Christian Woman Leadership Podcast with Esther Littlefield & Holly Cain - 59: The Importance of Apologetics in Leadership & Dealing with Doubt with Hillary Morgan Ferrer [Faith Series]

59: The Importance of Apologetics in Leadership & Dealing with Doubt with Hillary Morgan Ferrer [Faith Series]

08/06/19 • 64 min

Christian Woman Leadership Podcast with Esther Littlefield & Holly Cain

What is apologetics? Why is it important? And what in the world does apologetics have to do with leadership?

In the second episode of our Faith Series, I talk with Hillary Morgan Ferrer about her journey into apologetics, why it’s important to know your faith, and how to answer questions with respect and kindness.

We also dive into the issue of doubt and how your personality plays a role in your faith. Hillary also shares about the difference between experiencing God and knowing intellectual truth about Him as well as how apologetics can keep you in the faith.

Hillary’s Leadership Journey

Hillary is from Texas and now lives in Pella, Iowa, a town of about 10,000 people. She’s been married for 12 years. Her career has included 10 years as a professional photographer, six years as a high school biology and chemistry teacher, and now she runs and leads Mama Bear Apologetics full-time.

Leadership for Hillary has been a more recent phenomenon. God has built her character with hard times over the years. Her leadership journey has felt like the movie “The Karate Kid”-- often she didn’t understand why she was doing what she was doing, but now it’s become clear.

“Anyone who aspires to leadership doesn’t really understand leadership.”

Had she done her apologetics work earlier, Hillary says she wouldn’t have been ready. God took her through humbling experiences that helped prepare her for her current role.

What is Apologetics?

Apologetics is not about apologizing. It comes from the Greek word “apologia,” which means to give a defense for. It was used by lawyers to present reasons and evidence for why certain conclusions were true. Apologetics can be used in different areas: sports teams, bands, etc.

Apologetics simply means giving reasons why we believe in objective truth.

It’s important to remember that as Christians, we’re dealing with facts.

Why Hillary Started an Apologetics Podcast

Mama Bear Apologetics Podcast started as a ministry idea. She found that women, especially moms, weren’t exposed to apologetics. She had a week of sleepless nights as the words “mama bear” just came to her. She outlined what she would do and how she would lead this ministry.

At an apologetics conference, she told fellow presents about her idea and they affirmed her in it and encouraged her to start immediately. Hillary felt like a podcast was the way to go because moms can follow a conversation no matter what they’re doing.

She also published a book, “Mama Bear Apologetics” through a connection with a friend’s publisher.

Why It’s Important for Christian Leaders to Understand Apologetics

People have a tendency to minister to others in the same way they were ministered to, so there’s a whole demographic of people we’re missing out on because apologetics isn’t prevalent.

“Apologetics isn’t necessarily how I came to faith. It’s how I kept myself from leaving the faith.”

Apologetics is important for loving people. Asking and answering questions may help people remain in the faith. Asking questions isn’t a form of rebellion because people come to faith in different ways.

Hillary notes that there are 3 basic personality types, and that these different types of people need different levels of evidence:

Thinkers want to understand their faith intellectually.
Feelers can base their faith on experiences.
Doers like less talking and more doing so they can see how faith changes their real lives.

“Until you get through those objective questions, you won’t even reach the hurt heart that’s really at the core of it.”

There are personal, psychological, and cultural barriers to coming to faith in Christ. As leaders, we need to recognize and be aware of the cultural beliefs that are preventing that faith in the first place. We can scatter seeds, but the soil may have rocks. Instead, we should be aware of the rocks so that we can remove them.

Unfortunately, many people are leaving the church because they aren’t getting their questions answered.

How Apologetics Kept Hillary in the Faith

Hillary remembers sitting in church as a 12-year-old as her pastor taught a series on “Liar, Lord, Lunatic.” Her mind was blown because she realized she could have reasons for her faith.

Her mom had cancer. Hillary’s sister recently died of cancer. She’s had cancer, and can’t have children. There are lots of ways her life has been hard, but her faith isn’t based on how she feels or whether God is being fair.

Apologetics and the proofs of the resurrection have kept Hillary from turning away from the faith because she can’t deny the truth of the resurrection.

Experiences versus Intellectual Truths ...

What is apologetics? Why is it important? And what in the world does apologetics have to do with leadership?

Hillary’s Leadership Journey

“Anyone who aspires to leadership doesn’t really understand leadership.”

Had she done her apologetics work earlier, Hillary says she wouldn’t have been ready. God took her through humbling experiences that helped prepare her for her current role.

What is Apologetics?

Apologetics simply means giving reasons why we believe in objective truth.

It’s important to remember that as Christians, we’re dealing with facts.

Why Hillary Started an Apologetics Podcast

She also published a book, “Mama Bear Apologetics” through a connection with a friend’s publisher.

Why It’s Important for Christian Leaders to Understand Apologetics

People have a tendency to minister to others in the same way they were ministered to, so there’s a whole demographic of people we’re missing out on because apologetics isn’t prevalent.

“Apologetics isn’t necessarily how I came to faith. It’s how I kept myself from leaving the faith.”

Hillary notes that there are 3 basic personality types, and that these different types of people need different levels of evidence:

Thinkers want to understand their faith intellectually.
Feelers can base their faith on experiences.
Doers like less talking and more doing so they can see how faith changes their real lives.

“Until you get through those objective questions, you won’t even reach the hurt heart that’s really at the core of it.”

Unfortunately, many people are leaving the church because they aren’t getting their questions answered.

How Apologetics Kept Hillary in the Faith

Hillary remembers sitting in church as a 12-year-old as her pastor taught a series on “Liar, Lord, Lunatic.” Her mind was blown because she realized she could have reasons for her faith.

Apologetics and the proofs of the resurrection have kept Hillary from turning away from the faith because she can’t deny the truth of the resurrection.

Experiences versus Intellectual Truths ...

Previous Episode

58: Three Reasons You Need a Solid Faith Foundation as a Leader [Faith Series]

Why is it important for you as a leader to know what you believe and why you believe it? What are some of the reasons that you need to have a solid faith foundation as a leader? Do you have answers when the questions come about your faith?

Holly and I are kicking off a new series on faith foundations and how this impacts our leadership. Today, we’re diving into why it’s important for us as leaders to know what we believe and why we believe it.

It’s not enough to have great leadership skills and strong relationships skills and even good self-care. If you don’t have a solid faith foundation and the ability to share why you believe what you do, then you may have trouble when you lead others.

3 Reasons You Need a Solid Faith Foundation as a Leader: 1. Teaching and leading is a weighty responsibility.

As a leader, you teach with your actions and your words. Leaders carry the weight of responsibility.

The way you live your life sets an example for others whether you know it or not. So as a leader, you should be keenly aware of the way you live out your faith as well as what you teach others.

There is a humility that should come naturally when you recognize the weight of the leadership role. Leading others, and especially teaching them, requires a spirit of humility. Anytime a leader removes himself or herself from the authority of other believers, it’s a dangerous thing.

Being part of a local church is essential because this gives you a place to be under solid teaching and also to receive feedback and accountability when you need it.

Scriptures referenced:

James 3:1: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

1 Timothy 4:12-16: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

2. You will be persecuted as a Christian and even more so as a Christian leader.

The Bible explicitly states that Christians will be persecuted and that the world hates us. So why do we expect people who are not Christians to like us and agree with us and our moral values? This isn’t going to happen because we have a different worldview than they do.

Scriptures referenced:

2 Timothy 3:12-17: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

John 15:18-19: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

3. You should be prepared to respond to questions.

You will be accused of things and will need to give a response. But there may also be times when you receive questions that are not antagonistic or accusatory. In both cases, you need to be prepared and have a solid faith foundation so that you can share with others why you have hope.

We know these truths from 1 Peter 3:13-17:

There will be suffering.
People should see that we have hope.
We need to be able to defend the reason for our hope.
We need to do so in a gentle and respectful way.
Our behavior should be evidence of our faith.

Scriptures referenced:

1 Peter 3:1...

Next Episode

60: Glass Ceilings, Sticky Floors, and How to Be Effective as Women in Leadership with Kadi Cole [Faith Series]

How can the church develop female leaders? How can male pastors support women in ministry? What are the main challenges women leaders face in ministry? And how should you handle an insecure leader?

In this episode of our Faith Series, Holly and I speak with female leader, consultant, entrepreneur, and author Kadi Cole about women in leadership. Regardless of where you stand theologically on the idea of women in leadership within the church, this is a must-listen episode for those curious about how women can grow God’s kingdom in a biblical way.

We talk through how to understand where your church stands on the issue of female leadership, what to do when you don’t agree with its stance, and why this issue is coming to the forefront now.

Kadi’s Leadership Journey

Kadi grew up as a “lazy kid,” watching TV and drinking Diet Coke with no involvement in school. However, as a teen, God got a hold of her heart. She discovered her “leadership legs” while in high school. Kadi pursued nursing in college and grew as a leader in this field. She later ended up working in leadership roles at a university and later in churches.

One challenge she’s overcome in leadership is shifting her mindset from seeing the potential in people to actually knowing who is worth investing in. Not everyone takes advantage of opportunities, is teachable, or obeys God. She spent her first 5 to 10 years confused why some people were great to lead while others were difficult.

She’s found connecting the dots between her effort and the impact on someone’s life to be rewarding.

Developing Women Leaders

Kadi recently wrote the book “Developing Female Leaders”. Initially, she wasn’t sure if women in leadership was a “hill she wanted to die on,” primarily because she didn’t have a lot of clarity in her own life. She just wanted to serve the church with excellence in her giftedness.

Then she had three experiences with male senior or executive pastors who asked for advice on how to help female leaders on their teams. As she coached pastors, she realized there were phrases and opportunities that weren’t received by the women leaders in the way the male leaders intended. She realized that there was an awareness of and movement toward women in leadership.

The Main Challenges Women Face When Serving in Churches

The challenges fall into two main buckets:

The “Stained Glass Ceiling,” which are things in the system, culture, or mindset that aren’t in our control because we’re not in charge, e.g. equal titles, equal pay, funding for certain ministries.
The “Sticky Floor,” which are beliefs we’ve adopted over time that hold us back, e.g. gender biases passed down from our family of origin, theology taught by our denomination. We question ourselves because we lack our own clarity. We have to own our sticky issues.

How Views of Women in Leadership Have Changed Over Time

We’re in the midst of a cultural shift. We have Boomer and Gen X male leaders with wives and daughters who are well-trained and well-educated who want a seat at the leadership table.

We need to have hard conversations about what we believe and what beliefs we’ve inherited.

How to Determine Where Your Church Stands Theologically

Grab your free download of the “Theological Cheat Sheet,” which will give you language to have a logical conversation with church leadership. When you want change, “you have to come at it with a combination of honest advocacy and authentic humility.”

Then go to your leader and ask with kindness and patience about the theological beliefs of your church. Give grace to that leader that you may have caught them off guard with your question.

We don’t have to agree, but we do need to understand.

What To Do if You Don’t Agree with Your Church’s Stance on Women in Leadership

First, make sure you’ve done your own work with Lord. Do you know what He says for your life? Give yourself the freedom to change over time.

Then be very clear on where the church stands theologically and where the culture is practically.

If you disagree with the theology, you do need to leave the church unless you can set aside your beliefs for the sake of the kingdom because you’ve been called to that church.

If you agree with the theology, but disagree with the culture, this is the place to lead change. Step into what God’s given you. Show up.

Why This Issue Is Coming Up Now

Movements start with godly people stepping up and speaking out against cultural norms that are harmful. Currently, there’s not an integrity between what we believe and how we behave.

We have to get on the front end of this. The church needs to be the most integrated place.

How W...