Please explain to me...
I've been reading a few blogs, and ran across one called "those damn women" on 42. He references another blog called Signposts, which has a post of the same name.
The discussion in these two posts is a return to the idea that the attendance of men in churches is reduced because of the "feminization" of the church. I know, I know, I've talked about it before (in these posts), but these two entries I list above discuss it in a way that I hadn't thought of the issue before.
The claim that is made by those who believe it is that men are avoiding church because it is too "feminine." I don't agree with this argument, but let's take it one step further. WHY is the church too feminine? Many churches today are still guided by male leadership.
I thought about that for a while, and I made a list of the committees in my church. Are the chairman male or female?
Ministry Leadership Council -- male
Trustees -- male
Staff Parish Relations -- male
Finance -- male
Lay Leadership -- male pastor
Nurture -- female
Outreach -- male
Witness -- female
Celebrations -- female (which includes the worship subcommittee)
Lay Leader -- female (That's me, and I think I'm the first in our church to be female)
Lay members to annual conference -- 2 female, 1 male
Pastors -- 2 female, 1 male
Natural Church Development -- male pastor (not a standing committee, but important in planning the future)
Did I leave any out?
That's 17 people or positions. Nine of them are male and eight of them are female. I think that's a balanced split. I do think that we are heavy on the male side in administration and heavy on the female side in programming.
I think that we are a progressive church in this area, and that in many churches, this would not be the case. Even in our church, which has an even split, men have a voice in the church leadership.
If this is the case, and we are progressive, as I believe we are, then in many churches, the male voice would be even louder.
So how is it that the church has become more "feminine?"
Could it be that this is only an excuse? I think so.
Labels: Church
posted by Kim at 4:46 PM
3 Comments:
Kim, We're a smaller church in northern Ohio CUMC about 100 regular attendees with one pastor. I looked up the leadership directory and the split was 4males 7females. I think the so called feminization of the church has less to do with whose leading commitees and more to do with perceptions.Not all but some men percieve church going as girly. I think those who describe the church as to feminine probably find many things so without much basis in facts. Stereotypes are bad enough when there is some element of truth but when there based on false assumptions they really mislead.
I went to the sites you said and don't agree with the arguments they made either. I wonder if their saying the church is feminine has something to do with the fact that faith issues are more heart issues than head...I have known several male pastors that have made the comment, "Yeah, that's the touchy feely stuff...I don't get into that." What if some see the heart stuff as being in touch with the feminine side? As the chair for the conference nominations committee we try as best we can to balance all committees as we do in the local church...sometimes that works and sometimes it's easier said than done. I agree with you, I think it's just an excuse...I'm still trying to figure out how meetings have a gender...
thanks for this post.
I don't "get" the arguments, either.
does the presence of women in an institution make it less somehow?
I know people worry about feminization but it could be a very good thing for a number of reasons.
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