Women in the ministry : the effects of gender on leadership communication

This study was designed to contribute to an understanding of how clergywomen perceive themselves communicating their authority. In pursuit of this goal, data were collected through intensive interviews with 10 clergywomen affiliated with five denominations in the city of Houston. The results of the study show that clergywomen perceive themselves communicating their authority primarily through use of democratic leadership styles characterized by inclusiveness of church members. Clergywomen state that gender does affect leadership communication because it is a factor in how females are perceived by those they serve. The subjects contend that gender especially affects members' perceptions of leadership communication during initial contact with clergywomen because, to a large extent, member's expectations of them are based on traditional female stereotypes.