Women Pastors/Preachers

A letter to one who visited and inquired (note the date): 

Hello…,  I was glad to meet you this past Sunday.

I trust that you were blessed, but more so, impacted by God and His Word – that is my desire for me and for all of us every Sunday.

Your question about women pastors is large for it reveals to me something that is very important to you about church – any church!  While the issue of women pastors is big, it is not the core issue which is that of salvation by repentance, submission and confession to Jesus.  I trust that you are surely His by faith alone!  Galatians 3:26-27, For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Those truly saved through Jesus have been placed into the ocean of God’s love and into God’s family.  One saved is covered with Jesus’ mercy and grace and is then forever covered by a robe of righteousness (“put on” – Isaiah 64:10).

And those in the family of God are all equal! Galatians 3:28, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

However, those saved are not all the same – they have differing gifts and callings.

I Corinthians 12:4-5, There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.

I Corinthians 12:20-21, But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”;

Matthew 25:15, And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability.

 

Men and women have differing roles in the family of God:

Ephesians 5:22-23, Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

5:25, Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 

5:32-33, This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Both genders are to submit – 5:21, submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Both genders are to submit to God’s will and thus role, which is that women are to be in subjection and men are to sacrifice for women (even die for, as did Jesus for His bride!).

So, about women pastors. There are a number of passages and pictures that could be considered but I’ll just use this one in I Timothy 2:8-14. I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; 9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. 

11 Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. 12 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve.  14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

A few comments:

Men/males are leading the worship and women are not drawing attention away from God and worship.

Women should be marked by good works and learning without a combative or complaining spirit.

Women are not to teach or rule over men in the church.

Genesis 2 and 3 give service principles from God: the male was created first, and the man willfully sinned while Eve was deceived and fell.

First principles and God’s kind discipline carry through to church life today.

I trust that this has given you adequate info as to our position.  I’d be glad to discuss this further or anything other if you desire.