Research
Research
JUST RELEASED (March 2025): Special Issue on Gender Mainstreaming and Christian Relief, Development, and Advocacy Organizations. Christian Relief, Development, and Advocacy: The Journal of the Accord Network. Volume 6(2)
Authors have all been involved with the Wheaton Network Initiative for Gender, Development, and Christianity, and this issue addresses the theological importance of gender equality for Christian nonprofits. Data on the sector, as well as individual and organizational stories, are shared in these articles. The volume is largely based off of our Principles for Gender Equality in Development. The special issue can be found here, and includes the following articles:
- Introduction (Amy Reynolds, Joanna Kretzer Chun, and David Bronkema)
- Destigmatizing Eve (Emily Nielsen Jones and Jackline Odhiambo)
- Reading the Bible for Gender and Development (Brian Smith)
- Going Beyond a Simple Evangelical Salvation Narrative in Anti Sex-Trafficking (Joy Lee)
- Gendered Leadership in Accord Organizations (Amy Reynolds)
- Transforming Masculinities (Prabu Deepan and Ruby Blake)
Women in Leadership National Study (WILNS)
The Women in Leadership National Study is a multi-method study that mapped the gendered landscape of the evangelical nonprofit sector. The study consisted of three phases: a comprehensive study of more than 1,400 Christian organizations, a survey of leaders in over 100 of these organizations, and case studies with leadership teams of 14 organizations. The project examined different aspects of the gender dynamics within senior-level leadership of evangelical nonprofits and higher education institutions in the United States, and brought together researchers from Gordon College, Wheaton College, and the Center for Social Research at Calvin University.
- Mission Effectiveness: Achieving Institutional Goals and Mission (Overview of Findings) - Download PDF
- Gender Dynamics in Evangelical Institutions: Women and Men Leading in Higher Education and the Nonprofit Sector (Phase 1 and 2) - Download PDF
- Best Practices for Attracting, Promoting, and Retaining Female Leadership in Christian Organizations (Phase 3) - Download PDF
Creating Cultures of Belonging: Cultivating Organizations Where Women and Men Thrive (IVP 2022)
Co-authored by Wheaton Network Initiative members Dr. Beth Birmingham and Eeva Sallinen Simard, this book "Creating Cultures of Belonging offers solutions for leadership teams, board members, and managers that reshape organizational culture in ways that invite and celebrate gender equity. With practical steps to enhance mentorship opportunities, human resources practices, and management tactics, Beth and Eeva point a way forward by identifying the changes that need to be made to create a belonging culture." (from the IVP website).