Propel Launch Recap

If you would have told me ten years ago that I would be standing on the campus of Liberty University watching Christine Caine launch a movement to empower women in leadership, I might have fallen over laughing. No. Really! And that’s not to say Liberty University was the only unlikely place for this to happen; it simply means few of us could have imagined the progress that has occurred over the past decade in setting the stage for a movement empowering women to arise to their full and rightful place in leadership… anywhere.

The local news is filled with stories of women who are demeaned, abused, and even traded like commodities in our own neighborhoods. The global picture is even more dire as women suffer unspeakable atrocities at the hands of religious zealots and despotic leaders under the guise of culturally acceptable practices. And in the West, where much progress has been made, our lip service to the notion of equality is far greater than the actual opportunities provided for women to advance in leadership, which is one reason why less than 5% of Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 CEOs are women.

As James Brown bluntly put it, “This is a man’s world.” And when you look at the current picture of women in leadership, it seems very little has actually changed since those words were first growled out somewhere on a stage.

So the launch of Propel Women was no small matter.

Standing in the Liberty University Vine Center that day, I felt a mixture of emotions. First, I felt a sense of profound gratitude for all of the beautiful, feminine trailblazers who’ve served faithfully in Christian institutions and organizations where the glass ceiling is crystallized by misquoted and misapplied Bible verses.

To you, my sisters, I want to say, “Thank you for loving Jesus enough to serve His mission. Thank you for staying engaged in our community. Thank you for maintaining a kind a generous spirit. Thank you for not growing bitter. And thank you for not saying, ‘I told you so,’ now that your moment has come.” I have so much appreciation for those women who have labored faithfully and tirelessly to see a new day dawn for your mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends.

I also felt deep appreciation for the leadership and faculty of Liberty University for their courage in providing the platform for launch of Propel Women. Their willingness to host an event of this type shouted volumes about their commitment to “train champions for Christ.” And their support for Christine Caine and the birth of this movement was a beautiful thing to witness.

Finally, I felt a sense of thankfulness for the students of Christian universities everywhere who really believe that you can change the world. You can. Growing up in an increasingly global community has positioned you to read the Scripture and apply it free from many of our ingrained cultural interpretations.

And that leads me to the second thing I experienced.

I felt a major surge of hope.

In the words of Victor Hugo, “there is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” The Bible defines that as a kairos moment: a right and opportune moment. It is a God ordained event that interrupts the status quo and shows us something we have never seen or acted upon.

The launch of Propel Women was a kairos moment.

But lest we think we have finished our task, the launch of Propel Women was really just beginning. The glass ceiling may be higher in some places, but few Christian institutions and organizations have removed it all together. And it will take strong movement of brave women graciously galvanized around the advancement of their sisters to remove that ceiling once and for all.

The work is not done.

The battle is not over.

The journey has not concluded.

And even though the road ahead may be littered with landmines that have to be carefully and prayerfully navigated, I have no doubt that we will see the daughters of the Kingdom arise to their rightful place in leadership in every sphere of influence in this generation. The world is waiting for such a movement to occur.

Dr. Terry Crist

Senior Pastor, City of Grace Church