The Invisible Women. Female Participation in Church Leadership in the Dutch Evangelical Movement

Abstract

Summary The question discussed in this article is: To what extent does church policy and structure influence the transformative process to include women in governance and spiritual leadership in Evangelical churches in the Netherlands? Transformative processes are complicated and take time, as is the case with the inclusion of women in leadership roles in the Dutch Evangelical Movement. Although the congregational, grassroots structure of the local churches could be an advantage, this article argues that it can also complicate such a process of change. The current situation of the Dutch Evangelical Movement is described through the study of (policy) documents, websites and interviews concerning women in leadership. A comparison with a particular Reformed denomination enables a discussion of structural strengths and weaknesses. Although there are hardly any objections to female leadership at the denominational level, the interviews reveal possible reasons why the inclusion of women in the offices of the local churches is such a slow process. This topic should be the subject of further study.