Interview: Rev. Julie Long (Part 2)
How have you dealt with those who are opposed to women in ministry?
I have had to learn that those opposed to women in ministry are not necessarily opposed to me. For a while, I took their opposition personally, as if I were the problem. Then I learned that an individual’s opposition to women in ministry says much more about him or her than it does about me. That theological view has nothing to do with me personally. Often some experience in someone’s background has caused him or her to hold that view. When I remember that, I usually find that I am much more patient and tolerant of different views. I still become angry when those opposed to women in ministry speak out in hostile or hurtful ways, but I think that anger is justified.
Do you perceive that you serve the church differently because you are a woman? Is there anything in your leadership style or whatever that you think of as “feminine”?
As the only woman serving on a ministerial staff with three men, I certainly see aspects of my ministry style that are different. I am sensitive to different issues and situations. I connect with congregants, particularly women and girls, differently from the male staff members. My preaching offers a different voice, and I think it is positive for a congregation to hear from both male and female preachers. I tend to be an advocate for women’s and children’s issues of which my colleagues are sometimes unaware.
I became aware during seminary that many of the minister’s tasks are stereotypically feminine traits. Pastoral care requires nurturing and relational gifts that are feminine. Serving in a laity driven Baptist congregation takes leadership skills that are less about power and more about relational influence and sharing of responsibility. I tend to be able to tap into my feminine resources to offer a different perspective.
What do you wish churches understood about women in ministry?
I wish that churches were willing to take the risk to hire women as pastors. Many churches are verbally supportive of women in ministry, but there are very few women serving as pastors of these churches. One hindrance is that churches look to hire “experienced” pastors, and women who have never been given the opportunity to pastor cannot very well claim to be experienced. I wish these churches would be more willing to take the risk and do what they have been claiming is right for so long.
What would you say to girls and young women who are wondering about how they fit into the Body of Christ?
I would tell them that they have unique gifts to offer. Each member of the body has a particular function. Without each member performing her specific function, the body would not be in working order as it was intended to be. Women have gifts that are different from men, but only when all members use their gifts will be body of the church be what it is intended to be.
My friend Wendy Joyner, pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Americus, Ga., tells the story of a little girl in her church who, after hearing a male guest preacher, turned to her mother and said, “Mom! Boys can be preachers, too!” I think that story illustrates that perspective matters. A little girl who had only known a woman pastor thought nothing unusual about her situation. She experienced God through a woman pastor just as many children experience God by means of a male pastor.
I try to encourage girls and women interested in entering ministry that they are not alone. I provide them with role models, encourage them to trust their instincts, and challenge them to rely on the calling of God’s spirit within them.
