TL

Doesn’t sound reasonable to me.

In my view of leadership, it involves guardianship, a type of overseeing, and a stepping before in areas the leader is knowledgeable in. This is very much like a guide. You want to go hiking in an area you’ve never been in before. Do we think our gender makes the difference in who should be the guide? Most people recognize that they would be wise to choose a guide (whether male or female) who was most knowledgeable of the area and most experienced and skilled in the terrain, animals, weather, etc.

In spiritual matters God calls and equips the persons He knows are best suited and then matures them into the knowledge and skills they need. This is just another reason why it is plain nutsy to assign someone just newly a believer to be any kind of leader in the church. It is especially nutsy choosing a man just because he’s male over a mature woman with knowledge and experience.

In the same way, to say that one can lead without authority is a mistaken view of authority. Worldly authority carries privileges to command and demand with little accountability. This is reasonable on some corporate levels, because the business is owned by the main person in charge. But as Christians we don’t own anything to do with our ministries. Our authority is different. Our authority is power and ability to lead a righteous life, to lead also by example, and to speak knowing what we are talking about because we have experienced it. Any believer who effectively (not by reason of granted privileges) leads people toward a more righteous life indeed does so in the authority of the Holy Spirit. There is no authority higher, more powerful, more responsible and more demanding of the person leading.