The Power of Influence in Women of Faith

The Power of Influence in

Women of Faith

Theological Reflection & Bible Study By Rev. Dr. Rosalyn R. Nichols

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About Rev. Dr. Rosalyn Nichols

Dr. Nichols is a native of Memphis, Tennessee and proud to have graduated with honors from the historic Booker T. Washington High School and LeMoyne Owen College. In May 1996 Dr. Nichols graduated summa cum laude from the Memphis Theological Seminary and in 2004 she received her Doctor of Ministry degree from the historically black Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia.

Following the death of a childhood friend as a result of relationship/domestic violence in 1998, Dr. Nichols organized the 501(c)3 nonprofit, A More Excellent Way, Inc. (AWay) with a mission to help individuals from all walks of life to enter into, engage in and maintain spiritually healthy relationships toward the elimination of relationship violence. Dr. Nichols has focused her energy in helping faith communities regardless of faith tradition examine how to define, practice and preach what it means to love. Through AWay, Inc. Dr. Nichols travels nationally preaching and teaching the message of 1 John 4.18, there is no fear in love, there is a more excellent way to live.

As is the case of many women in ministry, Dr. Nichols was the first in her family to answer the call to pastoral ministry and is among a handful of African American women in her region to organize a new church start from inception to sustainability. Freedom’s Chapel Christian Church (DOC) was birthed with a vision based upon John 8.36 So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed! is now in its 18th year of life, committed to the belief that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that is at work in us.

Dr. Nichols was the first ordained clergy woman to serve as visiting professor at the Gweru Baptist Theological Seminary in Gweru, Zimbabwe South Africa. She travelled with a group of church planters throughout the provinces of China, and participated in a renewal pilgrimage to Galilee and Jerusalem. She has served as planning committee member and guest presenter at the first Conference on Sexuality and Covenant in Decatur, Georgia, hosted by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Mercer University. She is an advisor for Planned Parenthood of Greater Memphis and a recipient of the 2015 James Award. She is a founding member of the executive team of MICAH (Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope) a coalition building organization committed to addressing inequity in city, county and state.

From 2012-2018, she served as the Director of Advancement for Special Programs and adjunct professor at Memphis Theological Seminary, and went on to be named Executive Director for the Dr. Henry Logan Starks Institute on Faith, Race and Social Justice. In 2018, she formed AWay, LLC and serves as a consultant on the redevelopment project of the historical landmark, Clayborn Temple, Memphis, Tennessee.

Dr. Nichols has received numerous awards, is a dynamic, passionate, community advocate, preacher, teacher and pastor who believes that freedom in Christ gives one the liberty to live and the responsibility to serve.

Contents The Power of Influence in Women of Faith ...... 3-4 Women of Faith ...... 3 Disciples of Christ ...... 3 Influenced to be Influential ...... 4

Achsah ~ Judges 1:11-15 ...... 5-8 Reflection…………………………………………………………………………………………….5-6 Biblical Reflection ...... 6-7 Reflection Questions ...... …7 Reflections on Real Life Examples…………………………………………………………………..8

Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah ~ Numbers 27:1-9………………………………...9-13 Reflection…………………………………………………………………………………………..9-11 Biblical Reflection……………………………………………………………………………….11-12 Reflection Questions ...... 12 Reflections on Real Life Examples………………………………………………………………...13

The Woman at the Well ~ John 4:39-42 ...... 14-17 Reflection…...... 14 Biblical Reflection……………………………………………………………………………….15-16 Reflection Questions………………………………………………………………………………..16 Reflections on Real Life Examples………………………………………………………………...17

Shiprah and Puah ~ Exodus 1:15-22 ...... ….18-20 Reflection………………………………………………………………………………………....18-19 Biblical Reflection ...... 19 Reflection Questions………………………………………………………………………………..20 Reflections on Real Life Examples………………………………………………………………...20

This series of bible studies reflects contributions from a diverse group of women. Each is written to inspire discussion regarding women and their contributions both in biblical and current times.

InFaith Community Foundation is grounded in the Christian Tradition of serving others. Rooted in a Christian faith that is welcoming, InFaith serves donors of many denominations, faith traditions and diverse theologies. We celebrate God’s grace and live out our faith through giving that creates positive, effective and lasting change throughout our shared community.

The Power of Influence in Women of Faith While it is true that the voices and stories of women of faith have historically been less visible, one need only look more intentionally to recognize the power of influence that women of faith demonstrate throughout scriptures. When they use their power of influence, they become agents of change in the building of wealth, community and peace. Women of Faith In the first Creation story of Genesis 1, we see that God created human beings, male and female, in God’s own image, and gave them both a mandate to be productive and a responsibility to manage all of Creation.

Throughout scriptures, we find women managing and appropriating their sphere of influence to redeem and sustain their families, communities and their own lives. Women of faith influence the rights of women, the safety of their families and are essential agents in the creation of the beloved community.

In Luke’s Gospel, the women who accompanied Jesus use their influence and resources to support a movement of change in both the darkness of the Crucifixion and the light of the Resurrection. These women hold a prominent place in history as the first to believe and to proclaim new life for the communities, restoring the rightful, equitable place of power for all women.

They followed the Creator’s mandate to be productive and responsible for evangelizing the unfailing love of God found in Christ Jesus. That is the ultimate understanding of our responsibilities as Imago Dei in managing God’s Creation.

Disciples of Christ “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back.” Have we seriously considered what it truly means to follow Jesus in the day-to-day activities of our lives?

If we truly follow the Gospel and the steps of Jesus, we will find ourselves among those who live on the margins of life. We will find ourselves uncomfortably close to conflict as we speak truth to powerful, challenging religious traditions. We will find ourselves called to wrestle with the uncomfortable in order to realize the potential we have to enact positive, bold change in our communities.

To follow Jesus means to redefine what it means to be called good and faithful servants (Matthew 25.21-23). We are called to question a status quo that enslaves, devalues and casts out those who have the courage to risk it all by calling out systems of injustice. Discipleship requires more of us than simply singing pleasant hymns. Instead, it calls us to transform our words and beliefs into powerful action.

To examine women of faith in the Bible and how they manage their influence and their resources is to consider how they used their faith to transform their communities and see the ripple effect their decisions had on generations to come.

Influenced to be Influential We all have those who look to us as role models, whether we realize it or not. These individuals seek out our advice and follow our lead. We are disciples who lead other disciples. We are and have always been co-creators with the God of all creation.

As such, women of faith are uniquely called and challenged to hold scriptures in the light of the experiences of women and girls in order to reveal the legacies of faith and stewardship – from Eve to the daughters of Selophehad to the resourceful women of Jesus to Lydia of the New Testament.

We are called to highlight scriptures that reconcile the virtuous woman to the woman with the alabaster jar. We are called to see in these women our own mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and friends. Most importantly, we are called to recognize ourselves while we help young women and girls see themselves in these reflections as well.

It is my hope, that as you experience this devotional, you begin to ponder your own sphere of influence. When you boldly say that you will follow Jesus; that you will not turn back, what does that truly look like in the actions you take in the world in which you live? When was the last time you engaged your own faith for the good of your community? What legacy of resourcefulness will you leave? It is my prayer that you will celebrate what you have accomplished and be reignited in what you feel called by God to do as a woman of faith and disciple of Christ.

May you be blessed to be a blessing because of the time you give to this devotional to grow in your faith journey.

Achsah Judges 1:11-15 Let’s walk with the people of God, at the dawn of time when judges ruled the people of Israel, following the death of their leader, Joshua. This history is recorded in Judges 1:11-15.

11 From there they went against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher). 12 Then Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Achsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher.” 13 Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Achsah became his wife. 14 When Achsah married Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What is it? What can I do for you?” 15 She said, “Give me a further blessing. You have been kind enough to give me land in the Negev; please give me springs as well.” So, Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

Reflection Consider how the images shared in Judges 1:11-15 reflect on women. Think of names, adjectives, nouns and descriptions given to women with a keen ability to recognize their business acumen, despite societal expectations and limitations.

When you look at our culture, you quickly discover how we label these women. They are called devils, witches, aggressive and hard to work with. They are referred to as cold, calculating, mean- spirited, ruthless and angry.

Still, in the bright light of the 21st century with slavery, suffrage and civil rights women woven into the fabric of our history, women have fought and secured the right to be, the right to vote and the right to have a voice in the direction of their own lives.

When looking at women in places of power, you will see a backlash against the woman who is business savvy, who has an acumen for finance and a gift for the art of the deal. Even today, there is the subtle yet consistent age-old message that it is impossible to be a woman who is shrewd, smart and cute with a well-rounded life. We see this in our education system: girls that start with the same level of competence and confidence and mathematics and science, only to see a marked decline once they reach the age of 13.

This message conveys the idea that women will have to give up something in order to reach their goals in life. In addition, there is a presumed notion that the highest good of womanhood is still believed to be a relationship with a man; therefore, there is only one choice for a shrewd, smart, cute woman to make. All of this speaks to the subtle, pervasive and persistent message women and girls receive, limiting their view of themselves and the opportunities afforded to them. Women and girls with an eye for business run the risk of losing their sense of womanhood as they experience the microaggressions of being perceived as a threat and the real anxiety of loneliness.

Women of any age need an opportunity to see an image of a woman with a full life, including a relentless pursuit of opportunities. As women of faith, we need the image of a woman in our sacred text who does not sacrifice the full pleasure and strength of womanhood as she acquires more for herself than life has told her she can have. I introduce you to that woman. She is Achsah.

Biblical Reflection Achsah. Her name means ornamental bracelet, anklet, trinket. This meaning speaks to how she is treated when we meet her in the text as a woman born into a sea of politics and war. She was used as a tool, as bait luring a fish to the hook.

Caleb, her father, said, “I will give my daughter Achsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Debir Kiriath-sepher.” He was a man caught up in the thirst for the win, offering up his beloved daughter as a reward to the man who would claim the victory and the win. Achsah was treated like the grand prize at the Kentucky Derby; like the big belt in the heavy weight championship; like the Super Bowl ring; like the green jacket Tiger wears once again. She was the treat you give a dog when he’s done the perfect trick; like an incentive your boss gives you when you work overtime.

We must be willing to wrestle with Caleb’s decision and how it relates to this part of Achsah’s story. We must not be too quick to call it cultural and simply dismiss that her father treated her this way. Cultural norms are not God ordained, nor need they be considered good. The reality of Achsah’s life need not be made ok simply because her father was otherwise a good man. Using your daughter as a tool to get what you want may be cultural, but we need to say to men like Caleb, it is not ok. He still used her for his own benefit, even if it was a cultural norm. We cannot allow that truth to prevent us from seeing the larger message that Achsah offers us – a message for us in the midst of our often messy lives.

We are introduced to Achsah without her saying a word. At that time, it was expected that women were seen and not heard. They were treated like property and given away without so much as a question. But when Achsah opens her mouth, we discover a woman in the relentless pursuit of opportunities beyond the resources currently controlled by her.

In ancient Israel two things were of pivotal value: family ties and land. The Bible says that Achsah persuaded Othneil to get more than just her. Her father had promised to give him a wife, but because of Achsah, Othneil was able to get land as well. One writer said in the politics of war that Achsah represented for Othneil more than just a wife, but a relationship and a network. Through her, he gained greater influence and greater opportunity. She brought to the table the possibilities of greater rewards. Othneil was given the woman, but because of the woman he was able to acquire the land.

It is the action Achsah took after Othneil got the that teaches us as women about the power of our influence in the relentless pursuit of opportunity beyond resources currently controlled. Her story illustrates how business, legacy and marriage can influence our communities.

As she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What is it? What can I do for you?” 15 She said, “Give me a further blessing. You have been kind enough to give me land in the Negev; please give me springs as well.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

Achsah said, “Give me a further blessing.” The world guaranteed her a husband, she was financially savvy in getting her husband to acquire land, but she did not stop there. As valuable as land would be for her family, it was the acquisition of the water source that truly demonstrates the power of her influence and her business strength.

The larger lesson for us is that Achsah was not afraid to ask for more. When life presents us with challenges, it is our opportunity to recognize the power of our influence, which gives us sight to see and believe we can do and achieve more for ourselves, our families and our communities.

Achsah asked for more and in doing so she gives us the courage to do the same.

Reflection Questions

• Where does your life story connect with Achsah’s life story?

• What messages have you received that may have limited your view of your own gifts and abilities?

• How does Achsah use her influence for the greater good?

• How do stereotypes about women limit not only women and girls, but our community as a whole?

• Where in your life have you settled and how does Achsah urge you to ask for more?

Reflections on Real Life Examples

Jane Gates, great-great grandmother to African American professor, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, was born into slavery, farmed out and passed down like furniture in the family will of her owners. With her keen eye for business, Mrs. Gates saved $1,400 and purchased a two-story home within a few short years into her freedom.

Olive Ann Beech married Walter Beech. He was a World War I flying-ace who loved engineering and designing aircrafts. Ann was a business genius. Together, they were able to build an empire.

Chinese Emperor Huang Di was credited for raising silk, but it was his wife, Lei-tzu, who discovered silk and turned it into a fabric that would change the way women and men dress around the world.

What do these real-life examples teach us?

Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah Numbers 27:1-9 NRSV

27 Then the daughters of Zelophehad came forward. Zelophehad was son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh son of Joseph, a member of the Manassite clans. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. 2 They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and they said, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness; he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but died for his own sin; and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father’s brothers.”

5 Moses brought their case before the LORD. 6 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 7 The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they are saying; you shall indeed let them possess an inheritance among their father’s brothers and pass the inheritance of their father on to them. 8 You shall also say to the Israelites, “If a man dies, and has no son, then you shall pass his inheritance on to his daughter.

Reflection What do Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Rwanda have in common? Not a lot, at least at first glance. For starters, all four Nordic countries are what the World Bank classes1 as high income, while Rwanda features on the UN list of 48 least developed nations2. The disparity continues in almost every single area you can imagine, from electricity access3 (100% for the Nordics, 20% for Rwanda) to life expectancy4 (as high as 83 in Sweden compared to 65 in Rwanda). In spite of all these differences, there is one trait they all share: they’re the five global leaders when it comes to gender equality.

How did Rwanda – one of the poorest countries in the world – end up in this position?

What Rwanda gets right…. The Global Gender Gap Report looks at four areas: health, education, economy and politics. Rwanda is far above many other more developed countries, when it comes to their economy and politics.

Let’s start with the economy. At 86%, Rwanda has one of the highest rates of female labor force participation in the world.5 In comparison, the U.S. rate is 56% and has been declining since the turn of the millennium.6

1 https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups 2 https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/least-developed-country-category/ldcs-at-a-glance.html 3 https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS?page=1 4 https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN 5 https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS 6 https://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/201719/dwindling-female-labor-force.aspx

Not only are participation rates high, but the wage gap is narrower – in Rwanda, women earn 88 cents for every dollar earned by men; compared to the 74 cents in the U.S. 7

This high rate of female workforce participation is in part out of necessity and is rooted in the country’s devastating genocide. Over two decades ago, around 800,000 Rwandans were slaughtered in the space of just three months. In the wake of these horrific events, women made up between 60% and 70% of the surviving population. They had little choice but to fill the roles once occupied by men.8

A similar trend played out in the U.S. during World War II – as men went off to war, demand for female workers grew significantly, as did wages.9 But once the war was over, things quickly returned to business as usual. What did Rwanda do differently? It put in place policies to help keep women in work. Unlike in the U.S., women in Rwanda now benefit from three months of paid maternity leave, making it much easier for them to stay in the labor market once they start a family.10 The U.S. is the only developed nation in the world not to mandate paid parental leave.11

These laws might have something to do with the second area in which Rwanda leads: female political participation. For over a decade, Rwanda has topped the global list of countries with the most female political parliamentarians each year,12 due, largely, to quotas put in place following the genocide, stipulating that women must make up 30% of parliamentarians. Compare this to the U.S., where it is predicted that it will take 500 years for women to reach fair representation in politics.13

Why does all this matter? When women work in politics, research suggests they put important but otherwise neglected issues on the table,14 which can have a significant trickle-down effect benefitting women from all walks of life, along with their families and communities.

There is still a long way to go. Rwanda is one of only five countries to have closed at least 80% of its gender gap. While 80% is quite an achievement, the real celebration can start when the gap is completely closed – something no country has yet achieved.

7 https://www.thedailybeast.com/rwandas-pay-gap-is-smaller-than-americas 8 https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/07/29/487360094/invisibilia-no-one-thought-this-all-womans- debate-team-could-crush-it 9 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-economic-history/article/world-war-ii-and-female-labor-force- participation-rates/453F1001EA15E9A5D61A34CF21CD2DAE 10 https://www.ilo.org/africa/media-centre/pr/WCMS_536225/lang--en/index.htm 11 https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/09/26/u-s-lacks-mandated-paid-parental-leave/ 12 http://archive.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif-arc.htm 13 https://www.thenation.com/article/why-does-us-still-have-so-few-women-office/ 14 https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/12/donald-trump-could-be-the-best-thing-that-happened-to-america-s- stalling-feminist-movement/

It is important to note that the Global Gender Gap Report does not capture all the issues that influence women’s lives. In Rwanda, for example, the Human Rights Watch has lamented the slow pace at which genocide-era rapists have been brought to justice.15 Violence against women is also shockingly high. According to data released by the country’s Gender Desk, in 2011, 93% of victims of physical and psychological abuse were women.16

As women of faith, we are reminded to fight the good fight through the lives of the daughters of Zelophehad. I introduce the legacy of five sisters – Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.

Biblical Reflection In traditional biblical circles, these women are only known through their father Zelophehad. His legacy is shaped by his daughters, their articulation of and in defense of him. In a world where women are shadows in the back story of men, these women are not only the daughters of Zelophehad, but they reach the level of being named for themselves. These women are known by name because of the history they made.

In the 1970s, during the height of the women’s liberation movement, Harvard professor, Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich coined the phrase, “Well-behaved women seldom make history” to describe women and girls who challenged and shattered the status quo for women.

That would be true of our sisters Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. We meet them at a transformational point in their lives – standing in solidarity with one another in the court and judgment seat of their community, a place where land was promised and where lives were lost and divided up because of it. Their presence in that place was no small feat on their parts. They were there to challenge a long held legal community construct by requesting legal claim to inheritance not based upon gender, but on equity and familial continuity.

Their request reaches the highest court, in that time, ultimately challenging God! This calls for a shift in perspective not only regarding gender relations, economic justice and cultural constructs, but also one’s own ontological and theological connection. In other words, these women, sisters and daughters must have first asked themselves, and are now asking their community and their God, “Who am I to you? What do I deserve? And what should I expect from this relationship in the day-to-day reality of my life?”

They assert this challenge at the very entrance of the community’s sacred space. Needless to say these are high stakes. They challenge ingrained beliefs about what it means to be a woman and of one accord for economic equity and justice.

15 https://www.hrw.org/report/2004/09/30/struggling-survive/barriers-justice-rape-victims-rwanda 16 https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2013/nov/22/rwanda-gender-based- violence

In her poem Our Grandmothers, Dr. Maya Angelou wrote, “No one, no, nor no one million ones dare deny me God, I go forth along, and stand as ten thousand.” Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah are well prepared and stand together speaking as one voice. They did not send a male representative or spokesperson. The report on record describes them saying, “They said.”

They speak to leaders, to community and to God. They speak to those who are in the room and those who are not allowed in the room. They speak for brothers, sons and the fathers, who like Zelophehad, gazed with love on their daughters and died uncertain about their future and the future of their families. They speak for the mothers and women who questioned God’s role in their ability to secure for themselves and their daughters a future of hope. They speak to what is ultimately needed in order for equity and economic justice to take place – a divine revelation and confirmation in the hearts of men in power on behalf of women and girls.

“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they are saying.” This is ultimately not a legal matter at all. It is a spiritual matter executed through legal means. What they did that day did not remove all barriers or challenges women faced. It did; however, change the legal destiny for all women in their community.

To paraphrase the words of Dr. Maya Angelou, our Grandmothers, these sisters – Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah – may have come along on that day as one family, but even now they stand before us as the light, threads in the fabric made up of thousands and thousands of women, down through the ages, who have challenged systems and in so doing liberated generations of women.

What women give through their faith is a path to equity for all.

Reflection Questions

• Where does your life story connect with the story of Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah?

• What messages, both affirming and rejecting, did you receive as a woman in your family, from friends, peers and the community?

• How do these sisters use their collective influence for the greater good?

• How does gender play a role in what women inherit in order to build generational wealth for themselves and their community?

• Where in your community would joining with other women change the outcome of lives?

• What does this story teach us as women of faith?

Reflection on Real Life Examples

Lilly Ledbetter was hired by Goodyear in 1979 as a supervisor. After working for Goodyear for 19 years, Ledbetter received an anonymous note revealing that she was making thousands less per year than the men in her position. She sued the company and her lawsuit eventually reached the Supreme Court, which denied her claim on a technicality. Ultimately, Congress passed legislation known as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which was the first piece of legislation that President Obama signed into law in 2009. Ruth Bader Ginsburg has a framed copy of the bill, Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, in her chambers.

Esther Peterson served as assistant secretary of labor and director of the Women’s Bureau during the Kennedy administration, where she led the campaign to pass the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Together, with a cohort of passionate activists, Peterson put pressure on Congress and President John F. Kennedy to see it signed into law.

Flo Kennedy, Ti-Grace Atkinson, and members of the National Organization for Women protested against the common practice of sex-segregated newspaper “help wanted” ads. At that time, one would open up a newspaper to find “Help Wanted—Male” and “Help Wanted— Female” ads. They picketed, launched a national campaign and filed a lawsuit. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that separate want ads for men and women violated Title VII.

What do these real-life examples teach us?

The Woman at the Well John 4:39-42 NRSV

39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 41And many more believed because of his word. 42They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”

Reflection “What we need to be free is right here in this religion. It just hasn’t been unleashed, and that’s our job as liberating liberation theologians- to get the good news of the Gospel – to set the captives free. An educated person, you share your knowledge, and you empower people with your knowledge. An educated fool has a little learning, and they beat people up with it.” ~Dr. Katie Cannon, first African-American woman to be ordained in the Presbyterian Church

In a 2018 article entitled “Leadership and Social Transformation: The Role of Marginalized Individuals and Groups,” professors David E. Rast, III, Michael Hogg, and Georgina Randsley de Moura make the following observations about leaders who rise from the margins of community:

Leadership is a process of influence, an omnipresent feature of human societies. One key obstacle many leaders face is being stigmatized as an outsider who is not suited to leadership. When they are in leadership this stigma is often internalized as “imposters syndrome.”

Success by individuals in communities that society deems marginalized or deviant is unexpected and seen as a threat. They face unique challenges and conditions yet still manage to become leaders fully able to exert influence and therein to achieve social change. They may be non-prototypical leaders, but they are agents of influence within and between groups. They wield considerable power and often are attributed with transforming lives through social or organizational change, wars, recessions, recovery and technological (or other) revolutions, be it for good or evil.

While it is true that leadership dramatically impacts our lives, it is also true historically that certain people have had difficulty emerging or being perceived as leaders; therefore, they are less able to exert influence. For example, women and ethnic minorities face obstacles both when being considered for a leadership position and when occupying a leadership role (Rosette & Livingston, 2012). At the same time, those who are considered outsiders and do not fit the traditional mold of our leadership schema, such as Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, are cast into leadership positions.

Biblical Reflection In seminary, we were taught that context matters. This story’s context helps us to understand how this woman emerged as a leader and why her testimony was so influential and transformational for her community.

“Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” John 4.28-29

Her experience, not her witness of events, was her testimony. Through this experience, she was given a new light to her past, which therein opened for her a new future.

“A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)” John 4.7-9

For well over 400 years, two groups of people with a shared history and faith reviled one another. They were different branches on the same tree, but in every aspect they had no relationship with one another. The history of both was of promises fulfilled and visions shattered. They had both been great and both been small: Abraham and Sarah’s dream fulfilled; Jacob’s dysfunctional legacy passed down. The Northern Kingdom of Samaria and the Southern Kingdom of Juda both collapsed and all that remained was is the pointing of the fingers and the alienation of the community.

The family wasn’t talking, and they justified it all in the name of God – no longer bothering to ask why. It had always been that way. This has been the context of the relationship until these two thirsty, exhausted individuals take unusual paths leading them to meet at the intersection of their history and inheritance. We do not know why Jesus went through Samaria. It would not have been the most direct route to his destination. The woman at the well could have chosen a cooler time of day to draw water. For that time, she should have gone when it was the acceptable time of day for women to come together to draw water from the well.

This is a story of community, faith and God. It is also the story of how the one least expected to lead becomes the transformational key to building the path to reconciliation and restoration.

Leaders, who transform us for the greater good do not merely lead us to a destination, but to a revelation about ourselves. They are able to do so because we recognize that they have skin in the game. They come from among us, they know us and we know them. To use the vernacular of our present age, “They have receipts and have paid their dues.” They know the backstory, as well as the good and the bad of our collective stories.

This woman’s influence in her community was born directly out of her connection to it: she was known by them. They were accustomed to hearing from her. She had an unusual, yet powerful voice in her community. They believed because of her influence over them, not in spite of it. She was the kind of leader who encouraged and empowered them not to be ashamed of who they were and to seek truth for themselves. She made it safe to raise questions. She made it acceptable to let go of old thoughts and behaviors. She gave them the path to reconciliation and restoration. She led them to their liberation.

Leaders who transform their communities recognize that at the heart of every human being is the desire to be known. When she testified that, “He told me everything that I had done,” she built a bridge over the pain of alienation between God’s people and ultimately between God’s people and God.

Women of faith who lead in faithful ways give others the power to build bridges, while others seek to maintain walls.

Reflection Questions

• Where does your life story connect with the story of this woman at Jacob’s well?

• How have you used your story to influence the lives of others?

• How does this woman’s unique leadership style impact her community for the greater good?

• How does this woman’s story challenge our assumptions about women in leadership?

• When have you seen a level of transparency and truth in leadership that changed the outcome of community relations?

• What does this mean for women of faith?

Reflection on Real Life Examples Dr. Wilhelmina Perry combats homophobia in the African-American community, especially in churches, by promoting LGBT inclusiveness. She was raised in the Pentecostal church with memories of a household filled with a strong sense of community activism and Black pride. Every Sunday, many African American gays worship in churches that preach hate and prejudice against them. We sit in silence in the pews even though we are tithing members of the congregation.

“After Antonia Pantoja, my partner and colleague for 30 years, died of cancer in 2002, I came to understand just how much the homophobia in many traditional African American churches has had a negative impact on African American gay lives, including my own – and I decided to do something to change that,” Wilhelmina convened in the LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent. She authored an article in Amsterdam News, New York City’s oldest and largest Black newspaper, that called for more acceptance and services for LGBT homeless youth.

In “Opening Our Homes and Hearts to Our Homeless Youth,” Perry states, “These youth belong to all of us. They are our responsibility.” GLAAD worked closely with Dr. Perry and LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent to raise awareness around the number of young people left homeless, many due to rejection from their families.

Jen Hatmaker is an American Christian author, speaker, blogger and television presenter. She made headlines in April 2016 when she stepped outside of the traditional beliefs of her evangelical upbringing and called for the full inclusion of LGBT people into the Christian community. After maintaining her position in October 2016, she received death threats, alienation form her community and LifeWay Christian Resources decided to discontinue selling her publications.

Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon was the first African-American woman ordained in the United Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and her work focused on the areas of Christian ethics, Womanist theology and women in religion and society. She used her own experience and the experience of African American women, our mothers, grandmothers, aunts and sisters, to transform our way of thinking about the value of our own experience in relationship to God and community. She used her knowledge and influence to support and encourage others to liberate others on the journey of faith. She loved mentoring others and said without hesitation,” I’m personally invested in mentoring and sending forth people.”

What do these real life examples teach us?

Shiphrah and Puah Exodus 1.15-22 (NRSV)

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16“When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” 17But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. 18So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?” 19The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong.

Reflection Women use their influence wherever they are found. The midterm elections of 2018 saw the powerful influence of African American women in helping to elect the unprecedented number of 20 women of color to Congress.

Research confirms that the presence of women changes an institution’s culture. Organizations that are gender balanced are healthier. The well-being of our communities take on a greater priority when women with a passion for community over power are in places to use their influence for the greater good. This is especially critical when it comes to the welfare of children, as women are often better able to relate to and represent populations to be served.

We are reminded that while John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie built much needed libraries, many of our first hospitals were established by Catholic nuns. Dr. Annette Walker, president of strategy at Providence St. Joseph Health and chief executive officer for St. Joseph Health, reminds us that these women did everything from administration and operations to clinical work and public health outreach. They were the first leaders in health care, laying the foundation for the American health care system.

This is not merely about the roles women in play in nation-building nor institutional development. This is not about career paths nor glass ceilings. This is passion over position and the influence women have to save lives and transform communities. It is about the role women play in saving those at greatest risk. It is about how we live out the truth of what it means to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. It is equally about what it means to hear Jesus say “Let the children come to me and do not stop them because the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.”

Women are vital in shaping how we demonstrate and live out our love for the children in our community. What are we willing to do with the influence we have to ensure that our children are loved? How do we define love in such a way that it becomes expressed in the actions we take, the laws we uphold or reject and the principles we emulate?

To search for answers to these questions, we need only to look to the holy, ancient places to find sacred, contemporary paths for our lives today. With that in mind, I present to you Shiphrah and Puah.

Biblical Reflection Shiphrah and Puah are healthcare providers. They are professionally trained midwives who report to the Pharaoh and are responsible for the care of the enslaved Hebrew community. They are also members of this community. This is their community. They care for their own. When they see the women they serve, they are seeing themselves. Their names give us an indication of who these women are: splendid and fair in their actions and determined to be more than just women who hold positions of influence. Shiphrah and Puah will be remembered because of how they passionately used their position to influence the outcome of the most vulnerable in their community.

Childbirth has always been a great risk for women. In the ancient world, women were often girls, their lives at risk either by way of complication and disease or by way of cultural demands that put a woman at risk if she was unable to birth boys.

When women passionately use their influence, their work has a ripple effect that can change the trajectory of a nation. The ripple effect of Shiphrah and Puah helped Jochebed, mother of Moses, to bring her child to birth full term. It meant she lived to save her son and to make the hard decision to place him up for adoption. The ripple effect when women are involved in the saving of communities is long-lasting.

When Jochebed placed the baby in the basket for adoption, another woman reached into the turbulent waters of life, pulling forth a child that was not her own, nor from her community. Still, she raised him as her own. It is the providential role that women play in the lives of children that saves communities.

It is indeed a fact that it takes a village to raise a child, for had it not been for Shiphrah and Puah, then perhaps Jochebed’s son would not have survived. Had it not been for the Jochebed’s willingness to think not of herself, but of her child, then the politics of the day would have cut the child’s life short. Had it not been for the baby’s sister, Miriam, the life he came to live and those he was sent to liberate would have all been consumed. These women, beginning with Shiphrah and Puah, to Jochebed, Miriam and Pharaoh’s daughter all worked their roles to act in ways that saved the children.

When women of faith play their roles passionately children are saved, liberation is found and nations flourish.

Reflection Questions

• Where does your life story connect with the story of Shiphrah and Puah?

• When have you gone against the authorities to which you report for the greater good of others?

• Do you recognize the ripple effect of good that others have played in your life?

• How do Shiphrah and Puah give you courage to challenge systems that put the lives of others at risk?

• How do you recognize the ripple effect of faith?

Reflection on Real Life Examples

Leigh Anne Tuohy and her husband, Sean, took in Michael Oher, a homeless black teen, who had drifted in and out of the school system for years. The Tuohys eventually became Michael's legal guardians, transforming both his life and theirs. Michael's tremendous size and protective instincts make him a formidable force on the gridiron. With help from his new family and devoted tutor, he realized his potential as a student and football player.

Dr. JoeAnn Ballard was born in Mississippi into a poverty-stricken family. When she was an infant, she and two siblings were left with their great aunt and uncle, who provided a home filled with love. That home was opened to many foster children, an example that JoeAnn would follow when she met and married her beloved husband, Monroe Ballard. For over 30 years, they served as foster parents to more than 75 children while raising three of their own.

Malala Yousafzai, Activist. By daring to go to school as a young teen, Malala defied Pakistani extremists and their violent attacks and became a global icon for the importance of educating girls. Because of Malala’s heroic and eloquent statements for girls’ education, she was awarded, the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2014 at age 17.

“I don't want to be thought of as the girl who was shot by the Taliban, but the girl who fought for education,” she said. “This is the cause to which I want to devote my life.”

She is the founder of the Malala Fund, which advocates for international, national and local level policy and system changes that give girls access to a high-quality education.

What do these real-life examples teach us?