Women in Ministry

Lately I have talked to a LOT of people about what I believe a woman's role in ministry is, what I base that off of, and what I think about how Baptist churches have handled it. Since I'm going into ministry, this is obviously something that has been heavy on my heart for quite a while (two years to be exact ;)). And after all the research/soul-searching/prayer/etc., I think it comes down to a few basic principles that everyone needs to understand when they make up their mind about this issue. They aren't fun to hear for most people (especially women), but God's Word is pretty clear. I'm not saying my view is flawless, or that I'm an expert (I most definitely am NOT), but I think a lot of people (mostly women in my experience) need to be reminded of a few things when forming their opinions on this issue.

So here is what I've come up with so far...

1. Before you form an opinion, you HAVE to understand what Scripture says about women in general, but more specifically, what it says about women in the church and church authorities. Passages like 1 Timothy 2:11-14, 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 are very clear about this issue.

2. You must understand that this is not about male chauvinism or female empowerment, it's about biblical interpretation. I know that a LOT of women and men think the only reason the whole "women in ministry" thing is an issue is because of outdated viewpoints and overbearing men, BUT the reality is, it's an issue that has been around since Paul's time (and even before). Just because women have been "liberated" (whatever that means) since Paul's time, doesn't make the issue any less applicable or valid! Our flesh is deceptive, and it will always question those things that don't seem to feel right...which brings me to my next point...

3. You have to look at this issue separate from how you feel about it. Like I already mentioned, it's about what God's Word says, not how you think or feel it should be. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that as women, we have a tendency to live life based on our emotions, but when it comes to the foundational belief's of a church, or your personal belief's about what Scripture says, it is important to see beyond how you feel and really look into God's Word. Do research, ask older, wise men and women, just don't base it off how you feel. Your emotions are not the same as Truth.

4. Since we come from a generation and culture that teaches self-entitlement, it is important to make a conscious effort to break through that mindset. People are sinful and our flesh is weak...so how is it that Christians (those of us that should be the most aware of our own depravity) would think that we deserve anything? It is by God's grace that people are saved from themselves and their own wickedness, so how did we get the impression that we deserve anything other than God's wrath? Our culture tells us that we deserve things (in this case it's authority and leadership positions), when God's word tells us we deserve death.

5. We have to remember that Christians are set apart and called to be obedient to God's will and commands regardless of whether of not we understand them (Matthew 5:18-19)... I had to remind myself of this a lot when I was searching through scripture looking for "answers". God has laid out a plan for humanity through his Word. I don't understand why some things are the way they are because I am not God. His ways are higher than our ways! I will never understand why people feel that they can pick and chose what scriptures to believe and honor based on convenience. I'm sure most of us have been guilty of this at some point, but when you recognize it for what it is, it's ridiculous! Sure it may be easier to pick and chose what you believe or practice, but God is omniscient. We have to be satisfied with our belief that God is good and wise and wants the best for us!



Now the rambling begins...

The main argument I have heard in favor of women in authority positions over men (in churches) or pastoral roles, is that, when scripture talks about women in ministry, it is talking about a specific group of women at a specific point in time. I've been told countless times (even by professors at my Baptist school! ha) that it was culture/tradition/etc. that influenced Paul's words. I would be a fool not to acknowledge the specific instances Paul was addressing, BUT I also believe that God has established a set system for the way he desires the Church to be run. Isn't it possible (and maybe even probable) that God would chose to use these specific instances to inspire Paul to speak His words of Truth? In 2 Timothy 3:16 it says that "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness". That verse serves as yet another reason we should not take lightly God's instruction... even though it may seem "inconvenient" or "unfair" or even "sexist" to us.

I also don't understand how people can justify looking at this issue from a purely cultural standpoint and not other issues. If 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 is only addressing the women in the church of Corinth, then who's to say homosexuality wasn't a problem that was only applicable to that time and culture? A lot of churches and denominations are dealing with this very issue...in fact, the Episcopalian Church is dealing with it right now just like the Baptist Church is dealing with the "women in ministry" debate! When we start dissecting God's Word to the point of declaring what is and is not valid, we walk a fine line. Again, WE ARE NOT GOD.

I realize Scripture may not give us a black and white diagram of what women are and are not allowed to do, but it does give us principles and guidance for deciding what is and is not Biblical.



My personal conclusions...

It has taken me a LONG time to come to my conclusions, but I have finally reached the point where I feel grounded in what I believe about this issue. I would be lying if I said this process was easy...it was really hard. It challenged me, stretched me, and made me really look at what I believe about God's Word, His character and Biblical interpretation as a whole. When I first felt called into ministry I pleaded with God to change His mind because I didn't know what or how He could possibly use me, BUT he was faithful and pursued me, and after a lot of prayer, sifting through Scripture and Godly council, I am confident that God has made a place for women in the Church. I could list "jobs" that I think would be appropriate, but I'd rather not. If you really look at Scripture and believe in the infallibility of God's Word then I think it's relatively clear. The Bible has laid out some things women should do, like in Titus 2, or the countless examples of women raising up children in the Truth. Unfortunately, a lot of people (including myself for a long time) focus on the negative aspects and the things women have to "miss out on" or are "forbidden from doing". The reality of the situation is that it's a hard Truth for a lot of people, but it is Truth nonetheless...


So what do you think? What are your views on women in ministry?

Random Bits and Pieces

I don't know what is up with T-Mobile lately, but ever since I got home from school, I NEVER seem to get signal in my house. It is really annoying. I almost always have to walk around or mess with it till I can score some bars. LAME.

In other news, this week has been really crazy so far. VBS is next week and there are a lot of things that need to get done that can't be done until last minute, so yea, it's been pretty intense. BUT I am so excited about VBS! I have never been a part of one (and I can't think of a single reason why...mostly just me being too shy or intimidated to get involved), so I am really pumped to see how it all unfolds.

Reasons I think it's going to be awesome:

1. It's a "Bible times" VBS.
2. Bible costumes!!
3. NW ususally has over 600 kids. WOW.
4. Different rooms for "the underground church" and Paul.
5. The curriculum and verses we are using are powerful.
   

My prayer for all of this is just that God puts the kids there that needs to be there and that we are able to use whatever means available to share the Gospel and hopefully help kids understand Scripture more fully. Gah. I love Children's Ministry.

Oh, and P.S. tomorrow night we have a "mad scientist" coming to put on a show for our Summer in the Zone night!! SOO TIGHT. We're also having a contest to see who can dress up as the most convincing mad scientist. Pretty sure it will be the highlight of my week. Have I mentioned how much I love my job?!

:)

Sin

Last Friday marked the due date of my mammoth research paper on sin...and I am SO glad to be done. The basis of the paper was supposed to be about why it is important to talk about sin and why Christians seem to always focus on the "negative". I chose that prompt out of probably 15 others because it was the one that most appealed to me, and even though I procrastinated till the last second (like always), it was still a really fun* paper to write. One of my sources came from one of John Piper sermon's, called The Greatest Thing in the World: An Overview of Romans 1-7. You should check the whole thing out, but what really caught my eye was this description of sin...

The glory of God is not honored.
The holiness of God is not reverenced.
The greatness of God is not admired.
The power of God is not praised.
The truth of God is not sought.
The wisdom of God is not esteemed.
The beauty of God is not treasured.
The goodness of God is not savored.
The faithfulness of God is not trusted.
The promises of God are not relied upon.
The commandments of God are not obeyed.
The justice of God is not respected.
The wrath of God is not feared.
The grace of God is not cherished.
The presence of God is not prized.
The person of God is not loved.

The infinite, all-glorious Creator of the universe, by whom and for whom all things exist (Rom. 11:36) - who holds every person's life in being at every moment (Acts 17:25) - is disregarded, disbelieved, disobeyed, and dishonored by everybody in the world. That is the ultimate outrage of the universe.

*By "fun" I mean the kind of fun where, after hours and hours of research, you can still be completely floored by how awesome and full of mercy God is and how wicked and depraved we are.