This thesis studies female Christian leadership in the church. The focus of this thesis is the leadership of female American missionaries who came to Korea in the late 19th century. Consideration will be given to general leadership theories as well as...
This thesis studies female Christian leadership in the church. The focus of this thesis is the leadership of female American missionaries who came to Korea in the late 19th century. Consideration will be given to general leadership theories as well as Biblical leadership. The aim of this study is to assist in the development of female Korean missionaries in the 21st century.
This thesis consists of four sections.
The first section investigates the theoretical background of leadership, focusing on different definitions of leadership and trends in the field of leadership.
The second section focuses on the features, concepts and strengths of female leadership and how it differs from male leadership. Female leadership is based on their different social roles and ways of interacting with others.
The third section shows definitions and concepts of Biblical leadership, and examines female leadership in the Old and New Testaments.
Christian leadership can be defined as a person's ability to lead people by the power of the Holy Spirit and the righteousness of Jesus Christ according to God's will for His glory.
In the Bible we can see that Jesus considered women to have dignity and worth. Women were created "in the image of God" and are a part of the order of creation. Even though men and women were created differently, they were created equally.
In the fourth part some examples will considered of females who had shown good Christian leadership in Korean history.
In particular the female American missionaries who came to Korea in the late 19th century will be examined; including how their social, historical and personal backgrounds as Americans impacted the way they trained Korean women in leadership.
In the 19th century Korean women were mostly uneducated and were bound by a social system that discriminated against women. The missionaries established schools and hospitals in order to develop female leadership skills and to improve women's rights.
In this thesis the lives and leadership of two female missionaries from the Presbyterian Church and the Methodist Church respectively, who ministered in Korea in the late Chosun Dynasty will be examined.
The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate the leadership of female missionaries in the past in order to encourage the development of female Korean missionaries in the future.