I hadn’t even talked to anyone yet. There were just a few brief emails to present the process, plus what felt like a lot of pre-interview forms to fill out. On my third set of forms, I saw it: Briefly describe your position on women in ministry. There was a small, empty box waiting for my answer.
Last January, I applied for a ministry position at a church which I knew had a history of supporting women and men equally in all ministry functions. What I didn’t know was how clear that support would come through in the hiring process. The question above was the first of several places addressing a candidate’s perspective on gender.
They also asked about it in my first interview. Despite having read my written response articulating my support for egalitarianism (including mentioning that I write for The Junia Project) I had to say the words myself.
After a few interviews (there were 10), they sent me papers about their key positions. There was a statement of several paragraphs about their belief in the equal gifting and functions for women and men in the local church.
In the end I was offered the job. The HR rep sent my information about the 403b, health insurance, and the church’s core values for me to review before my first day. It included this note:
