Chapter 57: Women as Leaders in Protestant Denominations

Melissa Deckman

Women as leaders in Protestant denominations An examination of women as leaders in Protestant denominations is important given the significance of religion in the lives of most Americans, slightly more than half of whom are Protestants. Women's status as clergy, in particular, is an important indication of how influential women are as leaders within such denominations, given the significant role that ordained pastors, as heads of churches, often play in the lives of their congregants and local communities. Moreover, ordained clergy who serve as scholars in seminaries or as leaders in national denominational bodies and other prominent religious organizations often have a major impact on culture and politics. U.S. Census data from 2000 show that women make up approximately 15% of clergy nationally, although their ranks vary depending on which type of Protestants they are. American Protestants can be broken down into three major subcategories: evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants, and ...

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