Roles Of Theological Education in Enhancing Women Leadership in The Church
Ishola, Olufemi Jacob
Department of Administration and Leadership, Faculty of Education, The Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso
Abstract
The need to train and retrain leaders for the church cannot be overemphasized. One of the formal ways of achieving this is through theological training which has no preference for either male or female gender. Thus, it is imperative for a church which desires effective women participation in leadership positions to sponsor women in theological education, leading to a good exposure which will eventually enhance their leadership. The writer used both primary and secondary sources (Books, Journals, and Interview) to validate the argument pushed forward in this paper. Paper considers the nature of women in history and roles they have being playing in the church; discusses various formations taking place through theological education curriculum, and draws its implications on women leadership in the church. The findings showed that women have direct, indirect and mixed roles to play in the church. Ultimately, when women are maximally exposed to thorough theological education, it has the capacity to help them to accurately interpret the word of God and champion the leadership of Christian Education at the home front and in the church. Exposure of women to theological Education will also enhance ministerial counseling skills, makes them to development leadership skills, and assist them to balance family responsibility with ministerial demand. In the light of these, the writer recommends that women who have proven to be called of God should be encouraged and sponsored by the church for theological education; theological institutions should intensify their efforts towards giving women quality education like their male counterparts; women in church leadership positions should use their influence to enlighten more women on their real identity; theological institutions should make their admissions more flexible to women; and that theological institutions should also make their training to be more flexible for women.
Keywords: Theological Education, Women, Leadership, and Church
Impact Statement
Olufemi Jacob Ishola is a faculty member of the prestigious Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, and he holds Doctor of Philosophy, PhD in Administration and Leadership and facilitates Leadership and Spiritual Formation related courses and seminars at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels in the same institution. He’s also a Promoter of “Purpose Driven Life,” conceived by Rick Warren through conferences and outreaches for youth, teenagers, and primary school pupils. He further engages in volunteer ministry at Kersey Children Home (motherless home) in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria.
About Author
Over the centuries, theological education has played vital roles in training men and women for the church and society. Even though men often times take larger percentage with regard to the population in theological education, yet the imperative of exposing women to this kind of training cannot be over emphasized. The argument of this article is based on the fact that few women who have been found to be genuinely called should be allowed to participate in theological education in order to make their leadership more effective just like their male counterpart. There is no gainsaying the fact that the time when women were relegated to the background has gone and can never come back due to the level of exposure of women and further advocacy for women liberation. Hence, specific women who have been called into church leadership roles and offices should be supported to earn theological education which is of no doubt would influence their productivities.
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