Book review: The Black Swan Effect — A Response to Gender Hierarchy in the Church

Caroline Mendez Feb. 4, 2021

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This 257-page book includes the voices of men and women leaders and their perspectives on the question: Should women answer the call that God has on their lives? And, from a biblical perspective: Should they be welcomed to serve that calling in the church, alongside men?

Author Dr. Felicity Dale has written six books, grew up in the UK, and has been living in the U.S. since 1987, planting churches and birthing kingdom companies alongside her husband, Dr. Tony Dale.

The book is formatted into five parts:

• The Vital Role of Women in Jesus's Mission
• A Woman's Place
• The Gender Debate and Scripture
• Justice for Women
• Creating a Culture of Change

Various men and women church planters, church leaders, missionaries, and ministry leaders from around the world have written each of the chapters.

One of the most impactful chapters is written by Katie Driver, an international church-planting coach. In her chapter, she writes:

Women in leadership roles shouldn't have to look, think, speak, react and align themselves with the leadership traits and qualities that are predominantly masculine in order to be seen. The way our culture has defined leadership, and the way it is modeled both in the secular world and in the church is almost completely male in its characteristics. However, is this the leadership style the Bible upholds? I don't believe so. Biblical Leadership is less about who we are, and more about the One who truly sees us and calls us according to our unique makeup.

In other words, just because women have a different leadership style does not make their leadership less effective, or invalid. Genesis 5:2 reads He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them "Mankind" when they were created. They are created with equal value and yet are distinctly different.

These differences translate into how each of our genders lead to His glory. There are significant truths about the value and place the Lord intended for women in the body of Christ. As I read it, the experiences shared were those with which I could personally identify with as I have navigated church, ministry and business leadership during the past fifteen years as a Christ-follower.

If you've ever had a niggling feeling that your church or organization is less than 100 percent effective, if you're looking for a way to increase your impact and expand your territory for the Lord, I implore you to read this book. There is no better way to do so than to leverage the black swan in your midst: the unheard, unseen, unleveraged woman, who is our sister in Christ.

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