Between Permission & Practice_Tables.docx.pdf

This research investigates the discrepancy between formal permission and actual practice concerning women’s participation in Evangelical Free Churches in Europe. The study is part of the broader doctoral project “The Role of Women in Evangelical Christian Communities in Europe”, conducted at the Institute of Sociology of the University of Porto (ISUP) and funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The research adopts a mixed-methods design combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative component is based on survey data collected in early 2023 through the Portuguese Evangelical Alliance (PEA). A total of 352 leaders of local congregations participated in the national survey, of which 306 authorized the use of their data for this research. The questionnaire included Likert-scale items, multiple-choice role classifications, and categorical variables related to church governance, denominational affiliation, and gender equality perceptions. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS (version 17.0), including descriptive statistics and chi-square (χ²) tests to assess associations between gender role equality and variables such as leader age, church age, location (urban/rural), and denominational affiliation. The qualitative component consists of a focus group conducted in October 2022 at the Hope for Europe Conference (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina). Nine women from eight European countries and diverse denominational backgrounds participated voluntarily. The session was conducted in English and followed a semi-structured exploratory format. Data were analysed using grounded theory methodology (Glaser & Strauss), applying iterative coding, constant comparison, and inductive category development to identify recurring themes such as symbolic exclusion, structural limitation, role rebranding, and denominational influence. Participation in both the survey and focus group was voluntary. Survey respondents explicitly authorized the use of their data for academic research. Focus group participants consented to the use of anonymized contributions. All data were anonymized and processed in accordance with European data protection regulations (GDPR) and institutional ethical standards. By integrating institutional survey data with experiential narratives, this research enables comparative interpretation and provides sufficient methodological transparency to support reproducibility and secondary analysis in the fields of sociology of religion and gender studies.