Evangelicals in the US are less accepting of female leadership even than Roman Catholics, according to a study by the Barna research group.The study found that though large numbers of Americans embrace the presence of female leadership at work and in politics, they are least comfortable, comparatively, with women leading the church. However, the vast majority (79 per cent) are comfortable with a woman in the pulpit, with more women than men (84 per cent vs 75 per cent) expressing this view.
By contrast, among evangelicals only 39 per cent say they are happy with women in ministry.
Among practising Christians in general, 62 per cent said they accepted female leadership. Surprisingly, this rises to 80 per cent among Catholics, who have an all-male priesthood, while Protestants are on 74 per cent. ...
