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Need to Know: Empowering Female Leadership and Why It's Essential for the Future of the Church
313 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 14, 2025
I have a difficult time believing this book only has 8 reviews -- 1 showing up here with the paperback and the rest with the Kindle version of the book (and the two -- ebook and paperback -- are not connected within the Goodreads system). The good news is amongst the 20 readers and 8 reviews, at least all rate the book 3 stars and above. If one truly cares about the health of the church, this is a must read.
I comprehend why a complementarian or patriarchal reader would not read a book written by mostly female theologians, pastors (yes, female pastors), and leaders. Why take a chance of changing your mind by thorough exegesis? I appreciate Rick Warren's tweet "My biggest regret in 53 years of ministry is that I didn't do my own personal exegesis sooner on the 4 passages used to restrict women. Shame on me. I wasted those 4 years of Greek in college & seminary."
I also comprehend why some readers would be challenged by the sheer amount of academic intelligence in this book. These women (and men) are brilliant scholars. The book is still readable and even enjoyable (well, enjoyable when one is not getting angry and frustrated over the status quo), but I did take 9 months to read the book because it is deep. I don't regret digging deep with the essays, nor do I regret buying the book. It's staying on my shelves for me to pick up again and again and again. As the years go by, may I see change in the life of the church.
I comprehend why a complementarian or patriarchal reader would not read a book written by mostly female theologians, pastors (yes, female pastors), and leaders. Why take a chance of changing your mind by thorough exegesis? I appreciate Rick Warren's tweet "My biggest regret in 53 years of ministry is that I didn't do my own personal exegesis sooner on the 4 passages used to restrict women. Shame on me. I wasted those 4 years of Greek in college & seminary."
I also comprehend why some readers would be challenged by the sheer amount of academic intelligence in this book. These women (and men) are brilliant scholars. The book is still readable and even enjoyable (well, enjoyable when one is not getting angry and frustrated over the status quo), but I did take 9 months to read the book because it is deep. I don't regret digging deep with the essays, nor do I regret buying the book. It's staying on my shelves for me to pick up again and again and again. As the years go by, may I see change in the life of the church.
October 31, 2024
Such a wealth of teaching and experience within this book. It is a compilation of 21 different writers, mostly women, from a diverse set of backgrounds, speaking to a vast breadth of issues that Church leaders especially need to know about women in the Church. The basic through line is that women are central to God’s idea for humanity and for the Church, and yet have been mostly sidelined by the Church over its history. We cannot understand humanity or God without the contribution of women, and this book gives a series of potent, well-supported broadsides towards the end of full empowerment of female leadership. A must-read for the Church.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews