Unashamed Servant-Leadership

by Rachel Rajagopal

Overview

Asian Christian female servant-leaders have faced painful and humbling experiences in their leadership development – at every turn and at every corner. Asian women who are evangelical servant-leaders rarely have any real “voice” in their community. In this book, Rachel Rajagopal enrols ten servant-leaders who, speaking as one, seek to have their collective voice heard, recognized and valued. The testimonies of these women’s encounters with the Lord Jesus Christ and their personal obedience to God’s call, despite their challenges as female ministry leaders, are powerful examples of God using women in his sovereign plan. Many of the hindrances these servant-leaders encountered were simply because God made them women. Dr Rajagopal’s rigorous examination of the Asian social, cultural and theological context in relation to women in Christian leadership allows these stories to jump off the pages and into readers’ hearts. This thorough study not only illuminates the Asian context but is eminently transferable to other parts of the world in pursuit of releasing women into their gifting from God.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781783683673
Publisher:	Langham Creative Projects
Publication date:	12/14/2017
Series:	Global Perspectives Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	168
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

RACHEL RAJAGOPAL has an MA in Education and Intercultural Studies from Singapore Bible College, and a DMin in Intercultural Studies from Tabor College, Adelaide, Australia. She is Founder and Executive Director of Faith Ablaze International Ministries (FAIM) and engages in intercultural and pastoral training in various nations. Rachel has been involved in missions for over twenty years. Her passion is to see others live honourable, Christ-centered lives.

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

List of Tables and Map

1. Self-Retrospection: Being an Asian, Female and Servant-Leader in the Christian Environment

2. The Lack of Voice among Asian Christian Women Servant-Leaders

3. Understanding Asian Evangelical Christian Servant-Leaders

4. The Complexities of Servant-Leadership in a Christian Environment

5. Re-narrating the Narratives

6. Daughters of Asia

7. Christian Growth among Asian Christian Women Servant-Leaders According to the Narratives

8. Call to Serve by Leading According to the Narratives

9. Christian Leadership According to the Narratives

10. Opinions

References

Editorial Reviews

Dr Rachel Rajagopal’s book, Unashamed Servant-Leadership, was birthed from her personal background, secular work experience and Christian ministry involvement. Despite all odds, first as a female, then as an Indian growing up in a Hindu environment, and serving God as a female missionary in Asia, Africa, Latin America and beyond, the author has overcome numerous challenges to become one of Asia’s few women who dare to be different and are “unashamed” to be God’s leaders! What is most powerful in this book are the snapshots of ten women from different ethnic, social, educational, and single and marital backgrounds, from different countries, including the Middle East, all of whom have risen under different and difficult situations to take on leadership, and, in the process, blossomed and thrived as God’s servant-leaders. I trust that many will read this book and that the stories of these daughters of Asia will bless men and women, and give courage especially to Asian women to rise up and let God use them for his kingdom work and his greater glory.

Violet James, PhD

Chaplain, Singapore Bible College, Singapore

It is about time that we heard the voices of Asian Christian women servant-leaders. We need to understand, be increasingly aware of, and recognize their contribution in national, regional, and global leadership contexts.

This book is a must-read! It provides a comprehensive discussion and encourages the Asian Church to release and acknowledge the gifted women who serve alongside men servant-leaders.

Sierry Tendero, EdD

Adviser, Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) Women’s Commission

Missions Director, Kamuning Bible Christian Fellowship, Quezon City, Philippines

If you are expecting Unashamed Servant-Leadership to provide pat answers to the perplexing problem of the lack of Asian Christian women in leadership, look elsewhere. Writing from an insider’s perspective, Rajagopal crafts a much-needed start to the discussion of inequality. The uniquely prepared author invites ten daughters of Asia, operating from a culture of shame, to unashamedly tell their real-life narratives of transformation and encouragement despite Christian leadership revolving around men. In the light of cultural, spiritual, familial, theological and other challenges inherent in Asian societies, the forum of female voices and the author’s insightful interpretations challenge the church to mobilize and activate Asian Christian women into servant-leadership. As the Majority World church continues to swell, Unashamed Servant-Leadership is an important addition to leadership and missional libraries.

Karen Hatley, PhD

Professor, Missional Leadership, Missional University, North Augusta, SC, USA

Author of Missionaries from Everywhere to Everywhere: A Delphi Study to Identify the Emerging Roles of US Missionaries in the Majority World

From the Publisher