Women in Ministry

-
Recently, my denomination (Christian and Missionary Alliance) has begun to consider its position on women in ministry, specifically via ordination.

Some of the questions/issues:

- we already allow women teachers, missionaries, and elders. However, they cannot be ordained or take on the role of senior pastor (or, technically, pastor). This leads to a consistency problem, as women are doing all the things that pastors do, except, perhaps, heading a church (even there, however, women eldership is heading a church, as pastors report to elders)

- The ordination process itself is anything but clear cut (why do we do it; what does it mean/accomplish, etc. you can read the definition here)

- Biblically we tend to focus on 1 Tim. 2, 1 Cor. 13, as well as, possibly (and I think mistakenly), Gen. 1-2.

- Biblically we tend to ignore the gospel witness (especially Luke 10:38-42) as well as the list of Church leaders in Paul (such as those listed in Romans 16).

- Often the issue comes to a decision over whether a woman should be a 'Senior Pastor' which I find odd, as this is a relatively modern position. We are better of focusing on issues of headship/authority

So, what do you think? Should women be allowed to be ordained? If so, then to what positions (any, or just some)? If not, then what do you say about the vast number of leadership positions women are already allowed to occupy?


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Forgiveness: A Hard Word From Luther

-
"Those who follow Christ grieve more over the sin of their offenders than over the loss or offense to themselves. And they do this that they may recall those offenders from their sin rather than avenge the wrongs they themselves have suffered. Therefore they put off the form of their own righteousness and put on the form of those others, praying for their persecutors, blessing those who curse, doing good to the evil-doers, preparing to pay the penalty and make satisfaction for their very enemies that they may be saved. This is the gospel and the example of Christ." - Martin Luther (Quoted by Miroslav Volf, Free of Charge, pg. 161-162)
Read more

Proper Confidence: Faith, Doubt, and Certainty

-
Image
Leslie Newbigin, Proper Confidence: Faith, Doubt , and Certainty in Christian Discipleship. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1995. 105 pgs. In this gem of a book Newbigin takes the reader on a journey away from the idea of Cartesian certainty and towards a more proper scaffolding for thought and belief. He denies the possibility of ideal certainty with no doubt and concludes that seeking this ideal can only to skepticism (of an extreme sort) and Nihilism. The thesis of this book might best best be stated as follows: the proper confidence of a Christian is not the possession of indubitable knowledge but the confidence of one who has heard and answered God's call of 'Follow me.' In order to demonstrate this point, Newbigin first examines three 'paths' whose titles, which are his first three chapter titles, seem somewhat counter-intuitive. In the first chapter, 'Faith as the Way to Knowledge,' Newbigin argues that if knowledge, and God, are ultim
Read more

A Good Tree Bears Good Fruit....

-
Image
"Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit." - Matthew 7:17-18 "One of the most powerful ways to influence the behavior of a system is through its purpose or goal. That's because the goal is the direction-setter of the system, the definer of discrepancies that require action, the indicator of compliance, failure, or success toward which balancing feedback loops work. If the goal is defined badly, if it doesn't measure what it's supposed to measure, if it doesn't reflect the real welfare of the system, then the system can't possibly produce a desirable result. Systems, like the three wishes in the traditional fairy tale, have a terrible tendency to produce exactly and only what you ask them to produce. Be careful what you ask them to produce." - Donella H. Meadows, Thinking in Systems. 
Read more