Women and Leadership (Revised Edition):

Book excerpt: Grace, Tolerance, & Forgiveness The fact that African women cooperated to have a male American missionary document their stories speaks volumes of the capacity for grace, tolerance, and forgiveness on their part. It also speaks to the regard that they had for the Hayashidas. Nelson Hayashida has demonstrated how skilled people can facilitate the liberation process for others. This book exposes the gap between carefully crafted statements affirming women and the reality of reluctant submission to women in leadership. We hear the voices of women themselves. This book is academically sound and characterized by excellence based on sound methodology. The questions raised, the voices heard, and the potential corrective measures are a vital contribution to an important conversation within the church community. While this book is mainly focused on the Baptist church in South Africa, it presents many possibilities for stimulating debates and policy and experiential changes in other faith communities. —DESMOND HOFFMEISTER Executive Director, Global Prophetic Network American Baptist Seminary of the West