When it became known that the poor, Greek-speaking widows were discriminated against in the daily distribution of bread, conflict broke out in the early Church. Their needs had gone unmet until their complaint grew loud enough. The apostles recognized the problem and came up with a restorative solution: put the kind of leaders in place who identified with the women in some significant way. Diversity in leadership reduced blindspots and began mending the wounds created by the early Church community’s prejudice. It still does today.

Listen to the full audio message above or search “Dear Exiles” wherever you listen to podcasts. This message was originally preached on October 3, 2021, at CityChurch in Iowa City.

Scripture passage: Acts 4:33-35, 6:1-7

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Hey! Thanks for being here. I’m a book-obsessed pastor, author, and holistic life and leadership coach. Find out more about coaching at www.heatherweber.org. For essays and podcasts that come straight to your inbox, subscribe to this Dear Exiles newsletter in the subscription box above. Fun fact: I’m also the author of Dear Boy:, An Epistolary Memoir and the host of the Your Pastor Reads Books podcast.