The WATAC tagline,“Modelling new ways of being church, based on a discipleship of equals,” does more than express an aspiration. Rather, it presents a vision of Christian community that is deeply rooted in the Gospel and shaped by the work of Catholic feminist theologian Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, who coined the phrase “discipleship of equals.”
At its heart, the tagline invites an important question: What might the Church become if it fully embraced the equal dignity, wisdom and gifts of all the baptised?
A Gospel Vision of Community
Through her study of Scripture and the early Christian movement, Schüssler Fiorenza argued that Jesus gathered a community in which women and men participated fully in discipleship, ministry and mission. Furthermore, she identified evidence of women’s leadership throughout the New Testament and encouraged the Church to recover this often-overlooked heritage.
According to her research, Jesus called people into a shared journey of faith. He invited followers to learn, serve, proclaim and lead. Consequently, the earliest Christian communities often reflected a spirit of participation and mutual responsibility. Schüssler Fiorenza therefore presents the early Christian movement as a source of inspiration for the Church today.
Importantly, a discipleship of equals begins with baptism. Because baptism calls every Christian to participate in the life and mission of the Church, no distinction of gender, status, occupation or social standing should determine a person’s worth or vocation within God’s community.
Looking Beyond Ordination
Many people associate discussions of equality in the Church with women’s ordination. However, Schüssler Fiorenza invites us to think more deeply and more broadly. Instead of focusing solely on ordained ministry, she asks the Church to examine how it exercises authority, shares leadership, makes decisions and recognises gifts.
As a result, a discipleship of equals encourages us to ask:
- How can we share leadership more widely?
- How can we hear and value every voice?
- How can we involve all members of the community in discernment?
- How can we exercise authority through service rather than privilege?
- How can we welcome the gifts that women, men, young people and those on the margins bring to the Church?
Taken together, these questions invite the whole Church to grow into a more participatory and collaborative community.
Modelling New Ways of Being Church
Equally significant is WATAC’s use of the word modelling. Rather than waiting for change to come from elsewhere, communities can begin living this vision now.
For example, when people gather for prayer, dialogue, study and action, they create new possibilities for church life. Similarly, when communities encourage participation, share responsibility and welcome diverse experiences, they demonstrate what a discipleship of equals looks like in practice.
Indeed, Christian history offers many examples of renewal emerging from local communities. Time and again, small groups of committed people have imagined new possibilities, tested them and inspired wider change. In the same way, communities that model inclusive and participatory forms of church life bear witness to the transforming power of the Gospel.
Why This Vision Matters Today
Today, many Catholics long for a Church that listens more deeply, shares leadership more widely and invites greater participation from all its members. In this context, the concept of a discipleship of equals offers both a theological foundation and a practical direction for renewal.
After all, before the Church developed its institutions and structures, people gathered around the teachings of Jesus and followed his call to build God’s reign. They formed communities marked by faith, hospitality, mutual support and service.
For this reason, the discipleship of equals remains a compelling vision for our own time.
The concept reminds us that every baptised person carries gifts for the community. Moreover, it encourages us to listen to one another, learn from one another and walk together in faith. At the same time, it challenges the Church to build communities where participation replaces exclusion, collaboration replaces domination and mutual respect shapes every relationship.
Ultimately, WATAC’s tagline points towards a Church that values every voice and recognises every gift. More importantly, it reminds us that all Christians share responsibility for God’s mission.
Thus, a discipleship of equals is not simply an organisational principle. Rather, it is a Gospel vision. By embracing that vision, we do more than imagine a renewed Church. Instead, we begin to model one.