No.Nonsense.

Anyone who has read my column these past few months knows that I have no problem diving into the deep end of controversy. But even on this one, I’ve hesitated. It’s not because I am afraid of the topic- I have no problem with speaking up for women in the church- it’s because I struggle with my upbringing. I was raised in a very conservative Christian home of pastors so I have heard all my life that women don’t belong in leadership roles within the church where they are in a position of authority over a man.

I can’t say I firmly hold to this view but I’m still a smidge more traditional than others.

So what I want to do here is to bring a measured approach to the topic of women in leadership within the church that will hopefully open a discussion with readers on both sides of the debate.

Last month, the Southern Baptist Convention put forth their official policy position that women are not to be in pastoral roles within the church and should not engage in “preaching” from the pulpit. I will say upfront that I am okay with this position based on my reading of the scriptures. I have never voted for a deacon or elder who was female not because I don’t believe they are not commissioned or capable but because of the definitions of the requirements for service as set forth in 1 Timothy. That does not mean, however, that women are to be subservient in the church. In fact, the Bible gives us multiple examples of women at the forefront of ministry.

Keep in mind that I approach this topic as a middle-aged woman who has never been married. So much of a traditional viewpoint points to married women and their roles within the church as it relates to their role within their marriage. As a result, I have often questioned my position in a traditional church setting. I once had a conversation with a family member who said I could teach the women or the children and I pointed out that was not where my calling was in ministry. I’m also a single mom so I’ve further felt handicapped at times because I have chosen to raise my son on my own and therefore don’t fit a traditional model of a mother. What’s more, because of those who hold to the viewpoint of Paul regarding women being silent in church and asking their husbands at home, I felt crippled even more. In the aforementioned conversation I further challenged this family member that I didn’t live with my father and I didn’t have a husband so, in her view, where did that leave me?

She didn’t have a response.

I had another male family member make the statement once that he would never sit under a woman to teach him the Bible. I will say, this was in a moment when he was feeling rather chauvinistic and this is not his normal fare. I told him that God had created half the population as female and if he shut down 50% of the word that God would have for him because it came from a woman then he was severely limiting what God could say.

But getting back to the current point, over these past few weeks since this debate reignited, I have watched multiple pastors who have dealt with the issue of women in the pulpit from their own pulpits. If you hold to the SBC view, you might be surprised by what I say next as every one of these examples comes from those who are much more educated in the Bible than I am.

John Hagee, hardly a liberal thinker within the church, stated that the scripture in I Corinthians referencing the women being silent within the church is taken completely out of context and refers to a specific problem within that church where the women were being disruptive during the service. It was not a dictate for churches throughout history. My own pastor holds this same view as he outlined in a sermon just a couple of weeks ago.

The term “helpmeet” as translated in the King James Version of Genesis 2:18, referring to Eve, is “ezer” which in fact implies power, strength, and salvation, and “kenegdo” which translates to opposite, corresponding to, or matching him. The word translated to signify a helper is literally referencing someone who is an equal counterpart to her husband.

In the book of Judges, Deborah was described as a wife, mother, prophetess, and judge. She was acknowledged for her role within her home as well as a leader in the temple and the ruler of her people. She was the longest ruler of that time, leading the Jews for 40 years.

Lydia was a woman who had her own business and wealth in a time when that was not normally permitted for a woman and was a vital part of the early church.

Priscilla and Aquila were not only husband and wife but ministry partners as well, equal in their position within the early church.

Paul used the word “diakonis” to describe Phoebe’s position in her own church outside of Corinth, as translated in Romans to deaconess. Diakonis is the same word that was used for male deacons in the early church. It is believed that, historically, she is the one who carried Paul’s letter to the church in Rome.

In the gospels, the first witnesses and carriers of the good news of Chris’s resurrection were the women. The pivotal point of the early Christian church was heralded by those who legally were forbidden to give testimony in court.

In both the books of Joel in the Old Testament and Acts in the New Testament, the Bible says that in the last days that God will pour out his spirit on all people and that men and women will both prophesy.

In looking at all of these examples, it is clearly evident to me that not only does God value and elevate the role of women in their homes and in the church but that he clearly gives them his words. We can define the roles but in so doing let us never put anyone in a submissive position that, it appears to me in my study, God never intended.

God made men and women different, bringing different experiences and viewpoints to the table. My church, though holding that traditional structure, recognized that its female members had a distinct perspective that could greatly enhance the effectiveness of the ministry. As a result, they created a women’s advisory council that regularly meets throughout the year with the pastors and elders of the church. This council has become a vital component to shaping the mission moving forward.

So whether you believe in a woman standing in the pulpit or not, you can still value the contribution that every single woman who walks through the doors of the church brings. Don’t diminish our place because it doesn’t fit within your schema of what the church should look like. God values our place so the church as a whole should as well.