Gender-Related Inclusionary and Exclusionar y Practices within Evangelical Churches in the Netherlands

Inclusive and exclusive practices are part of innovation and changes in religious organizations like churches. In this contribution two cases of change in leadership roles related to gender balance are analysed and discussed. The dynamics of inclusion and exclusion are explored and interpreted through the lens of a social identity approach and related to the change in authority. Data show that the shift in Bible interpretation on female leadership, as well as the practice of including women in a previously male domain, affected the perception of the church’s social and religious identity. In some cases this resulted in leaving the church due to the authority shift, which can be perceived as a form of apostasy.