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Together in Ministry: Women and Men in Flourishing Partnerships
Women and men are designed to work together in fulfilling God's mission on earth. Yet God's original intent for equal partnership has been so distorted that churches and organizations continually struggle to foster healthy mixed-gender ministry collaboration. Is it even possible to return to the Genesis ideal of co-laborers in today's contexts? Longtime ministry leader Rob Dixon knows it's possible--though it takes intentionality, courage, and wisdom. Based on qualitative field research among ministry practitioners, Together in Ministry offers a prophetic roadmap for individuals and communities as they seek to develop flourishing ministry partnerships for women and men. Organized around the key domains of inner life, community culture, and intentional practices, this model identifies ten key attributes of partnerships that are both personally satisfying and missionally effective. For each attribute Dixon presents research findings and biblical examples, along with benefits, barriers, and practical next steps. With plenty of real-life stories from ministry leaders and reflection questions in each chapter, Together in Ministry casts a compelling--and encouraging--vision for flourishing partnerships and equips teams and individuals with next steps for making that vision a reality.
176 pages, Paperback
Published September 28, 2021
12 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Rob Dixon
1 book3 followersRob Dixon (DIS, Fuller Theological Seminary) is an associate regional ministry director with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA and senior fellow for gender partnership with the InterVarsity Institute. He is an adjunct professor at Fresno Pacific University and Fuller Theological Seminary and provides training on flourishing mixed-gender ministry partnerships for numerous organizations around the country.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 15, 2022
Woah. Finished this 8 months to the day.
A great read. Unapologetically egalitarian in its paring of theological robustness and practicality. A beautiful vision of how women and men can lead together toward a more Christlike future. May we all come to see the beauty and faithfulness of this vision.
A great read. Unapologetically egalitarian in its paring of theological robustness and practicality. A beautiful vision of how women and men can lead together toward a more Christlike future. May we all come to see the beauty and faithfulness of this vision.
March 17, 2022
Summary: A field research-based approach to mixed-gender ministry collaboration identifying ten attributes for healthy partnerships.
Rob Dixon is a field ministry director who works closely with a number of female ministry colleagues in a collegiate ministry (in the interest of full disclosure, we work with the same ministry in different parts of the country). I welcome this book because it models and articulates the conditions for healthy mixed gender collaborations in a time of so much relational brokenness, patriarchy, and abuse in the church. Rob casts of vision of what many of us are experiencing in male-female partnerships where no one has to step back but all of us are encouraging each other in the pursuit of God’s mission.
Dixon introduces this by discussing that this has always been God’s intent. He, as others, observes that the “helper” God gives Adam in the form of Eve is an ezer, and far from implying subordination is the term most often used of God as our helper, and God is hardly subordinate to us! It can be argued that the Samaritan woman is Jesus’s first partner in mission, even before the disciples in bearing witness and gathering her village to hear Jesus. And we see a pattern of prominent women who work alongside men in the New Testament. Dixon then lays out his research methodology, which consisted of quantitative measures, interviews with roughly 60 people using an appreciative inquiry approach, as well as participant observation.
Out of his research he identified ten attributes that he clustered in three clusters:
The Inner Life Cluster:
An Authentic learners posture. This involves a mutual commitment to humility, to extend grace, to submit to one another, and curiosity.
Shared Convictions of Gender Equality. This consists of a shared biblical interpretation, an understanding that the Bible advocates full and equal partnership, and that collaborators treat this as a matter of conviction rather than as a pragmatic value.
Awareness of Gender Brokenness. Partners in mission are growing in self-awareness including sexual brokenness, undervaluing of female colleagues, and gender bias.
Community Culture Cluster:
Vision for Freely Shared Power: Rather than the control of power by men, there is a reciprocity between men and women, each affirming and advocating the other, reflected in equitable sharing of responsibilities.
Differences for the Sake of Mission: A recognition that we are equal but different, and that difference ought to be deployed in ways that advance mission, but that individual differences should be appreciated apart from gender stereotypes.
Value for Holistic Friendships: Healthy partnerships involve presence in each other’s lives beyond ministry situations–with families and as part of a community.
Corporate Sensitivity to Adverse Gender Dynamics: Recognizing and intentionally addressing the social dynamics in organizations that often favor men, excluding, discounting, blocking or putting at career risk, the women in an organization.
Intentional Practices Cluster:
Abundant Communication: This involves both quantity and quality and also is enhanced by regular debriefs of conversations.
Contextualized Boundaries: This chapter discussed “The Billy Graham Rule,” how this has not worked, how women have been hurt, and developing boundaries that allow for honest conversations of what is wise for each rooted in self-knowledge, what is situationally wise and, rather than a rigid rule, an understanding of the contexts where men and women can work with good boundaries with each other.
Public Affirmation and Modeling: The importance of leaders modeling their commitments to partnerships, celebrating publicly the work of each other, and good examples, and deliberately assessing how well up-front and other forms of leadership are shared.
Dixon devotes a chapter to each of these attributes discussing research findings about the attribute, the attribute in scripture, benefits of the attribute, barriers to implementing the attribute, and practical steps to develop the attribute. I found Dixon’s identification of barriers and practical steps especially helpful. I thought the taxonomy of sixteen different adverse gender dynamics in organizations especially significant–I think I’ve seen all of them and been guilty of contributing to or benefiting from more than a few! If I were Dixon, I think I might have figured out a way to cover the material on contextualized boundaries earlier, since I think many who read this book are thinking about that. But it kept me reading (or I suppose I could have skipped ahead!). Each chapter concludes with questions that groups working on ministry together can use to process and begin to implement these attributes in their communities.
One other element of this work that I appreciated was the missional focus of the discussion. So often, ministry situations I’ve witnessed are turned in on each other and it is easy to see how ministry partnerships may turn unhealthy. Dixon’s premise is that we have a mission given us by Christ in the world that is “all hands,” requiring the hands of men and women together. I so appreciate Dixon’s approach throughout, his own humility about mistakes, and the consistent effort to move from what is problematic in mixed-gender ministry to the opportunities for both people and ministries to flourish. We need more such voices and models.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Rob Dixon is a field ministry director who works closely with a number of female ministry colleagues in a collegiate ministry (in the interest of full disclosure, we work with the same ministry in different parts of the country). I welcome this book because it models and articulates the conditions for healthy mixed gender collaborations in a time of so much relational brokenness, patriarchy, and abuse in the church. Rob casts of vision of what many of us are experiencing in male-female partnerships where no one has to step back but all of us are encouraging each other in the pursuit of God’s mission.
Dixon introduces this by discussing that this has always been God’s intent. He, as others, observes that the “helper” God gives Adam in the form of Eve is an ezer, and far from implying subordination is the term most often used of God as our helper, and God is hardly subordinate to us! It can be argued that the Samaritan woman is Jesus’s first partner in mission, even before the disciples in bearing witness and gathering her village to hear Jesus. And we see a pattern of prominent women who work alongside men in the New Testament. Dixon then lays out his research methodology, which consisted of quantitative measures, interviews with roughly 60 people using an appreciative inquiry approach, as well as participant observation.
Out of his research he identified ten attributes that he clustered in three clusters:
The Inner Life Cluster:
An Authentic learners posture. This involves a mutual commitment to humility, to extend grace, to submit to one another, and curiosity.
Shared Convictions of Gender Equality. This consists of a shared biblical interpretation, an understanding that the Bible advocates full and equal partnership, and that collaborators treat this as a matter of conviction rather than as a pragmatic value.
Awareness of Gender Brokenness. Partners in mission are growing in self-awareness including sexual brokenness, undervaluing of female colleagues, and gender bias.
Community Culture Cluster:
Vision for Freely Shared Power: Rather than the control of power by men, there is a reciprocity between men and women, each affirming and advocating the other, reflected in equitable sharing of responsibilities.
Differences for the Sake of Mission: A recognition that we are equal but different, and that difference ought to be deployed in ways that advance mission, but that individual differences should be appreciated apart from gender stereotypes.
Value for Holistic Friendships: Healthy partnerships involve presence in each other’s lives beyond ministry situations–with families and as part of a community.
Corporate Sensitivity to Adverse Gender Dynamics: Recognizing and intentionally addressing the social dynamics in organizations that often favor men, excluding, discounting, blocking or putting at career risk, the women in an organization.
Intentional Practices Cluster:
Abundant Communication: This involves both quantity and quality and also is enhanced by regular debriefs of conversations.
Contextualized Boundaries: This chapter discussed “The Billy Graham Rule,” how this has not worked, how women have been hurt, and developing boundaries that allow for honest conversations of what is wise for each rooted in self-knowledge, what is situationally wise and, rather than a rigid rule, an understanding of the contexts where men and women can work with good boundaries with each other.
Public Affirmation and Modeling: The importance of leaders modeling their commitments to partnerships, celebrating publicly the work of each other, and good examples, and deliberately assessing how well up-front and other forms of leadership are shared.
Dixon devotes a chapter to each of these attributes discussing research findings about the attribute, the attribute in scripture, benefits of the attribute, barriers to implementing the attribute, and practical steps to develop the attribute. I found Dixon’s identification of barriers and practical steps especially helpful. I thought the taxonomy of sixteen different adverse gender dynamics in organizations especially significant–I think I’ve seen all of them and been guilty of contributing to or benefiting from more than a few! If I were Dixon, I think I might have figured out a way to cover the material on contextualized boundaries earlier, since I think many who read this book are thinking about that. But it kept me reading (or I suppose I could have skipped ahead!). Each chapter concludes with questions that groups working on ministry together can use to process and begin to implement these attributes in their communities.
One other element of this work that I appreciated was the missional focus of the discussion. So often, ministry situations I’ve witnessed are turned in on each other and it is easy to see how ministry partnerships may turn unhealthy. Dixon’s premise is that we have a mission given us by Christ in the world that is “all hands,” requiring the hands of men and women together. I so appreciate Dixon’s approach throughout, his own humility about mistakes, and the consistent effort to move from what is problematic in mixed-gender ministry to the opportunities for both people and ministries to flourish. We need more such voices and models.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
September 13, 2021
Together in Ministry is a practical and helpful resource for churches and other ministry organizations who seek to have flourishing partnerships between men and women. Each chapter contains questions to help a church or organization evaluate their mixed-gender ministry partnerships, which could make this book useful for individuals, ministry teams, or leadership boards alike. I was most personally challenged by the chapter on the Billy Graham Rule, and I'm thankful for Dixon's courage to call out the limitations that strict adherence to this rule can cause - both for men and for women. I recommend this book.
October 25, 2021
I have had the benefit of working and learning from the author. He is wise, pastoral and prophetic in this work. Love how his theology guides his praxis.
December 31, 2021
At the beginning of Billy Graham’s ministry in the 1940s, he instituted what would become known as the “Billy Graham Rule.” The rule was simple: never be alone with a woman. The intentions were good, I’m sure, but the consequences of that rule, the patriarchal culture in which it was created, and the purity culture which it helped create have kept women from positions of power and influence, robbed men of fruitful friendships and partnerships, and inhibited human flourishing as God intended. That’s the overall thesis of Rob Dixon’s Together in Ministry: Women and Men in Flourishing Partnerships.
Dixon writes as an associate regional ministry director with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA and a senior fellow for gender partnership with the InterVarsity Institute. (Unsurprisingly, Together in Ministry is an InterVarsity Press publication.) His academic specialty is the development of mixed-gender ministry partnerships. All that to say, while this is a book that could have been written by a number of people, Dixon is uniquely situated to bring in real-world data and stories to add a practicality to the work.
Together in Ministry builds off of Dixon’s doctoral work and that is possibly the book’s greatest weakness. While it is an academic title and the book has been adapted from the format of a dissertation, there is still a repetitive sameness to the writing format that, while suitable for a dissertation, comes across as very regimented and stilted. The sameness of the structure—“First…second…third…lastly…”—meant that I kept finding myself distracted and pulled away from the reading. So, while the strength is that it provides a clear blueprint, its weakness is that it isn’t always compelling reading. But that’s the only real criticism I have and I’m fully aware that it’s a personal preference. (It might be because, as someone working on my own doctoral dissertation, anything that reads like what I’m already spending an inordinate amount of time on just feels exhausting.)
Dixon’s research led him to ten different attributes of flourishing mixed-gender ministry partnerships. I won’t provide a detailed discussion of each one, but will list them all out and talk about the highlights:
1. Both members are committed to maintaining the posture of an authentic learner.
2. Both members have a shared theological conviction that God honors the full and equal partnership of men and women.
3. There is a deepening awareness of personal gender brokenness.
4. Flourishing partnerships embody a vision for freely shared power.
5. Both members believe that embracing difference advances their mission.
6. Mixed-gender ministry partnerships are simultaneously thriving friendships.
7. Flourishing partnerships thrive when teams and communities cultivate sensitivity to gender dynamics.
8. There must be abundant communication.
9. There must be contextualized interpersonal boundaries, tailored for each particular partnership.
10. There must be a public dimension to the partnership.
Together in Ministry divides these ten attributes into three parts: Inner Life (1-3), Community Culture (4-7), and Intentional Practices (8-10). Dixon offers a 10-12 page chapter on each, then wraps things up with a concluding summary chapter.
Most of Dixon’s points are just common sense. Mixed-gender ministry partnerships won’t flourish if one party doesn’t believe in the full inclusion of women in ministry. Duh. These partnerships will also be hampered if either side isn’t adaptable and willing to learn and grow. Also duh. There must be a willingness to share power. And…well, that moves from what makes sense to what is actually practiced. Many individuals who would claim the first two, would embrace women as equals in ministry, still, consciously or subconsciously, keep power away from women.
Probably the most obscure of Dixon’s points is “embracing personal gender brokenness.” By this, Dixon simply means that we are aware of struggles in our lives that stem from our experiences as women or men, whether personal or cultural. An understanding of one’s self and how one’s gender affects one’s struggles is helpful in building cross-gender partnerships.
Overall, Together in Ministry does a sufficient job of outlining the problem and detailing the attributes seen in the solution, but the journey from one to the other is less clear. While each chapter does contain a section on benefits of and barriers to the growth discussed in the chapter, Dixon doesn’t go into much detail of how those barriers can be overcome. It’s a great starting toward, it’s a good foundation, but a lot more work must be done.
Dixon writes as an associate regional ministry director with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA and a senior fellow for gender partnership with the InterVarsity Institute. (Unsurprisingly, Together in Ministry is an InterVarsity Press publication.) His academic specialty is the development of mixed-gender ministry partnerships. All that to say, while this is a book that could have been written by a number of people, Dixon is uniquely situated to bring in real-world data and stories to add a practicality to the work.
Together in Ministry builds off of Dixon’s doctoral work and that is possibly the book’s greatest weakness. While it is an academic title and the book has been adapted from the format of a dissertation, there is still a repetitive sameness to the writing format that, while suitable for a dissertation, comes across as very regimented and stilted. The sameness of the structure—“First…second…third…lastly…”—meant that I kept finding myself distracted and pulled away from the reading. So, while the strength is that it provides a clear blueprint, its weakness is that it isn’t always compelling reading. But that’s the only real criticism I have and I’m fully aware that it’s a personal preference. (It might be because, as someone working on my own doctoral dissertation, anything that reads like what I’m already spending an inordinate amount of time on just feels exhausting.)
Dixon’s research led him to ten different attributes of flourishing mixed-gender ministry partnerships. I won’t provide a detailed discussion of each one, but will list them all out and talk about the highlights:
1. Both members are committed to maintaining the posture of an authentic learner.
2. Both members have a shared theological conviction that God honors the full and equal partnership of men and women.
3. There is a deepening awareness of personal gender brokenness.
4. Flourishing partnerships embody a vision for freely shared power.
5. Both members believe that embracing difference advances their mission.
6. Mixed-gender ministry partnerships are simultaneously thriving friendships.
7. Flourishing partnerships thrive when teams and communities cultivate sensitivity to gender dynamics.
8. There must be abundant communication.
9. There must be contextualized interpersonal boundaries, tailored for each particular partnership.
10. There must be a public dimension to the partnership.
Together in Ministry divides these ten attributes into three parts: Inner Life (1-3), Community Culture (4-7), and Intentional Practices (8-10). Dixon offers a 10-12 page chapter on each, then wraps things up with a concluding summary chapter.
Most of Dixon’s points are just common sense. Mixed-gender ministry partnerships won’t flourish if one party doesn’t believe in the full inclusion of women in ministry. Duh. These partnerships will also be hampered if either side isn’t adaptable and willing to learn and grow. Also duh. There must be a willingness to share power. And…well, that moves from what makes sense to what is actually practiced. Many individuals who would claim the first two, would embrace women as equals in ministry, still, consciously or subconsciously, keep power away from women.
Probably the most obscure of Dixon’s points is “embracing personal gender brokenness.” By this, Dixon simply means that we are aware of struggles in our lives that stem from our experiences as women or men, whether personal or cultural. An understanding of one’s self and how one’s gender affects one’s struggles is helpful in building cross-gender partnerships.
Overall, Together in Ministry does a sufficient job of outlining the problem and detailing the attributes seen in the solution, but the journey from one to the other is less clear. While each chapter does contain a section on benefits of and barriers to the growth discussed in the chapter, Dixon doesn’t go into much detail of how those barriers can be overcome. It’s a great starting toward, it’s a good foundation, but a lot more work must be done.
March 14, 2024
This is a book review of Together in Ministry by Rob Dixon. In Together in Ministry, Author Rob Dixon looks at what leads to flourishing mixed gender-relationships, or what women and men experience and exemplify when in flourishing ministry-context partnerships. Rob is both an associate regional ministry director with InerVaristity Christian Fellowship and an adjunct professor at Fresno Pacific University and Fuller Theological Seminary. This book was released in 2021 by IVP Academic and the Missio Alliance.
I had the chance to experience a class taught by Dr. Rob Dixon, unrelated to this book, while I was completing my second master's program, the Master of Arts in Global Leadership at Fuller Seminary. Not only did I appreciate how he handled his class, but I also appreciated how he worked through the topic of mixed-gender relationships in Together in Ministry. Though I may not agree with all of his points, nor his reflections on his findings, I am deeply challenged by his call for intentionality in this area of ministry and by his strategic look at this topic in light of scripture.
The findings presented in this book incorporate the doctoral research Dixon did in his dissertation work, to “determine the best combination of attributes that constitute flourishing mixed-gender ministry partnerships.” Driving his research was a goal to “assemble those attributes [of flourishing mixed-gender partnerships] into a model that individuals and communities could use to build such partnerships in greater measure.” I would say that very much is the framework of this book, and it also captures the ways that I could see this book being best utilized. It is worthy of note that his focus is on “the particular context of Christian ministry,” and he clarifies that by the term mixed-gender, he is referring “specifically referring to ministry partnerships between women and men.” In addition to sharing his findings and developing the foundations of a ministry model, Dixon looks to outline the state of the church in this matter now and unpack the scriptural impulse he sees calling for a different way.
Though this book makes some succinct, concise, and important arguments for women in senior leadership and though it unpacks scriptures that illustrate and illuminate the theological understandings of egalitarianism, that is not seemingly the core point of this book. Rather, Dixon calls us to greater awareness of the scriptural and practical need for mixed-gender ministry partnerships, revealing the way our ministries become more holistic, and the ways our missional expression becomes more effective. Dixon also explores what makes a mixed-gender ministry partnership flourish, and then challenges the global and local church to greater boldness and intentionality in our practice of mixed-gender ministry relationships to better encourage and empower everyone in the church community. I would suggest that even those from the complementarism camp would find something in this book.
There are eleven chapters, a forward, introduction, and conclusion that are spread across three sections of this book. The three sections and corresponding chapters reflect the ministry model presented in Together in Ministry. The three foundations of the ministry model in this book include the inner life (Part 1), community culture (Part 2), and intentional practices (Part 3). Dixon looks at the way the “state of a person’s inner world will go a long way toward dictating how they engage with their environment,” and mixed-gender partnerships. Secondly, he considers the way the culture of our community will enhance or diminish the potential of these partnerships. In the last section, Together in Ministry unpacks some very practical and intentional ways to step out in faith in this area. Dixon remarks stepping out is the most important part or we will be “unlikely to reap the rewards that come with [these] partnerships.”
I think the strongest aspects of this book include his research and the experiences shared by those he interviewed while researching, showing what has made their mixed-gender relationships flourish. Additionally, there is a serious strength to the way Dixon calls for the church to be intentional, practical, aware, and full of courage in this area of ministry practice. His framework is thorough and worth wrestling with. For me, the weakest areas of this book would include the lack of offering a contrast to his theological points and his critique of the Billy Graham rules. While Dixon is right that for the most part, mixed-gender ministry relationships in the church have only been looked at through paradigms like that of the Billy Graham rule, some of his arguments against this model in Together in Ministry are better than others.
In conclusion, Together in Ministry by Rob Dixon offers a compelling framework for cultivating flourishing mixed-gender ministry partnerships within the context of Christian ministry. I highly recommend it for this reason. I find this resource unmatched and unique. Dixon's thorough research and practical insights provide valuable guidance for individuals and communities that are seeking to build stronger partnerships between women and men in their local churches or ministries. While the book offers some strong theological understandings of egalitarianism and women in senior leadership roles, its primary focus and strength lies in advocating for the importance of mixed-gender partnerships in enhancing the holistic nature and effectiveness of ministry. By addressing inner life, community culture, and intentional practices, Dixon equips readers with the tools necessary to step out in faith and embrace these partnerships with boldness and intentionality. Regardless of whether one aligns with complementarian or equalitarian views, Together in Ministry offers valuable insights and practical strategies for fostering flourishing mixed-gender partnerships in the church community.
I had the chance to experience a class taught by Dr. Rob Dixon, unrelated to this book, while I was completing my second master's program, the Master of Arts in Global Leadership at Fuller Seminary. Not only did I appreciate how he handled his class, but I also appreciated how he worked through the topic of mixed-gender relationships in Together in Ministry. Though I may not agree with all of his points, nor his reflections on his findings, I am deeply challenged by his call for intentionality in this area of ministry and by his strategic look at this topic in light of scripture.
The findings presented in this book incorporate the doctoral research Dixon did in his dissertation work, to “determine the best combination of attributes that constitute flourishing mixed-gender ministry partnerships.” Driving his research was a goal to “assemble those attributes [of flourishing mixed-gender partnerships] into a model that individuals and communities could use to build such partnerships in greater measure.” I would say that very much is the framework of this book, and it also captures the ways that I could see this book being best utilized. It is worthy of note that his focus is on “the particular context of Christian ministry,” and he clarifies that by the term mixed-gender, he is referring “specifically referring to ministry partnerships between women and men.” In addition to sharing his findings and developing the foundations of a ministry model, Dixon looks to outline the state of the church in this matter now and unpack the scriptural impulse he sees calling for a different way.
Though this book makes some succinct, concise, and important arguments for women in senior leadership and though it unpacks scriptures that illustrate and illuminate the theological understandings of egalitarianism, that is not seemingly the core point of this book. Rather, Dixon calls us to greater awareness of the scriptural and practical need for mixed-gender ministry partnerships, revealing the way our ministries become more holistic, and the ways our missional expression becomes more effective. Dixon also explores what makes a mixed-gender ministry partnership flourish, and then challenges the global and local church to greater boldness and intentionality in our practice of mixed-gender ministry relationships to better encourage and empower everyone in the church community. I would suggest that even those from the complementarism camp would find something in this book.
There are eleven chapters, a forward, introduction, and conclusion that are spread across three sections of this book. The three sections and corresponding chapters reflect the ministry model presented in Together in Ministry. The three foundations of the ministry model in this book include the inner life (Part 1), community culture (Part 2), and intentional practices (Part 3). Dixon looks at the way the “state of a person’s inner world will go a long way toward dictating how they engage with their environment,” and mixed-gender partnerships. Secondly, he considers the way the culture of our community will enhance or diminish the potential of these partnerships. In the last section, Together in Ministry unpacks some very practical and intentional ways to step out in faith in this area. Dixon remarks stepping out is the most important part or we will be “unlikely to reap the rewards that come with [these] partnerships.”
I think the strongest aspects of this book include his research and the experiences shared by those he interviewed while researching, showing what has made their mixed-gender relationships flourish. Additionally, there is a serious strength to the way Dixon calls for the church to be intentional, practical, aware, and full of courage in this area of ministry practice. His framework is thorough and worth wrestling with. For me, the weakest areas of this book would include the lack of offering a contrast to his theological points and his critique of the Billy Graham rules. While Dixon is right that for the most part, mixed-gender ministry relationships in the church have only been looked at through paradigms like that of the Billy Graham rule, some of his arguments against this model in Together in Ministry are better than others.
In conclusion, Together in Ministry by Rob Dixon offers a compelling framework for cultivating flourishing mixed-gender ministry partnerships within the context of Christian ministry. I highly recommend it for this reason. I find this resource unmatched and unique. Dixon's thorough research and practical insights provide valuable guidance for individuals and communities that are seeking to build stronger partnerships between women and men in their local churches or ministries. While the book offers some strong theological understandings of egalitarianism and women in senior leadership roles, its primary focus and strength lies in advocating for the importance of mixed-gender partnerships in enhancing the holistic nature and effectiveness of ministry. By addressing inner life, community culture, and intentional practices, Dixon equips readers with the tools necessary to step out in faith and embrace these partnerships with boldness and intentionality. Regardless of whether one aligns with complementarian or equalitarian views, Together in Ministry offers valuable insights and practical strategies for fostering flourishing mixed-gender partnerships in the church community.
July 8, 2022
Favorite quotes from this excellent book-
"Attention is the most basic form of love".
"Listening is an act of service...self-absorbed people do not ask questions."
Bryan Dyson former COO of Coca Cola- "..Life is a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air..work, family, health, friends and spirit. You're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls- family, health, friends and spirit- are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same."
This book mentions another book that I really want to read based on the title alone "Culture eats Strategy for Lunch" by Kathie Sorensen and Curt Coffman
Dixon did a great job of detailing adverse gender dynamics, including male gatekeeping, which was a new term for me. He also examined the "Billy Graham rule", detailing it's advantages and disadvantages, and presenting the case for creating healthy boundaries specific to the context. He gave good examples of healthy and succesful mixed gender partnerships.. highly recommend this book!
"Attention is the most basic form of love".
"Listening is an act of service...self-absorbed people do not ask questions."
Bryan Dyson former COO of Coca Cola- "..Life is a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air..work, family, health, friends and spirit. You're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls- family, health, friends and spirit- are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same."
This book mentions another book that I really want to read based on the title alone "Culture eats Strategy for Lunch" by Kathie Sorensen and Curt Coffman
Dixon did a great job of detailing adverse gender dynamics, including male gatekeeping, which was a new term for me. He also examined the "Billy Graham rule", detailing it's advantages and disadvantages, and presenting the case for creating healthy boundaries specific to the context. He gave good examples of healthy and succesful mixed gender partnerships.. highly recommend this book!
September 17, 2025
This is a book that could have been a poster or a Ted Talk. Dixon researched aspects of flourishing mixed-gender ministry partnerships by surveying and interviewing staff members of Intervarsity Fellowship for his Doctor of Intercultural Studies degree at Fuller. He derived ten principles from his qualitative research that I think are genuinely very good. Each chapter’s description of a principle, however, does not add enough to the concept to be particularly interesting. Overall, this becomes a bit of a boring read and pretty basic. I tried reading it with a small group from church and was quite disappointed with the lack of content depth. This is a fine book to give to employed ministry staff to discuss the kind of culture they’re building, but going only one chapter at a time felt rather miserable. After about three weeks, we were still just having the same kinds of conversations and eventually had to leave the book behind.
August 22, 2021
This was a brilliant work inspired by a lifetime of experience and study. One of my favorite early quotes: “Combining the reality that women and men jointly share the image of God
with their corporate call to steward the created world, we are able to discern
God’s creation intent for the flourishing of women and men in full and equal
partnership. Put simply, mixed-gender ministry partnerships represent God’s
original plan for fulfilling God’s mission on earth.”
From there, Dr. Dixon goes on to lay out the theological underpinnings of this stance and shares from many years of experience that led him to this point. I think this is a crucial piece in the ongoing dialogue of the church.
with their corporate call to steward the created world, we are able to discern
God’s creation intent for the flourishing of women and men in full and equal
partnership. Put simply, mixed-gender ministry partnerships represent God’s
original plan for fulfilling God’s mission on earth.”
From there, Dr. Dixon goes on to lay out the theological underpinnings of this stance and shares from many years of experience that led him to this point. I think this is a crucial piece in the ongoing dialogue of the church.
August 7, 2024
A thoroughly helpful book inspiring organizations and churches to do a better job of facilitating women in exercising their gifts and callings. Men are the gatekeepers to power and agency in the Christian world. But they need to be equipped to make space for women to contribute. Why should they do this? Because it is God’s design that in His Kingdom both genders contribute to the advancement of His Kingdom. Mixed gender ministry partnerships can be both personally satisfying and missionally effective. This volume explores both the method and the obstacles. Highly recommend it.
March 7, 2023
A helpful exploration of the dynamics of mixed gender partnerships in ministry.
Includes practical discussion questions to explore as a ministry team.
I enjoyed reading this and I'm grateful for this resource for the church.
Includes practical discussion questions to explore as a ministry team.
I enjoyed reading this and I'm grateful for this resource for the church.
February 20, 2024
Dixon gives great insight into how to create better mixed-gender relationships. Very readable, digestible, and implementable.
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