Date of Award
3-11-2025
Document Type
Project Portfolio
Degree Name
Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives (DLd)
Department
Seminary
First Advisor
Garfield Harvey, DMin
Second Advisor
Clifford Berger, DMin
Third Advisor
Jason Swan Clark, DMin, PhD
Abstract
This Doctoral Portfolio is an exploration into the factors the play a role in limiting the opportunities for Black women to lead in white religious spaces. As Black women seek to serve and answer the call on their lives, they are faced with navigating implicit and explicit biases that negatively impact their ability to lead.
With 15 years of experience working, serving, and leading in White Religious Spaces, I have experienced interactions, conversations, and decisions that have created a distrust in the leadership and congregation. My experience is not unique as the women in my Stakeholder Group have had similar experiences. These experiences have a detrimental effect on Black Women in predominately white religious spaces. From a need to understand the disconnect from the teachings of Christ and the actions of Christians, I sought to research what causes Christians to create and be unwilling to change these hostile, exclusive environments. I set out to answer the question: What factors lead to this behavior? What is the root cause of decision-makers failing to support, nurture, and promote Black women in white religious spaces? The research NPO; A conversation starter on the sociological factors impacting Black women leading in white religious spaces in Houston, Texas seeks to answer these questions.
This Doctoral Project is a carefully curated Website and the first episode of a Documentary which will be further developed into a six episode production. The website was created to provide resources, information, and support for Black women in white religious spaces as well as decision-makers seeking education and resources. The website will also provide access to the first episode of the documentary which is a moderated roundtable discussion of Black women sharing their experiences working and serving in white religious spaces.
Recommended Citation
Fair-Payton, Jonita, "A Conversation Starter on the Sociological Factors Impacting Black Women Leading in White Religious Spaces in Houston, Texas" (2025). Doctor of Leadership. 42.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dld/42