Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

College

College of Education and International Services

Program

Leadership PhD

First Advisor

Erich W. Baumgartner

Second Advisor

Janet Ledesma

Third Advisor

Alayne Thorpe

Abstract

Problem

Although women constitute more than half of Seventh-day Adventist Church membership, they remain substantially underrepresented in senior leadership roles across North America. This disparity raises important questions about the historical, theological, organizational, and gender-related factors that shape women’s access to institutional leadership within the denomination. A growing body of scholarship has examined the life experiences of women clergy in the church; however, limited research has explored the experiences of women serving in presidential leadership roles within Seventh-day Adventist institutions.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to understand and describe the experiences of women serving in presidential leadership roles within Seventh-day Adventist institutions, with particular attention to their leadership trajectories and the ways gender shaped their professional experiences. The study was guided by two research questions: “What has been the significance of participants’ work histories, educational opportunities, and spiritual formation in leading them into church leadership positions?” and “How do women who serve as presidents of institutions within the Seventh-day Adventist Church describe their workplace environments as they relate to gender?”

Method

To address these research questions, this study employed a qualitative phenomenological case study design. This methodological approach was appropriate for examining how women serving in institutional leadership within the Seventh-day Adventist Church described their pathways into positions of authority and interpreted their workplace environments in relation to gender. Because the study emphasized women’s lived workplace experiences in relation to gender and leadership, participants were selected because they currently serve, or had recently served, in senior leadership roles within the church.

Findings

The findings indicate that multiple factors contribute to the limited representation of women in senior leadership within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Theological perspectives such as Headship Theology, denominational policies regarding women’s ordination, and broader social expectations concerning women’s roles all shape the leadership environment. Among the women who became presidents of North American Adventist institutions, the study identified a recurring pattern of graciousness toward those who questioned the legitimacy of their leadership. Participants also described a strong sense of divine calling as the primary source of strength that sustained them while leading in environments that were, at times, resistant or hostile.

Subject Area

Leadership in women; Women executives; Christian leadership; Leadership

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