According to a recent study by the Barna Group, the percentage of U.S. Protestant women serving as senior pastors has doubled over the past decade. In the 1990’s, about 5% of Protestant senior pastors were women. In 2009, that number has risen to 10%. A large number of women pastors were associated with “mainline” churches as opposed to more “traditional” churches.
When we consider the topic of women serving in leadership roles in the church, there are a few basic points that need to be understood. This has nothing to do with whether or not women are capable of teaching or directing a group of people. The Barna Group study notes that women pastors are, on average, more educated than men in the same position. The fundamental question is this: What role has God given women in the church?
God has been clear in His word about who should be preaching and leading congregations. The inspired apostle Paul wrote, “A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet” (1 Timothy 2:11-12). In the realm of spiritual matters, Paul said that women are prohibited from doing two things: teaching over a man and exercising authority over a man. A woman serving as a pastor, as that work is commonly defined in the denominational world, violates both of these prohibitions.
Many want to dismiss Paul’s words as being sexist or merely a reflection of the culture of his day. But this is simply not the case. The things Paul wrote were commands that had been handed down by Christ Himself (1 Thessalonians 4:2). When he told the church in Corinth that “women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak” (1 Corinthians 14:34), he followed it up by saying, “If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment” (1 Corinthians 14:37).
Sadly, many in religion have gone the way of the world in blurring the lines that distinguish the roles of males and females. If history is any indication, our brethren will eventually begin to adopt what the denominational world accepts. As the percentage of women preachers among Protestant churches rises, so will the chances that brethren begin to advocate that women serve as evangelists and overseers in the Lord’s church. Yet we must hold to God’s standard, rather than the world’s.
You obviously are mistaken in your theology about women not being able to preach or teach. Probably a Baptist.
God will use whoever is willing and obedient and
He has anointed many women as ministers. He once even had to use a Donkey (Ass) because the man he wanted to use wasn’t willing to be used.
And yes, you need to study the culture of Paul’s time period further and better to understand why he wrote what he did. How about the church in Lydias house? Who do you think was heading that up?
Obviously mistaken? I quoted Scriptures that explicitly teach that women are not to “teach or exercise authority over a man.” You cited no Scripture that speaks of women preaching in the church.
Paul wrote what he did because he was an inspired apostle (1 Corinthians 14:37), not because he was influenced by his culture.
About the “church in Lydias house,” all we know is that Paul met in that woman’s house with the brethren before departing Philippi (Acts 16:40). The Scriptures don’t say who was “heading that up.” But I do know that if the congregation in Philippi was following the New Testament pattern, it wasn’t Lydia.
And no, I am not a Baptist. I am a Christian.