Brief summary of presentation of information made

This was an event sponsored by the Presbyterian Church USA.

Speakers: Rev. Dr. Sandawna Gaulman – is a denominational executive leader. A senior pastor working in gender and racial justice. She is a consultant, and resource leader.

Jyungin Lee – Founder and Director of Women’s Together Inc. for spiritual formation, empowerment and leadership development for women.

Elona Street-Stewart – is a first Nation American, of the Delaware Nanticoke Tribe who is a ruling elder and serves as Synod Executive for the Synod of Lakes and Prairies. She has served more than 25 years on the Synod staff for the racial ethnic ministries and community empowerment including administration support of the Dakota Presbytery.

Courtney Hoekstra- Moderator. She has served for twelve years as the Associate for Advocacy Committee Support in the Executive Director’s Office of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. She is a staff resource person to two advocacy committees for Women’s concerns. She expounded on why this meeting is taking place and Women who are marginalize and silence and without voice.

Women leaders and Women of Colour in the church need conversation on what has been achieved, where we are, and what needs to be done in the church and in society.

The questions that have been asked are based on the Theme of CSW.

There were four questions that were posed to the panel.

What challenge have you faced as women of colour leaders? What has it been like to sit at the decision-making tables?

Jyungian Lee

• Waiting for people to get used to seeing her at the table. She is Asian.
• Question posed to her ‘did she still faced racism as a woman of color and what is it like?’
• At higher levels you still face racism still face basis and ignorance it is still there.
• Figuring out the system while she is working in the system.
• Only person of color and felt lonely and out there by herself.
• Out numbered, not enough allies to come alongside.

Elona Street-Stewart 

• First Native American with an America Farmer women.
• Children traveled with her.
• Participation and access were challenging.
• Reconnect as a Native person learning and sharing.
• Damaging construction of race and identify, violence and fear.
• Opportunity to serve in areas that were not confined to women issues.
• She was not welcomed.

SanDawna Gaulman Ashley 

• To serve she had to go West or North, not welcomed in the South in the Church.
• Reminded of the trailblazer that came before her.
• Creating space sharing gifts.
• Setting example for who would follow in leadership.
• Not accepting gender as an obstacle.
• People need to deal with their own issues related race and gender.
• Allowing the work to speak for itself.
• Working toward using and mentoring Women of Colour in leadership.

What difference do you think it makes to have Women of Colour at the table where decision are binging made? How has it taken shape in your own experience as leaders.

Elona Street-Stewart 

• Look forward turn what has already been done into a better path.
• Start to remake situation.
• Planting seeds all the time.
• Cross pollination of culture.
• Willing to call out situation.
• Problem solve and dream together.

SanDawna Gaulman Ashley

• Women are not afraid of shared power.
• Strength in collaborative leadership.
• One thing to be invited into leadership and another to be an actual leader.
• Navigate the system.
• Be who you are with the gifts that God has given you.
• Build upon on what has worked well for women.
• Be persistent, you cannot be weak and be strong enough to live within your sense of calling

Jyungian Lee 

• Wisdom.
• Experience from culture.
• Peripherall life.
• Creative.
• Bring light to the status quo.
• Make thing happen without resources.

What violence against Women and girls do you see that needs to be eliminated in the context of the Church?

Jyungian Lee 

• Verbal violence talk that degrades women and girls.
• Demanding subservient behavior from women.

SanDawna Gaulman Ashley 

• Enduring ignorance.
• Bullying from male leaders and how to manage that.
• Shouted at during meetings.
• Corporate model who is showing that to women.
• Can’t just show up always having to prove yourself more than others. Having to be twice as good as others.
• Hearing you don’t fit the bill, you are not what we are looking for.
• Women of Colour are not even considered when called to leadership for the decision-making level.

Elona Street-Stewart 

• Murder and Missing Indigenous Women that no one speaks of in the church. 
• Christian involvement in boarding schools. Forced to assimilate.
• Contributions were not acknowledged.
• Enslavement of people.
• Churches not offering sanctuary to people in need. (indigenous view).
• Instituted policy of prevention – they need to update routinely.
• Church is silent about Social Justice issues.

Is the Church ahead or behind of the larger society when it comes to embracing Women’s leadership? How do we model that in the church?

SanDawna Gaulman Ashley

• Women needing mentoring for certain leadership positions.
• Women are making bricks without straw.

Jyungian Lee 

• The church is behind in embracing Women.
• Lack of education for women and men to step up to leadership. What leadership is really about and how to sit in that decision-making leadership position. Real training and mentoring.
• More male allies advocating for women leadership.
• Participation equals leadership.
• Worship as Justice work and worship as the space for justice.

Elona Street-Stewart 

• There are times when the church is ahead and can be a model, but we can learn from social reform.
• Making sure that women from all different types of background are invited to the table.
• Making sure there is circle leadership and not a pyramid leadership.

Questions from audience

How do you address gender issues within your own racial community?

SanDawna Gaulman Ashley

• Many black congregations may not be as open to women leadership/pastors.

Elona Street-Stewart 

• Forced to assimilate.
• Introduce to see men and women work side by side in leadership roles for the nations. The missionary influence establishes a hierarchy that man is superior.
• Federal Law that only identify men as superior when the First Nations people relate to Matriarchal leadership.
• Is it about your gender or what you can contribute if you bring your whole self to the task?
• Greater opportunity for cross cultural engaging opportunities for women who are often the one shaping the views of a household.
• Discovery process.

Jyungian Lee 

Educating congregations on women leadership.

Need for male allies who are in power.

What was of particular significance to share with The Salvation Army globally?

This is a topic that is coming up globally. What do we need to change in our thoughts about Women of Colour in Leadership? What will be done in the future? These are questions that are being asked by Women around the World. 

Web links for more information

Recording available at: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=436515927421730&ref=watch_permalink

Tags: SDG5: Gender Equality