Church Leadership and the Role of Women
Who leads a church, and can women lead too? Learn the roles from the laity to the pope, and the different, deeply held Christian views on ordaining women.
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Who leads a church?
Every church needs leaders, but Christians organise leadership in different ways. They also disagree on one big question: can women be ordained as leaders? This module looks at both.
Leadership roles
Churches have several leadership roles:
Can women be ordained?
Christians hold different, deeply held views on women in ordained leadership.
The worldwide leader
Who is the worldwide leader of the Roman Catholic Church?
- The pope
- A local bishop
- A deacon
- The laity
Who does what?
- The laity
- A minister or priest
- A bishop
- The pope
- Church members who share in its mission
- Leads worship and cares for a congregation
- Oversees many churches across an area
- Leads the Roman Catholic Church worldwide
Everyone has a role
Leadership is not only for the ordained. The document Lumen Gentium teaches that the laity, the ordinary members, share in the mission of the Church through worship, service and raising families in faith. The letter to the Ephesians, chapter 4, says God gives different gifts so that all believers can serve.
Church leaders
Which THREE are ordained leadership roles in a church?
- A minister or priest
- A bishop
- A deacon
- A football referee
- A supermarket shopper
The structure
Order these Roman Catholic roles from the local level up to the worldwide leader.
- The laity in a parish
- A priest leading the parish
- A bishop over the diocese
- The pope over the whole Church
Complete the idea
The _____ are ordinary church members who are not ordained. A _____ leads worship in a local church, while a _____ oversees many churches. The Roman Catholic Church is led worldwide by the _____. Christians disagree on whether _____ can be ordained as priests.
True or not?
Tap the TWO statements that are true about church leadership.
- The Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches ordain only men as priests.
- The Church of England ordains women as priests and bishops.
- All Christian churches agree on the role of women in leadership.
- The laity are the ordained leaders of a church.
- A bishop leads only a single small congregation.
Leadership words
- Ordination
- A diocese
- The laity
- A deacon
- Being made a minister or priest in a service
- The area of churches a bishop looks after
- Church members who are not ordained
- An ordained helper who serves the congregation
Whose view?
Match each example to the view it reflects.
- A Roman Catholic explains that only men can be ordained as priests. This reflects...
- A woman serves as a vicar leading her Anglican parish. This reflects...
- A Christian points to women who led in the early Church to argue for women priests. This supports...
Becoming a minister
Put the usual steps to becoming an ordained minister in the right order.
- A person feels called to serve
- They train and study for the role
- They are examined and approved
- They are ordained in a special service
- They lead a congregation
Explain the views
Explain different Christian views on the role of women in church leadership.
- Describe the view of the Catholic and Orthodox churches
- Describe the view of churches that ordain women
- Give one reason each side gives
- Explain why Christians can disagree while sharing the same faith