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My name is Joy Arundell … and I have a lot of opinions and convictions. I’ve heard that a number of women in Presbyterian Churches feel that they do not have ways for their opinions to be heard on matters of decision-making. I hope to show you that doors are wide open, and so they should be, because women along with men are valuable members of the body of Christ.

There are many ways women can contribute to the life of a Presbyterian Church, so rather than create new pathways, as a church, let’s rediscover the opportunities that are already there. Here are some ways to get started:

Day to Day Church Life

1. Get to know your elders

Often when decisions are being made, elders will consult with the congregation and discuss the potential changes. This might be done over morning tea at church, or over meals together. This is an open-door opportunity for you to share your opinions and thoughts with your elders. You can be proactive. When decisions are being discussed, why not approach your elders and ask whether you might offer some thoughts? Perhaps you know you have giftings and passions to serve in a particular ministry, so go with confidence and speak to your elders about it. Sometimes they will say ‘Yes’, and sometimes they will say “No”, but that is part of being a member of the body.

2. Session meetings

Writing a letter to session seems a very under-rated part of church life. You can write to session at any time on any issue. If you aren’t sure what to write or how to write, you can ask your session clerk to help you. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, ask a friend to read over your letter before you send it.

You can also ask the session whether you can come and meet to discuss a certain issue. Any member, male or female, can be welcomed at a session meeting at a fixed time, to meet in confidentiality and share with session.

3. Selection committee meetings

Both men and women are eligible to be part of selection committees. These committees are set up when a church is calling a new minister. Even if you are not part of the committee, every member will vote to call (or not call) a potential new minister. So, every lady at church has the opportunity to be involved in deciding who your minister will be.

4. Nominate someone for eldership.

Whilst women in the PCV do not serve as elders, they do get to decide who will become elders. If you don’t think someone qualifies for eldership according to the biblical criteria, don’t vote for them. If you do think someone qualifies according to the biblical criteria – vote for them. And whoever you (as a congregation) elect as elders, they are there to represent Christ to you and shepherd you in the Lord. So, follow their lead and submit to them.

5. Serving on the Board of Management

Both men and women may serve on the Board of Management. This is the group of people involved in decision making around finances and buildings, as well as supporting ministry in the congregation. If you feel like you want to have a greater contribution in the life of your church, why not consider serving on the Board of Management, which is a very hands-on committee.

6. Annual Congregational Meetings

It does frustrate me to hear of women feeling they are unable to contribute to decision making in their churches, and it turns out they don’t show up for the Annual Congregational Meeting. This is the moment where you get to discuss and debate decisions in church life and contribute to the outcome with your vote. The ACM can be where the congregation makes significant decisions in the life of the church. You can ask questions of the budget and the plans for the next year. Please do not squander this opportunity to be involved in decision making.

7. Prayer Meetings

If you seriously want to be involved in the engine-room of church life, be present at the prayer meeting. The prayer meeting is the place where the elders regularly share the needs of the congregation as well as goals or specific things they are praying for. Please don’t ask for more opportunities to have a voice if you’re not already using your voice in prayer.

8. Hospitality

When was the last time you invited one of your elders around for a meal? Talking together over a meal is a very helpful way to discuss something. Many churches will have elders visit the homes of their members regularly to touch base. This is the time for you to bring up anything you would like to share with your session. If you’re feeling hesitant about bringing something up, why not write it down and ask them to read it?

9. Join an Assembly Committee

Any member of a Presbyterian Church can be part of an Assembly committee. I serve on the Metro Committee in the Presbyterian Church of Victoria, and so have a voice and a vote on decisions of that committee. There is a range of committees to suit lots of different giftings, so if you are eager to be more involved in church life, ask your Minister what needs there are in the wider church.

When things aren’t going well…

1. Write to Presbytery

Any member of any church can write to Presbytery at any time. If you are in a position where you don’t think you can submit to the elders in your congregation and you haven’t been able to move forward, perhaps consider writing to your Presbytery. You can get help on this from your Presbytery clerk. If you don’t know who this is, you can ask your minister, consult your state website, or ask your state clerk for help.

2. Ask a friend to help

Some people are concerned that women who have faced domestic violence situations will be uncomfortable approaching their elders with matters of importance. While obviously we cannot consider every single situation here, I can say that the women I know in church who have faced DV have not struggled to have a good relationship with the elders of our church. This is not a blanket statement, but we do have many wonderful elders who work very hard to help the women of our congregation know they are safe and able to ask for anything! If you are struggling with this, you could consider ways to get to know one of the elders at your church and build trust. Ask a friend to come with you if you are meeting them. 

3, Gentle warnings to women like me

Sometimes people say they just want to be heard, when what they really want is to be obeyed. And I get this! As I said earlier, I have strong opinions and convictions. So this can be particularly hard for some of us non-elders at church. We are all so deeply invested in the life of our local church, and many different members have different opinions on how things might work better. But we all need to offer our contributions in the broader context of our submission to our sessions. We should not expect they would obey our commands. Go back and read Hebrews 13:17 and see who should be obeying whom. Instead, let us with confidence offer our contributions knowing that God has given all members a contribution to share for the building up of the body, but let’s leave the decision making in their hands. They are the ones who will stand before God and give account for the way they have shepherded the flock.

4. Gentle encouragements to elders

Please consider the way you are leading your congregation. We are sheep who are trying to walk closely with the Chief Shepherd, and He has set you as His under-shepherds. If there is something you can do to be more approachable, please take that seriously. You might not think you are a scary person, but there may be some women sitting in church who do not like the idea of approaching you with a concern or contribution. If you feel this is not your particular strength, please work at it. Begin with hospitality – a biblical command for elders. Welcome members into your home and let them eat and talk with you about your life and church life. It is a tragedy to me that many women think they can do your job better than you can. You are empowered by the design of God and the filling of the Holy Spirit. You are not alone – you are a team working together. So please have confidence that you can and must shepherd the women in your congregation with understanding, and trust that many of the women in your flock are eager to submit to you and joyfully follow your lead.

– Joy Arundell