How Should PWM Be Structured?

To have an effective ministry at the presbytery level, it may be helpful to gather a diverse team of women who will be able to help plan and execute plans for the ministry. No one person possesses strength in every area needed to lead a presbytery-wide ministry, and gathering team members with different gifts can result in more thoughtful and inclusive planning. Even Jesus gathered twelve around him to build and carry on his ministry after he was gone, and working as a team gives us a chance to see the Body of Christ at work!

A strong team will include women who have a consistent biblical/theological foundation, but who also have varied interests, life stages, and abilities. Assembling a broad group of voices will reflect the diversity of your area and make the job of ministry much easier. Your greatest weaknesses will be the voices you are not hearing, and the makeup of the team will speak volumes in credibility to the women you are trying to reach.

There is a great deal of diversity, even in the churches within a single presbytery (age, stage of life, race, ethnic background, marital status, economic status, rural vs. urban, work status, caregiver responsibilities, etc.). Any effective Presbytery Women’s Ministry will endeavor to build a leadership team that can: a) minister to many people who are “not like me” with a spirit and attitude of appreciation for different perspectives and experiences, and b) seeks out and includes women who are falling through any gaps.

Team makeup does not have to look a certain way, or include certain positions. Teams should be tailored to the size and dynamic of the presbytery. Suggestions for team positions and potential job descriptions can be found on the PWM webpage under “PWM Team Roles and Responsibilities.” PWM leaders should always feel the freedom to combine responsibilities into fewer positions, or even have some additional team members filling gaps unique to the presbytery. Ideas for recruiting team members can be found on the PWM webpage under “Building Your Team”. (Add link here)

Once a team is in place, it is helpful to have a plan for rotating membership and a nominating procedure to find and nominate future team members.  Considering the “follow me as I follow Christ” model, team members should always be aware of women who could help and be preparing to take their place.   If the rotation is a two-year commitment, then half the team should rotate off each year; if a three-year commitment, then a third. The point is that teams should always be looking for new members who will bring God-glorifying gifts and ideas and represent the diversity of the presbytery.