When God Calls Women to Lead
EP251 w/Dr. Sandra Richter
Dr. Sandy Richter stepped into pastoral leadership in a generation when women were not welcome.
Her calling (and right to serve) has been questioned by nearly every authority figure under whom she has served. Like so many of her generation, dismissive and biased attitudes and institutional policies were normative throughout her professional career.
Yet God has been faithful and she has been steadfast. As a result, Sandy is sensitive to issues of women in leadership while remaining wholeheartedly committed to the authority of Scripture, and therefore communicates an exceptionally well-thought-through theology of women in service in the Bible.
Her expertise in Deuteronomic law has expanded that conversation into issues of women’s culture in the ancient Near East and Deuteronomic law regarding sexual ethics. She is viewed by many women a generation behind her as a role model and an inspiration–her current position as the Gundry Chair of Biblical Studies at Westmont College and her many publications speak to that reality.
Buckle up, because we unpack ALL of this today.
This is Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Sandy Richter, where we explore the themes of faith, community, and the challenges faced by women in leadership roles. She highlights the story of Deborah, a powerful female figure in the Bible, and the ongoing challenges of gender bias in male-dominant church leadership positions.
We Discuss:
The fact that Deborah was a cultural anomaly, leading as a woman in a patriarchal society.
How some scholars stand in contradiction to the Biblical author about Deborah’s God-given authority, and Dr. Richter’s response to that.
A deep and personal testimony of how Dr. Richter has navigated gender bias throughout her ministry as a female in church leadership.
The temptation for Dr. Richter to defend and prove her calling and what Jesus told her to do instead.
“Remember who you work for or you will burn out or sell out”
The Holy Spirit can open doors for those feeling called to leadership no matter what your gender.
Dr. Richter’s encouragement to the mom who feels called to lead but for whatever reason feels like she can’t.
More about Dr. Sandy Richter:
The Gundry Chair of Biblical Studies at Westmont College and a graduate of Harvard University, Dr. Richter has dedicated her career to making Scripture accessible and relevant to contemporary audiences. She has applied her many years in the classroom, her technical research, and her years of archaeological experience to writing books and Bible studies and creating videos that bring the Bible to life for the current generation.
Sandy is a mom to two perfect daughters: Noel and Elise. Raising them, discipling them, and loving them has meant that this working mom has been deeply involved in what it looks like to balance professional and family responsibilities. She has taught every age of Sunday School, launched a “Toddler Church” at St. Pat’s Anglican in Lexington, KY, and continues to invest deeply in the spiritual journeys of her children. She is currently working with IVP to launch a line of children’s books on environmental theology and if life lasts long enough, hopes to create a Bible-wide curriculum for toddler and young elementary-aged children as well.
She is an undergraduate professor in southern California. That means that all of the cultural trends that are coming down the pike appear in her classroom first! What does this highly individualistic, social media-saturated, ecclesiological disillusioned, and morally confused generation need to encourage them forward in their spiritual journeys? That is a question she engages in and attempts to answer every day.
You can check out her Substack newsletter here:
Love,
Sandy