The debate about women in leadership roles in other denominations is often in the news but we rarely read the same about Baptists. Does this mean it is not an issue for us? A debate on Women in Leadership at the Baptist Union Council in March confi rmed that it is affecting women in our churches too.

Although women have been serving as pastors in Baptist churches since the 1920s, only 11.6% of currently serving Baptist ministers are women. Women at Council shared their stories of prejudice and of barriers that have held them back in their leadership. At the end of the debate a resolution was passed committing the Baptist Union of Great Britain to affi rm the full inclusion of women in all areas of leadership in church life.

Many of the Baptist associations and colleges are taking a lead on this issue. There have been Baptist gatherings of women in Manchester, London, Bristol, Milton Keynes, Cambridge and Oxford. The Southern Counties Baptist Association is holding a ‘Growing Women Leaders Day’ at Thornhill Baptist Church in Southampton on 3 July.

Jane Day started to spearhead the topic of women in leadership in the Yorkshire Baptist Association (YBA) in 2007. “My passion was to see an event where women could network and be encouraged, and from which we could identify the next generation of leaders,” she says. Jane organised a women’s event with the full backing of the YBA at an Ikea store near Gildersome Baptist Church where she was pastor at the time. The event which attracted 50 women included story telling from women leaders, a chance to network and biblical input from Lisa Holmes of Skipton Baptist Church.

Following the event a planning team was established to develop an overall vision and programme to support women as leaders. “The vision is not about seeing more women in Baptist ministry. It is about identifying new leaders and encouraging women in leadership to reach their full potential in whatever area they are in, the sacred or the secular,” says Jane. In November 2009, the YBA started a series of events called ‘The Seven Deadly Sins of Women in Leadership’ which has been written and is led by former BUGB President Kate Coleman. After the fi rst event last year in Wakefi eld feedback from those who attended included comments saying it was “very encouraging and affi rming” and that it “challenged me to look for opportunities to develop my gifting”. The second event was held in May in Leeds with the third due to be held on 4 September.

Jane, who has been a regional minister at the YBA since September 2009, is planning to focus part of her sabbatical in 2011 on women in leadership. “Changing church culture is not going to happen overnight,” she says. “However we are pioneering a way forward and we are really excited about what God is going to do.”