Women in Leadership Resources

The Women in Leadership Planning Team has noticed a number of common questions being
asked by a number of people. The document is to recognize some of those questions and to
provide answers in order to provide clarity to the process and potential resolutions.
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Episode 1 of the SGAC Women In Leadership discussion podcast. Hosts Paul Friesen and Alex Clowes introduce the topic and give an overview of the issues involved.
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Episode 2 of the Women In Leadership discussion podcast. Pastor Steve Kim from Apologetics Canada describes a scriptural approach to the topic of Women In Leadership.
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Episode 3 of SGAC's Women In Leadership discussion podcast. In this episode, SGAC Elder Brian Westra talks with Paul and Alex about strategies for reading your bible effectively, and not just in regards to this one topic.
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Peter Spaans, SGAC's maintenance team leader, joins Alex and Paul to discuss the topic at hand.
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Alex and Paul welcome Tracey Flynn, a leader in the Young Life organization and lifetime SGAC attendee, to share her thoughts on the topic at hand.
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A document that has some definitions and references
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Timeline for Women in Leadership Discussion
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Slides from Brent Trask's presentation regarding Gender Leadership Discussion
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The Alliance Church in Canada moved to accept an Egalitarian position (Men and women are equal in all areas of ministry) in regards to membership on an Elders’ Board approximately 20 years ago with a further update at the Assembly 2016 which included the ability to hire (including Lead Pastor) according to theological convictions. The denomination leaves the decision to each church to make or not make those transitions in their own time. SGAC has enjoyed having women in leadership for many years with a number serving as pastors on staff.

The Elders Board recently did an overview of the literature and recommended that the church maintain a position that would encourage women to participate in all forms of leadership except the role of elders.
The Board of Elders formally distributed a document to the congregation in January 2021 where they outlined their understanding of the scriptures as the basis to “recommend to the membership that Spruce Grove Alliance Church should remain complementarian.”

Subsequently at the Semi-Annual Congregational Meeting on January 24, 2021 a motion was passed “that a team be formed as soon as possible to plan and execute education and congregational discussions on the scriptural basis of both viewpoints of women in church leadership and on the Board with the intention of these discussions happening in the April to June time frame of 2021.”
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