Spiritual Life and Leadership

145. Championing Leadership from the Margins, with Beth Birmingham and Eeva Sallinen Simard, authors of Cultures of Belonging

Jan 3, 2023

40:46

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Beth Birmingham and Eeva Sallinen Simard are the authors of Creating Cultures of Belonging: Cultivating Organizations Where Women and Men Thrive.

In this episode, we discuss what it means for churches and organizations to develop cultures of belonging. Not just cultures of inclusion, but cultures in which those who tend to be on margins actually have the opportunity to shape the church or organization when they are in positions of leadership.

THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Beth Birmingham and Eeva Sallinen Simard are the authors of Creating Cultures of Belonging: Cultivating Organizations Where Women and Men Thrive.
Beth Birmingham is the facilitator for the Christian Alliance for Inclusive Development and professor at Eastern University.
Eeva Sallinen Simard is project director at World Relief.
While missional organizations largely serve women and children and are staffed largely by women, only about 15% of executive leadership are women.
Eeva Sallinnen Simard tells us that in the largest NGOs in the U.S., only 5% of executive leadership are women.
Beth Birmingham says we have adopted a toxic leadership model in missional spaces that contradicts the teaching of scripture.
Missional organizations tend to demand a very masculine form of leadership.
Eeva Sallinen Simard explains that a culture of belonging is one that not only welcomes women and minorities, but also allows them to contribute to the development of and even change the organization.
To change a systemic problem, you need a systems approach.
Beth Birmingham suggests that, rather than spending leadership development funds on experienced senior male leaders, missional organizations should spend those funds on young women still learning and growing in their leadership.
Men in leadership tend to get uncomfortable with conversations about inclusion, often asking themselves, “What does this mean for me?”
Eeva Sallinen Simard says organizations need to make declarative statements about the imago dei in all people and their calling to lead.
Organizations that don’t believe women can be called to roles of leadership should be forthcoming with that information so that women who want to grow in their leadership can serve in a place where their calling will be affirmed.
Beth Birmingham believe that when we humble ourselves and surrender our agendas, God will pour out his blessing in other ways.