FEMALE CHUCH FATHERS

June 23, 2026

;ADY APOSTLE DIANA ADU

Applying the term "spiritual father" to female church leaders sparks a fascinating conversation across theology, church culture, and gender roles. While the title is historically male, many congregations and scholars reframe this dynamic to focus on the function of spiritual mentorship rather than gender. Perspectives on this concept generally fall into three main approaches: Functional Discipleship: Many theologians argue that spiritual parenting—fostering, guiding, and mentoring younger believers in the faith—is an attitude of the heart and an action, rather than a function of gender. In this view, both men and women can effectively perform the duties of a "spiritual father" or "spiritual mother".  Biblical Precedent: Proponents of female spiritual leadership point to women in the early church like Priscilla, Phoebe, and Junia (found in Romans 16), who labored alongside the apostles and acted as vital mentors and founders. They argue that the core of fathering (raising others to maturity) is not limited by sex. Traditional and Hierarchical Views: More traditional and conservative denominations (such as Roman Catholicism or conservative Protestantism) typically reserve the title of "spiritual father" specifically for male priests or male overseers. These groups often emphasize gender-specific roles or restrict certain leadership titles strictly to ordained men. Ultimately, the conversation often shifts from arguing over exact titles to evaluating the fruits of mentorship. Many modern churches emphasize "spiritual parents" as a collaborative team of both men and women guiding the congregation together". On Father's Day Celebration UK , My assignment is to recall the memory and legacy of faith father-essesm the "Pateressae" as we honour our early father's and our male spiritual Fathers. Lady Apostle Diana Adu Bisa Aberewa Theologian, MA New Day Vhristian CIC@2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Citations 1. Women in Ancient Christianity | From Jesus to Christ - The First Christians | FRONTLINE | PBS. (2015, November 18). https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/first/women.html 2. Ordained Women of the Patristic Era - CBE International. (2022, June 15). CBE International. https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/ordained-women-patristic-era/ 3. Marg. (2026, February 11). Paul’s Masculine and Feminine Leadership. Marg Mowczko. https://margmowczko.com/masculine-and-feminine-leadership/ 4. Grady, L. (2021, December 22). Why women belong on the front lines of ministry. leegrady.com. https://leegrady.com/why-women-belong-on-the-front-lines-of-ministry/ 5. Voss, J. (2025, April 3). How to help women thrive on church staff. The Gospel Coalition. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/women-thrive-church-staff/ 6. Rohrbaugh, J. (2022, July 24). Women can be spiritual fathers too. From His Presence®. https://www.fromhispresence.com/women-can-be-spiritual-fathers-too/ 7. Bunn, B. (2026, February 25). Biblical Definition of a Father: What Scripture says. Manhood Journey. https://manhoodjourney.org/biblical-definition-of-a-father/ 8. Leave Her Alone!: Women’s Rightful Place in the Church: Amazon.co.uk: Adu, Diana: 9781527263185: Books. (n.d.). https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leave-Her-Alone-Womens-Rightful/dp/1527263185 9. Kadari, T. (n.d.). Huldah, the Prophet: Midrash and Aggadah. Jewish Women’s Archive. https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/huldah-prophet-midrash-and-aggadah 10. Topical Bible: Lois and Eunice. (n.d.). https://biblehub.com/topical/l/lois_and_eunice.htm 11. Women Leaders in Early Christianity - Gresham College Lectures. (2023, April 18). Buzzsprout. https://podcast.gresham.ac.uk/1904814/episodes/12673808-women-leaders-in-early-christianity?t=0 12. Wikipedia contributors. (2026, June 19). List of early Christian women presbyters. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_early_Christian_women_presbyters