I believe women should preach.
I believe women should preach and teach provided they teach truth, just as a man should teach biblical truth.
I believe that if you do not expose your people to women in the pulpit they will not be rounded in their exposure to biblical truth as women have a different perspective or way of putting across truth.
I am neither a complementarian nor a feminist.
I believe in biblical, New Testament ministry.
I believe that it can be dangerous for a congregation to only be exposed to a man preaching and teaching if that man has a deep rooted problem with half of his congregation, that is, the women.
If he is a chauvinist or a mysogynist his congregation is catching measles while he is preaching mumps, if he has the measles. He will communicate his heart in the pulpit whether he wants to or not.
His jokes, his teasing in the pulpit will be subtly aimed at putting down women and this will anger the strong women, even cause them to leave the church. There must be a healthy balance that checks the pastors’ motives too.
Women are excelling in the workplace and the marketplace today. If they enter a church that puts women down, and I am not talking about unhealthy ambition, but calling, they will not stay.
There are women with gifts and callings to serve the church in upfront ministry.
The unfortunate thing is that these women are not encouraged to develop as men are and thus kept suppressed and immature in their gift, thus when they do get to preach or are exposed to public scrutiny they have not been mentored and developed as the men are, and they easily fail or fall prey to emotionalism or prophetic indulgences.
Yes, women are the equals of men in the church according to Galatians 3:28. They can and should operate in their gifts and callings, just as the men should.
Yes, they can be pushy, but then, men can be too.
Yes, they can operate in the flesh and draw people to themselves, but so can men.
Yes, they can rebel or be prideful, but so do men, all the time.
I say, take the strong, gifted, called women and train them, mentor and coach them, take them under your wing, Pastor and guide them.
They will be forever grateful, for being tutored, for being seen as worthy, for being honored as worthy of your time and effort.
They are a mighty workforce in the church. They are loyal and committed. You will have an army of loyal soldiers, willing to go to battle with you and willing to give their lives.
But don’t put them down with sly jokes against women and subtle innuendos about their weakness, nagging or emotions. You have just lost half your congregation, man of God!
If a woman is called to preach, she is called to ministry to the body of Christ. Women’s ministry is only one part of the body. The whole body is all the members, functioning together. Let them hear the word of God expounded by well trained, well equipped, women with sound bible knowledge and understanding.
That is your job, Pastor to recognise, acknowledge, and equip such women. Believe me, they will take it seriously!
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