I have found that the role of women in church leadership needs to be defended in some cases. This page is for that purpose, for anyone who is willing to learn and grow! I don't claim to know it all, or have it all figured out, but I can tell you what I do know, what God has called me to, and what the Bible says.
My favorite defense of women in leadership roles in the church, is that it produces fruit! Just like any man's ministry, we must judge it by the fruit that it produces. If it's producing good fruit, then God's hand is upon it. Study Matthew 7:15-20 and John 15:1-17.
The gifts that God pours out are not gender specific. Women have leadership gifts, as well as men, and not just for women's ministry! Study Acts 2:14-41, and Ephesians 4, and 1 Corinthians 12. Joel 2:28-29, “Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike.”
God created women as the perfect completion of humanity. Something was missing when it was man alone. Study Genesis 2:4-25.
In fact, gender dominance was part of the curse, not part of God’s plan. All of God’s commands upon creation of humanity were non-gender specific. Hierarchy only enters the picture after sin, with the curse in Genesis 3:16. Other parts of the curse are unyielding crops and pain in childbirth. We work against those things, trying to get back to God’s original plan, so why would we not do that with gender hierarchy? We don’t say, “don’t take any pain medication in child birth, God wants you to be in as much pain as possible.” So then why would we perpetuate male dominance and call it God’s will?
Many women were used for big things by God throughout the Bible! Study Deborah in Judges 4. Huldah in 2 Chronicles 34:14-28. Miriam in Exodus 15 & Numbers 12. Phoebe (and all the other women Paul names) in Acts 16. Mary & Martha in Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-44. Study the Woman at the Well in John 4. The women who discovered Jesus' resurrection in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20. Anna the Prophetess who prophesied over Jesus as an infant in Luke 2:24-40. Not even to mention the entire books of Ruth and Esther.
I believe that God has created the roles of men and women perfect and unique. They both have a place, and equal importance, in all forms of government, education, business, and especially the church! As we grow in our understanding of these things, our churches will grow too!
After studying all of the above passages, and understanding that God very clearly DOES use women powerfully, and in leadership over men, then what do we do with the two most common passages used against women in leadership in the church? We first have to understand the context, and the circumstances surrounding those passages. A quick study will help you see that those passages were written to a time when women were undereducated, but over-talkative. The church was new and messy and needed very specific instructions for specific times and places, but as a whole, Paul very much valued the leadership and authority women carry, so we cannot take these passages out of context.
Freedom Valley Church is an Assemblies of God church. Wikipedia states: “The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination.[3] It is the fourth largest international Christian group of denominations and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world.[4][5]
TO WOMEN: It's time to stop making excuses, and step into the gift and calling that God has called us to! Be strong and courageous, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. Let's use our God-given talents and abilities to show the people God has placed in our lives the love of Jesus, and the love for His Church.
Let's get to work! All my love,
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