By Hayden McKenna
Leadership sometimes involves pathfinding and trailblazing. It sometimes requires invasion,
trespassing and occupation in unfamiliar, lonely, sometimes forbidden, sometimes faraway,
sometimes neighbouring territory cordoned by a proverbial “glass ceiling”. For the Star Trek
afficionados among us, leadership sometimes cajoles the courageous “to boldly go where no man
(or woman) has gone before!”
The leadership story of Dr. Ella Louise Smith-Simmons, the first ever female General Vice
President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists lives up to this billing. If we are
candid with the facts of the history of leadership at the highest level of the organized global
Seventh-day Adventist Church, we would have to concede that it disproportionately privileges
the experienced, ordained, Caucasian male pastor, who was educated exclusively or mostly in
Adventist schools, who possesses a thoroughbred Adventist ancestral pedigree that stretches
back at least two generations and who is happily married to a wife who among her own
accomplishments is probably is a pretty decent pianist or singer. These descriptors approximate
closely to the standard leadership profile.
Dr. Ella Simmons a conscious African American woman checks none of these boxes. She joined the Adventist church as a teenager, never formally studied Theology or has never been ordained as a pastor. With the exception of earning a Master’s degree from Andrews University, she was educated mostly in secular schools. She was therefore a most unlikely candidate for the job. Yet for seventeen years from 2005 to 2022,
Dr. Ella Louise Simmons served the world church with distinction, ever-conscious but never
distracted by the fact that God called her above the multiple jeopardies of gender, race and
deeply-rooted conservative traditions to higher service. Her seventeen-year tenure, spanned the
presidencies of Elder Jan Paulsen and incumbent Elder Ted Wilson. While several persons of
colour held the esteemed position of General Vice President of the General Conference before
Dr. Simmons – including the late Elders George Ralph Thompson and Harold Wilson Baptiste,
both alumni of our beloved USC – they were all men. In this respect Dr. Simmons’ entry into the
office, broke a real but invisible barrier and has opened the door to other women like Audrey
Andersson.
Being the first woman in this role came with its challenges. There was the internalized pressure
of being careful not to be seen a hinderance to the election of other female vice presidents in the
future. There was the potential to yield to the unhelpful pathologies of the “imposter syndrome”
– is there really a legitimate place to be found for an un-ordained African-American woman
among all these mostly white men of God? Could she be true to her convictions as an educated
African American woman with a passion for justice and truth? Could she be seen as an occupant
of a token sinecure – the pointed-out exception whenever the norm becomes an inconvenient
truth? The pressure of being first is seldom easy.
Dr. Simmons is convinced that even before she knew it, God was preparing her from very early
in her life to be unfazed by leadership in a context when hers was the lonely female voice in the
room. Long before having a door at 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland, even
before having her name on the membership roll of a local Adventist congregation, Ella Louise
was the firstborn of seven Smith siblings. She shares with the levity of hindsight that:
I can laugh now as my parents would bring a new baby home, another boy, another boy. I
want a sister. No, another boy. Why are all these boys coming, I would say. Now I say,
thank you Father. Thank God, because I learned to be the only girl, the only female
among males. And it became a natural way of being, a natural part of my personal life
perspective. And so, when I was called to serve as the only female vice president of the
General Conference, I felt right at home with all the men because it has been my life from
the very beginning… I even told the vice presidents who were in office at the time back
in 2005 when I came in, I said, you guys cannot do anything to intimidate me.
My brothers have already done it all, so don’t even try. We all had a good laugh together.
Dr. Simmons’ education and career journey also contributed to her preparation to serve the world
church. Here too as indicated before, it did not take the well beaten path. Early in her life she had
a great affection for science and remembers the childhood delight at receiving a chemistry set in
a little metal box for Christmas. She cherished ambitions of becoming a research scientist, even
at a time when such aspirations were generally out of the reach of little black girls from places
like Louisville, Kentucky.
Her second great love was education. This was more availing and she pursued it with passion. In
1978 she earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Indiana University
Southeast and became a K-12 academy teacher. She loved teaching and really enjoyed the
classroom. There would, however, be the unsought calls to administrative and leadership roles.
At first, she was resistant to these calls, but her faith in God’s leading and her devotion to duty
would prevail. She would reluctantly accept the call of leadership, rising to the position of
principal. In 1981, she earned a Master of Arts in Curriculum, Instruction and Supervision from
Andrews University and in 1987 a Doctor of Education from the University of Louisville,
focusing on Foundations [sociology and politics] of Education, Supervision, Curriculum and
Administration.
Concomitant with the progress of her education were calls to service at various levels in the field
of education, educational leadership and academia. Dr Simmons worked in various locations
across the continental United States, at both Adventist and secular schools and institutions of
higher learning in substantive, elected, ex-officio and voluntary roles that not only compile an
impressive vita but prepared her with the experiences, skill-set and influence to excel in
successive rungs of her obedience to God’s call on her life. Dr. Simmons served in various
academic and leadership roles a Kentucky State University, the University of Louisville,
Oakwood College, now Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama and La Sierra University in
Riversdale, California. At Oakwood University and La Sierra University – both Seventh-day
Adventist owned and operated institutions of higher learning – Dr. Simmons held very senior
administrative roles. At the former she served as Vice President for Academic Affairs and
Professor of Education, from 1997 to 2000. At the latter, she was Provost and Vice President for
Academic Administration, from 2000 to 2004.
In 2004, Dr. Simmons took the decision to offer her resignation to La Sierra University, leaving
behind the prestigious Provost and VP position – the second ranked executive officer at the
university. She tendered her letter of resignation with no serious career prospects immediately in
sight. The decision attracted well-meaning dissenting voices among her colleagues and friends
who made the most persuasive appeals for her to stay on. She recalls being worn down by their
good arguments and agreed to recant her notice at least for a while but:
I came home that evening, and it was as though the weight of the world came crashing
down on me. And I knew God wanted us to leave, still not understanding why. She went
back the next day and said, no, I cannot stay, I have to go. And of course, well, where are
you going, what are you going to do, were the questions. My responses were, I don’t
know, God hasn’t told me yet… It was like free falling in Jesus, just knowing He’s going
to catch me, but not knowing when or where.
She and her very supportive retired spouse Nord Simmons, had decided that they would follow
God’s leading and they returned to Louisville Kentucky. After settling in and relaxing for about a
year, Dr. Simmons took up a position at a small local university. Of that she says:
I went into that position at the request of friends to help create and direct a doctoral
programme and within months, I was called to the General Conference to serve as Vice
President. And so, reflecting back I could see how God led in that. But as we were
stepping one step in front of the other, we had no idea what God’s plan was.
Dr. Simmons’ journey to and in leadership has provided her with an affluent trove of lessons
learnt and wisdom. She is very candid about her God-centered approach to leadership. For her,
the best leaders are the best followers, the best followers of God… I know that for many
years, the research was telling us that this style or that style was the best for leading. I've
never been able to quite get my hands on that, to wrap my brain around that because God
is so much greater than any one theoretical frame or construct that we can come up with.
Disavowing obsequious devotion to the superiority of one man-made style of leadership over
others and reinforcing her commitment to a God-reliant approach, Dr Simmons is persuaded that
good leadership emerges out of intentionally leveraging “a combination of life experiences and
lessons from God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit… Each model has valuable elements,
there’s no one expert model.”
Trust for Dr. Simmons, is an important hygienic prerequisite to healthy leadership.
I think that leadership is based in trust, that it emanates from trust, that it is carried
forward between individuals and in organizations based on trust.” Good leadership is
“service based… good leadership always is projected from, continues from development
of self and development of others. And it is what is inside the person, not just what we
see… leadership is that which is inside that being that God has created for this specific
purpose.
Dr. Simmons’ list of traits or be-attitudes that good leaders must sleeplessly manifest, begins
with a formidable list of “c-words”. For Dr. Simmons the best leaders must possess good
character. They must be caring, sharply competent, consistent, credible, committed and
confidential. They must have the ability to communicate with clarity. The best leaders set good
boundaries and are respectful and protective of the boundaries of others. They are reliable, loyal,
honest, accountable, authentic, transparent, humble, teachable, empathetic, inclusive, non-
judgmental and logical. For Dr. Simmons “logic is Godly wisdom.” The good leader knows how
to be demanding without ever losing compassion. “Coercion and leadership are different.
Driving and leading are different.” These are nuances that are sadly lost on many who are called
to lead. Self-preservation is not the basic instinct of the progressive leader. The welfare of others
and the health of the organization are given genuine priority over self-interests. The progressive
leader is a champion for the undervalued and invisible.
The global Seventh-day Adventist Church, far from being a monolith, is extremely diverse in
terms of cultures, geographical spread, generations and ideological perspectives. The church is
diverse – to the discomfort of some – in almost every way that we can think about it. Moreover,
the far majority of the human resources of the church is found in its membership who are
volunteers, not employees. Leadership in this complex global context cannot be easy. How can a
diverse church preserve its identity and stay true to its mission while embracing differences?
How can it be outward looking in its mission but introspective about correcting its own
prejudices, and honestly confronting the ways in which the power of privilege is distributed
across the church?
How are the Jenga-blocks of inequity, unhelpful inflexibility and resistance to
change to be delicately and nimbly removed without causing a crash of the timber-tower? Dr.
Simmons believes that her own lived experiences helped to prepare her to meaningfully
contribute to the needs of such a complex leadership context. She says that:
As a Black African-American female, born and raised in the United States of America, I
had some preparation. I know what it is to be devalued, to be looked down upon because
of your appearance. I know what it is to be an outsider… I know what it is to be buffeted
and to stand your ground… I knew what it was like to be loyal to an organization or an
entity and be in vehement disagreement with some of its practices. So, I came to the
position with that kind of preparation… I had learned not to take myself too seriously and
yet, at the same time, to always be willing to fight for others.
Balance, sequencing, knowing when and how to fight and how to be the example of a
peacemaker are important leadership abilities. The Christian leader is not called to a disposition
of pacificism and cowardice, especially in the face of injustice. The half-truth is sometimes
expressed that Christian piety requires only prayer and patience and in time God would solve it
all. Dr. Simmons argues that “God put us in places to make a difference, to do something and to
do it now. Not in heaven, but here on this earth right now as we walk this journey together.”
Drawing on the teachings of the major and minor prophets of the Old Testament, she further
argues that their messages spoke indubitably about the eradication of oppression and injustice
within the church and society. “Over and over again, it says God’s people cannot be blessed,
God’s people are cursed, God turns His back on His people when they do not treat each other
right, when they oppress each other.” Dr. Simmons goes further by asserting that “justice and
righteousness are one and the same.” She rejects out-of-hand the view that sees the pursuit of
justice as disruptive “political shenanigans” and righteousness as pious conformity to the safety
of the status quo. Alluding to Matthew 25:31- 46, Dr. Simmons contends that feeding the hungry,
offering drink to the thirsty, shelter to the homeless, clothing to the naked and ministry to the
sick and imprisoned are as much justice issues as they are descriptors of righteousness.
Discussions about leadership typically centre individuals and their behaviours, aptitudes and
influence. For Dr. Simmons when it comes to the church, there is a salient collective dimension
that cannot be ignored or understated. God calls the church as a collective to leadership! The
church is called to be a norm-entrepreneur, a leader in the intentional pursuit of a more just
society. The church must model God’s kingdom to the world. The church must never be timid
about giving purposive leadership to righteous causes. There is a call to collective leadership that
is embedded in the great gospel commission.
On the matter of the full appreciation and recognition of the contribution women make to
ministry and leadership in the church, Dr. Simmons resorts to a rather thought-provoking
Socratic-type rhetoric:
For me it all boils down to this. Does God call women to the gospel ministry, to pastor
churches? If He does, then the church should recognize that and ordain and support women
as they do men. Does God call women to leadership in the church at all levels? If so, then the
church should recognize this and support women in the same way they support men. Now on
the other hand, if God does not call women to pastoral leadership, ministry and to leadership
in the church, I feel then that we need to step back and that the church should stop using
women’s gifts and talents while denigrating their presence in the position.
On the matter of the challenges the church is having in some parts with conserving the loyalty of
its youth membership, Dr. Simmons concedes that many 21st Century young people – particularly
in the US and the western world – have developed a skepticism about organized religion. They
are, however, enamored by spirituality and connect to God through a kind of spiritual
consciousness. This – abetted by the identity politics of our age – is manifesting itself among
other ways in a turn to ancestral spiritualities or sometimes undefined beliefs in the sovereignty
of the universe. Many of them are reaching beyond what they have been taught in their search for
faith. In many ways, organized Christian religion, including the Seventh-day Adventist Church,
serves-up a value proposition that sometimes seems out of step with contemporary needs. The
examples that the church has set have not always been good ones. Many of our young people,
especially those whose parents, relatives or close friends have worked for the church, have seen
some of their loved ones become victims of harm perpetrated by the church. They are jaded by
that witness and can sometime see the church as undeserving of their loyalty. Dr. Simmons
counsels that we have to equip our young people to see God’s kingdom beyond the foibles of the
church. There is still value to Christianity. There are still good Christians within the church.
There are also real challenges with how some interpret our traditions. Our 19th Century largely
New England, largely Caucasian, largely patriarchal cultural provenance prevents many from
fully accepting – even in the face of a global inter-generational church – that there are several
valid ways to be Seventh-day Adventist Christians. The attitude that our church belongs only or
more so to those who have their own cultural heritage hitched to the where, how and who of the
Adventist origin story and that the gentiles (others) are more subjects than they are citizens must
be confronted. The arrogance that says that these outsiders must not be permitted to take over our
church does not help to create the conducive space for our church to grow in its relevance to our
times and appeal to youth and even broader niches of human identities with the unblemished
truth of the gospel. Dr. Simmons’s observations here remind me so much about the lyric of a
song composed by Flynn Johnson and David Johnson and recorded in 1992 by the gospel group
Urban Hope (Integrity Music 1992). Part of that lyric goes: “Every generation (needs) a
demonstration of the Church of Jesus Christ relevant to its time. We are determined to be part of
that expression in our time…” (https://youtu.be/LsUXMiR1esI?si=WwnaOnuAR6JJExSJ)
In our fundamental beliefs, we find beautiful statements about unity, equity and “one humanity”
– if only we could live out these ideals to the fullest, live out the love of God, what a positive
difference that would make.
To aspiring leaders, Dr. Simmons counsels first that you must know that God has called you to
leadership. Leaders need to be self-aware. Leaders should possess not solely the intellectual
quotient but also emotional, social and spiritual intelligence.
Leaders must possess big-picture vision. Leaders must know how to let some battles go while
keeping their eyes on war. They must learn how to not be distracted by the skirmishes.
Trust is foundational to leadership. “If people lose trust in you, you’ve lost your leadership. You
may be able to force people to do some things, but you’ll never be able to lead them as you are
called to do.” Leaders must be known for the integrity of their characters.
Leaders must have the ability to champion other people’s causes.
Leadership is tough. It is not for the fainthearted. Leaders are called to be fair in an unfair world.
If God calls you to be a leader, embrace the journey with courage. “Always keep before the
people and keep before yourself that it’s all about God and God’s will for you, for others, for His
church, His organizations, His world.”
