Woman at the Helm: A Christian College Pioneer

Educator and ordained Presbyterian minister Roberta Hestenes was inaugurated as president of Eastern College, St. Davids, Pennsylvania, last November. She is the first woman to become president of a college belonging to the Christian College Coalition. Hestenes has chaired the board of World Vision International and was associate professor of Christian formation and discipleship at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena.

Known for her work in the field of small group Bible study and spiritual formation, Hestenes is also a champion of biblical feminism. She is the author of The Ministry of Women in a Changing Church (Word, 1988).

Hestenes is the ninth president of Eastern College, succeeding Robert Seiple. She will not preside over Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, as Seiple did. In an interview with CHRISTIANITY TODAY, Hestenes discussed her new role in Christian higher education.

Did you aspire to be a college president?

No. I did not seek this position, but instead I was approached by the board of Eastern. The position brought together several different aspects of my background—my commitment to Christian higher education, involvement with the Third World [one-third of Eastern’s students are internationals], and Christian formation and discipleship. When I prayed about it and talked to key people who have been important in my life, it seemed a good thing to respond positively.

Were you aware of any opposition to your appointment, either at Eastern or in the wider Christian community?

None at all. I’ve received enormous support and many encouraging messages, particularly from other presidents in the Christian College Coalition, for which I am grateful.

Will you miss teaching and direct interaction with students?

Yes, but I’m only putting aside my teaching for one year. Next year I’ll teach in the graduate program and I expect to teach one course on spirituality in the undergraduate program. I’m a teacher and I need to teach.

How does Christian higher education differ from the church at large in terms of accepting women in leadership?

It’s difficult to compare the two because they are very different kinds of spheres. While there are a significant number of women college presidents, especially in Roman Catholic institutions, women have not had positions of leadership in evangelical higher education. I have found the church to be increasingly open to women in leadership, and I expect it to become even more open.

You have described yourself as a Christian feminist. Can you explain how that is similar to, or different from, a secular feminist?

I call myself an evangelical Christian feminist, which means I am a person who believes the Scriptures, when properly interpreted and applied, teach the full partnership of men and women in the church, the family, and society. This is similar to feminism in general, which believes in equality between women and men. It is more specific, in that Scripture itself affirms this as God’s intention.

How would you describe the relationship between proponents of a more traditional view of women and those who support a partnership model? What trend do you see?

There is more openness. More and more evangelical scholars who have gone back to work on the texts are adopting a partnership paradigm. I see an openness in institutions and churches that have been generally distant to some of the concepts of women in partnership, and I am encouraged. There are still places of deep resistance and hostility toward changing roles for women, but I think on the whole there is more to be encouraged about than to be discouraged about.

What advice would you have for an evangelical woman who feels called to leadership?

She should become a person of prayer and spiritual discernment, so that she really is seeking to minister out of her desire to be Christ’s person and obedient to the will of God. She should also be willing to take risks, including the risk of not being approved of by everybody.

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