What if All the Pastors are Women?
Some friends and I commented today about what it would be like to have a church with all women pastors. These churches exist, but they aren’t common. And the obvious critique is… how will they reach the men?
Not to worry! We came up with some solutions.
Find some men volunteers to lead men’s groups. A group about being dads would be great.
Invest in some men’s Study Bibles.
Hold an annual men’s retreat - it may feel hard for men to get away from the family, but you can use the retreat time in a way that is a blessing for them. For example:
Have the men bring something from home that needs fixing. If you have a workshop on fixing things, the men don’t need to use valuable family time to do it when they return home.
Or offer a workshop on using or repairing a lawnmower. These workshops would be both fulfilling and helpful.
Have one of the women pastors be the main speaker for the men’s retreat. You want the men to feel that pastoral presence, and not think you don’t care. You can invite some of the boys to lead the workshops, or possibly the music.
Be sure to prepare the men for their return home. If they are married, remind them that their wives have been holding down the fort at home, and will appreciate a break when the men return. Encourage them to put those new fixing skills to use!
Invite men to be an active part of the life of the church. They can set up tables for events. Men are naturally good at lifting heavy things and find this work fulfilling.
Have a man preach on Father’s Day.
Have a men’s night at church. This can be a no-cost potluck event! Invite the men to cook something to share, like steak or potatoes.
Consider what other programming would be a blessing to your men. Do they want simple recipes for the grill? Invite some of the men in your church to work on a cookbook! Do they need to learn engine repair and basic automobile maintenance? This could be a Sunday School series!
What other ways could a church with only women pastors bless the men in the congregation?
Thanks to my friends on the BCE admin team for walking down this thought path with me.
Every single thing on this list passes for “reaching women” in many churches. All the women I discussed this with have been to a women’s retreat or event where the main speaker was a man. We’ve all been to a women’s night where we were invited to cook something. We’ve been to mom’s groups or women’s groups where we made meals to take home and were told this was a “blessing” to us. We’ve been told our husbands would need a break after holding down the fort. We’ve been told we are designed to do things like organize the potluck or work in the nursery. Women are good at that. We’ve been given flowery pink Bibles and asked to volunteer for jobs paid staff were also doing. If this is how men pastors reach women, it seems reasonable that women pastors can reach men in similar ways.