"Life-giving Leadership" by Hodge and Hunt. A Short Review

 


Overall, I was pleased with "Life-giving Leadership" by Karen Hodge, coordinator of the PCA's Women's Ministry, and Susan Hunt, former Coordinator. The book is written from the complementarian perspective (biblically, men and women are equal before God while fulfilling different roles that are fairly sex-specific) in contrast to the egalitarian angle (men and women are equal before God and there are no sex-specific roles in Scripture). Hodge and Hunt seek to present tangible ways women can pursue life-giving leadership in contrast to life-taking leadership.


Though the material feels forced in places, nevertheless the authors stay consistent in striving to think biblically and live and lead covenantally in a complementarian context (15, 19). They follow this train of thinking through the nine topics of confidence, calling, clarity, character, submission, compassion, community, discipleship and Scripture. They rightly recognize that leading covenantally is relational and committed to generational ministry (55). This concept was something I learned in my 20-year military career. As we were taught in the Air Force, and experienced, there are two levels of leadership. There's the formal, organizational leadership, but then there's the informal, influential leadership. And that informal leadership is just as potent - and sometimes more so - than the official leadership.


"Life-giving Leadership" is written for women and by women, and is ideal for a women's ministry team as they think through their purpose. But Hunt and Hodge present tons of thoughtful perspective that's ideal for men as well. In fact I would say the material would be useful and instructive for pastors and elders to think through their own leadership: is it life-giving or life-taking. I recommend the book.

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