life issues.
Those stereotypes might occasionally be true, but certainly not at a recent meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies.
In my last post, I shared my opening presentation on ways to include more female voices in Pentecostal higher education. What I didn't share was what followed. Let's just say my presentation was by far the least memorable part of the session!
What followed was five powerful presentations and personal sharing about women's experiences in the church and academy by Linda Ambrose, Cheryl Johns, Kim Alexander, Susan Tam, and Dave Wells, all beautifully chaired and pastorally led with sensitivity by Joy Qualls.
It's impossible to capture what happened in those moments, and I also feel a lot of it was so personal and heavy and at times spontaneous that it wouldn't be right to share in this kind of forum. As one person said "If you were there, you know" (or I believe they posted it on social media as IYKYK, which this luddite had to look up to understand!).
One person called it a "sacred time" and someone else a "historic moment." Another said it stood out with only a few other sessions in their 15 years of attending the conference: "I was aware something bigger was happening than we had planned or imagined" they said.
Seeing a room full of academics weeping at an academic conference is not normal. I felt grateful to be in the room for a moment that was obviously bigger than any of us.
Both from presenters and those in attendance there were tears of hurt, repentance, and perhaps even some of hopefulness. Apologies were given and accepted. I've continued to hear stories from people of how the time profoundly impacted them and was such a meaningful moment in their lives.
It was encouraging to see
some of the steps I recommend for male leaders actually happening in that room.
* * * * *
One of the main hurdles I face in talking about and promoting women's equal leadership and representation in church leadership is that many think it's no longer an issue that needs to be addressed.
I don't know how to say this less forcefully, but those who feel that way are simply not listening to women's stories and voices.
The stories shared from these women who have been in leadership for decades were not old stories. Most of them them were about recent events of being pushed to the margins or silenced in their churches or denominations.
I'm reminded almost daily of how much work is still to be done, as posts like this point out: Why Are We Still Talking About Women's Equality in the Church? (look for a similar post soon on some more recent reminders).
Women continue to report feeling "homeless" when it comes to the church or that church is not a safe place for them.
I'm glad to know there were many leaders in the room for our presentations, many of whom are involved in shaping future pastors and leaders. May God give us the grace to put into action the work of the Spirit begun in that room.
Want to know more about why women leading in the church is a Scriptural mandate?
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ABOUT JOSEPH
Pastor, Author, and sometimes pretends to be a scholar
Joseph (PhD, University of Birmingham) is the author of The Pentecostal Gender Paradox: Eschatology and the Search for Equality.
Since 2015, he and his wife have together pastored Oceanside Community Church on Vancouver Island, where they live with their four children.
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