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Women and Ministry at Mission Community Church At MISSION we recognize that God created both man and woman in His image, that He offers the same Holy Spirit to both men and women at salvation, and that the same spiritual gifts are available to both men and women for service. We also believe that men and women function in unique God-given roles. We recognize the biblical pattern of the headship of the man in both the family and the church. As such, it seems best to the Board of Servant Leaders of MISSION that the church should operate under the headship of godly men as elders (which we refer to as the Board of Servant Leaders and includes the lead pastor.) We also believe that weekend preaching from the pulpit in our worship services represents in many ways, the highest spiritual authority in the church and should be reserved for men. However, under that leadership, the Board of Servant Leaders of MISSION affirms that women in all other roles are scripturally qualified and spiritually blessed to use their spiritual gifts to build Christ’s Kingdom. Our position is based on the following six scriptural principles: 1. Men and women are equal in value. 2. Scripture indicates a difference in roles between men and women, emphasizing the headship of the man in both the home and the church. 3. Difference of role does not imply difference in value. 4. Women exercised ministry roles in Scripture including leading, prophesying and instructing from the Word. 5. Our best interpretation of Scripture is to both uphold the headship of men and to encourage the full use of the giftedness of women for the edification of the church. 6. Careful and consistent interpretation principles must be applied to difficult New Testament passages that appear to restrict the role of women in the church. The remainder of this document elucidates those six points. Note: We acknowledge there are respected evangelical Bible scholars who hold to the inerrancy of Scripture and yet come to different positions on the biblical role of women in ministry. Due to the complexity of this issue in Scripture and the broad range of positions taken on it by good and godly people within the evangelical spectrum, we choose to not use terms like “true or false” to describe our position or others. Rather, in the spirit of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, the leadership of MISSION is seeking to do “what seems good to us” in light of the teaching of Scripture and the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
1. Men and women are equal in value. Genesis 1:26-28 “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
The word “man” is used in a universal sense. It is generic to include both men and women. They are given the shared responsibility of dominion over the earth. They are called to fill the earth, subdue the earth and rule it together. Both are made in the image of God. One is not superior, nor is the other inferior. The New Testament clearly affirms that truth. Galatians 3:26-28 “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Summary: Men and women are both created in the image of God and there is no difference in value between the two.
2. Scripture indicates a difference in roles between men and women, emphasizing the headship of the man in both the home and the church. In order for man to accomplish God’s mandate of filling, subduing and ruling the earth, he needed a helper. Neither superiority on his part nor inferiority on hers is implied. She is the same nature and the same flesh and blood as he is. However, she is different from him. She is his complement. The primary distinction in role between men and women is one of headship. In the home, Scripture clearly teaches the headship of the man. This headship is not to be exercised as dominating and oppressive authority, but rather as servant leadership. Ephesians 5:22-25 “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” The husband is called to serve and sacrifice for his wife as an expression of his love for her. At the same time, the wife is called to submit to and respect her husband as an expression of her love for him. In this way they complement each other. Though equal, they have distinct roles in the family. Likewise, men and women have some level of role distinction within the context of the church. The scriptural pattern of male leadership in the church is consistent with the biblical view of the home. For instance, Jesus chose 12 men as his disciples. In addition, the qualifications for eldership in the church assumed men would fill those positions. 1 Timothy 3:1-2 “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach...” Paul’s implication here seems to be that he expects elders to be men. Limiting the office of elder to men does not speak to a woman’s ability to do the job. Simply, it appears to be God’s determination that men will carry this particular load. Summary: Scripture consistently teaches the headship of the man in both the home and the church.
3. Difference in role does not imply difference in value. While men and women are different and have different roles in the home and church, they are not different in value. Both are made in the image of God and are equal in the eyes of God. Difference in role and equality of value is illustrated for us well in the triune being of God. While there is perfect equality in the Trinity, there is also difference in role. For instance, Jesus says… John 8:28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.” John 14:31 “but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” Jesus’ role in the Trinity is different than the role of the Father. The Father exercises headship; the son exercises submission. Jesus does what his father commands of him. Yet, that difference in role does not imply a difference in value. Jesus taught his equality (oneness of essence) with the Father. John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” John 17:20-23 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” Summary: Within the Trinity there is difference of role and equality of essence. Likewise, in the home and church there are different roles for men and women, but those differences do not imply inequality in being or value. The apostle Paul writes about the oneness of believers (Eph 2:11-22; 4:1-6; 5:21) and the difference in role between men and women (Eph 5:22-24).
4. Women exercised ministry roles in Scripture including leading, prophesying and instructing from the Word. Deborah (Judges 4 & 5) was a prophet and a judge. She is introduced in Judges 4:4 in this way, “Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time.” Deborah was the Godappointed highest leader in Israel at the time. Huldah (2 Kings 22:11-23:25) Desiring to know the fate of his nation, King Josiah commanded the high priest and several of his notables to inquire of the Lord on his behalf. They could have gone to either Jeremiah or Zephaniah, both contemporaries of King Josiah. Instead they went to the prophet Huldah. She delivered a scathing critique of the religious corruption of the nation and her prediction of doom motivated Josiah to effect profound changes in the religious life of the people. Thus, God used a woman to convey his will to the king, to the high priest, and to her contemporaries so that she influenced the history of the whole nation. Mary, the mother of Jesus, announced to the world that Christ had come. (Luke 1:46-55) Anna was a prophetess and evangelist in the Temple. (Luke 2:36-38)
Loyal women accompanied Jesus on his ministry tours (Matthew 27:55, Mark 15:41, Luke 8:1-3). Mary Magdalene’s loyalty to Jesus took her to the foot of the cross and then to the tomb where he was buried. She became the first of his followers to see the empty tomb (Luke 24:10), to speak to the risen Christ (John 20:16), and to proclaim the message of the resurrection (Luke 24:10) The Holy Spirit fell on both men and women at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Peter related the Pentecostal outpouring to Joel’s prophecy “Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy...” (Acts 2:17,18) Women in the early church were persecuted and suffered for their faith because their activity in ministry and proclamation made them targets of persecution. (Acts 22:4) Lydia was a successful business woman and charter member of the church at Philippi; the gospel entered Europe through her open heart and open home. (Acts 16:11-15, 40) Philip’s four daughters were prophetesses. (Acts 21:8,9) Priscilla and Aquilla took Apollos aside and “explained to him the way of God more adequately” (Acts 18:24-26). Paul called them “fellow workers” who “risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.” (Romans 16:3,4) Phoebe was a deacon in the church at Rome. (Romans 16:1,2) Summary: Women played roles in ministry including leadership, prophesying, instructing in the Word, serving, hosting churches in their homes, and giving their lives for the advancement of the gospel.
5. Our best interpretation of Scripture on this issue is to both uphold the headship of men and encourage the full use of the giftedness of women for the edification of the church. In an attempt to simplify this issue, one could emphasize the biblical principle of the headship of men and minimize the biblical examples of women leading and teaching, or vice versa. That would certainly make the application easier. However, we believe biblical integrity forces us to uphold both truths. The Bible does teach the headship of men in the home and church. But we also have clear Godordained examples of women leading, instructing from Scripture, prophesying, and serving. Therefore, our application of these truths should not exclude one or the other. It seems best to the leadership of Mission Community Church to have men fill the positions of highest leadership in the church (Board of Servant Leaders and lead pastor). Under the leadership of those men, we believe women are free to, gifted to, and encouraged to use their God-given giftedness in all capacities for the edification of the church and the glory of God. We believe that is the best application of the biblical teaching on this issue for the people of Mission Community Church.
6. Careful and consistent interpretation principles must be applied to difficult New Testament passages that appear to restrict the role of women in the church. Two classic “problem” passages are I Corinthians 14:32-36 and I Timothy 2:8-11. When interpreting these passages, it is essential to follow these settled principles of biblical interpretation:
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We must always consider the context. We must look behind local situations to find universal, timeless principles (“meat offered to idols” is not relevant in Gilbert, but the principle still applies). We must realize that Paul sometimes accommodated the culture he was trying to reach in order to not be a stumbling block to their salvation. (I Corinthians 9:19-22) We must always interpret unclear passages in light of clear passages.
I Corinthians 14:32-35 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. At first reading, it sounds like Paul is telling women they cannot open their mouths in church. But women were encouraged to pray and prophesy in the public assembly in Chapter Eleven. In context, Paul is still reprimanding the Corinthian church because their services are chaotic and disorderly. One reason is that they are enraptured by the sign gifts and are using them inappropriately. They have elevated the gift of tongues above all gifts and they are speaking in tongues during the service in a manner that breeds bedlam. In Chapters Thirteen and Fourteen, Paul admonishes the Corinthians to control themselves in the service so that everyone may be edified. One of the disruptive groups that Paul targets is the women. If Paul was reprimanding women who were babbling tongues, prattling, or hogging the service with outbursts and foolish chatter, then his meaning is something quite different from limiting all women, for all time, from any kind of speech whatsoever. I Timothy 2:8-15 I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer without anger or disputing. I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. This is the passage most often quoted to deny women teaching and leading ministries in the church. However, it is generally regarded as one of the most difficult New Testament texts to interpret. In the same paragraph of Scripture it first forbids women to braid their hair, wear jewelry or expensive clothes, and then it asserts that women will be saved through childbirth, and finally it commands them to be silent. We must be very careful to be consistent in our interpretation of this passage. It would be inconsistent to insist that the command that ‘women should not teach’ is to be followed to the letter, while in the same sentence taking the command for her to ‘be silent,’ as culturally limited. This appears to be a picking and choosing of convenience when the text requires a more consistent interpretive approach. Let’s dissect the passage verse by verse:
Verses 8-10 Understanding the historical background of Paul’s letter to Timothy is crucial for making application of Verses 8 through 10 as well as the verses which follow. Two sources are key to our understanding of the situation in Ephesus: first, the historians of ancient Ephesus who can give us a portrait of life in the city at that time; second, clues from this letter and other Scripture that hint at the kinds of problems Timothy encountered. Historians tell us that Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province of Asia and was the greatest commercial center in Western Asia Minor. In this rich, cosmopolitan city, Greek and Asian cultures were inextricably mixed. Under the Roman emperors it became the local center for the imperial cult-but far more important to the life of the city was the temple of Artemis. It was the largest structure in the Hellenistic world and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. This temple and its cult affected every aspect of the society and was the focus of fierce civic pride. For a whole month each year, the city stopped work and devoted itself to the Artemis cult. (Acts 19:23-41) The goddess herself was depicted with many breasts, a symbol of fertility. Her worship was overseen by eunuch priests. Under them were male and female priests who were attended by thousands of young women. The church Timothy was pastoring was in the shadow of this great temple and was certainly affected by its cultic worship in which women and eunuchs played the major role. We also observe many references that suggest Timothy’s major job was to resist and refute the false teaching and irresponsible behavior that was prevalent inside the church (1:19,20; 4:1-3, 11-16; 5:20; 6:3-5, 20,21). If men were teaching in error, we can surely suspect that women reared in the worship of Artemis would also be causing problems. Verses 11 and 12 The phrase “I do not permit a woman to teach,” does not tell us what kind of teaching, nor to what audience. In the context of the letter, it is likely referring to false teaching in the church. The phrase, “I do not permit a woman… to have authority over a man,” likely refers to a usurping of authority. The word Paul uses for authority in this verse is authentein. This word is not found anywhere else in the Bible. Where it is used in Greek literature, it usually has a negative connotation and means “to domineer.” The King James Version renders the phrase “to usurp authority” rather than “to have authority.” The implication is that a woman may not teach in a way which disregards male leadership. Verses 13 and 14 In these verses Paul refers back to Adam and Eve, pointing out that Adam was on the planet before Eve. As a result, just like the women at Ephesus, Eve lacked instruction. She heard what God told Adam concerning the forbidden tree secondhand which made her more easily deceived. The women at Ephesus were also lagging behind the men in education. They needed time to learn, and Paul commanded them to do so. Until they did, they also were easily deceived. Verse 15 Of all Paul’s statements in this passage, the last verse is the most baffling. Is Paul suggesting that a woman will actually be saved by giving birth? Salvation is by grace and not by works. Moreover, what would this verse mean to single women and to married women unable to bear children? Is Paul promising that women will be kept physically safe in childbearing if they continue in the faith? Such a promise has certainly not proved correct. Many faithful Christian women have died in childbirth. Is Paul referring to Mary’s bearing of Christ through whom all women would be saved? If so,
it is odd that women should be singled out as being saved by the birth of Christ when everyone who desires can be the recipient of this great blessing. Summary: The problem passages cited are called problem passages for a reason. They are difficult to interpret and require careful, consistent work to decipher. Great minds conclude different results. Clearly, certain timeless principles can be gleaned from these passages. For instance, women are to exhibit gracious, godly and orderly behavior in the assembly. They, like men, are never to be teachers until they are trained, equipped and qualified. Men are expected to exercise headship in the home and church. However, there seems to be no reason why a qualified woman should be prevented from the whole range of pastoral ministries under the male leadership.
At Mission Community Church, we will apply these principles in the following ways: 1. We will call men to be the highest leaders in their home and in the church. 2. We will call women to graciously submit to the highest levels of leadership in the home and church. 3. Organizationally at MISSION, we believe the Board of Servant Leaders (including the lead pastor) and the preaching from the pulpit in corporate worship represent the highest levels of human leadership in Mission Community Church. As such, we believe that those positions are to be filled by godly, qualified men. However, under that leadership structure, we believe women are free to, gifted to, and encouraged to use their God-given giftedness in all capacities for the edification of the church and the glory of God.
Frequently Asked Questions Is it biblical for a woman to be ordained into ministry? Since there is not one standard definition of ordination, nor is there any clearly outlined biblical process known as ordination, we will have to assume a working definition of the term in order to answer the question. For our purposes we would define ordination as “the recognition that a person has been called by God to a particular ministry, has completed the training necessary, and is being authorized or ‘sent’ by the church to do that work.” Of course, in the most general sense all believing men and women have been called to ministry (2 Corinthians 5:17-19). God even has a specific ministry for each individual believer (Ephesians 2:10). Ordination then, is primarily about the recognition of the completion of specific training and the official endorsement, blessing or sending from the church to do a particular work of ministry. That being the case, there seems to be no biblical reason to restrict ordination to men, since the Bible clearly gives examples of women who were called, equipped and blessed to do the work of ministry. Even in the most traditional of Christian circles, many churches have already been practicing the ordination of women to the mission field for decades. In summary, ordination is an extra-biblical (not non-biblical) process. If we assume the definition of recognizing a call of God into the work of ministry, completion of training, and authorization of the church to do the work, there seems to be no reason to limit ordination to men.
Is it biblical for a woman to retain the title of ‘Pastor?’ Again, we must understand that ‘Pastor’ was not used as a title in Scripture, it was listed as a spiritual gift (Eph 4:11-12). Nobody in Scripture was called ‘Pastor Paul’ or ‘Pastor Timothy.’ Therefore, if it is going to be used as a title, we have to assume some working definition of the term before we can answer the question. For our purposes, we will define the title of ‘Pastor’ as “one who has been called by God to function as a shepherd over a particular group of people in the church, has completed appropriate training, and has been officially recognized (ordained) in that role by the church.” Given that definition, we do not believe it would be appropriate for a woman to be the lead pastor of a church, because we uphold the headship of the man in that role. However, within Mission Community Church we have many other pastoral positions that are not included in the Board of Servant Leaders (biblical elders) and that fall under the headship of the lead pastor. In those cases, we believe qualified, godly woman are capable of receiving the title ‘Pastor.’ Again, let us not forget, this is not a biblical issue, in the strictest sense, because the Bible never uses ‘Pastor’ as a title for men or women. Is it appropriate for a woman to lead a Bible study when men are included in the group? The question has two components: first, can men learn spiritual truth from women? Secondly, can women lead men? To the first question: yes, men can learn spiritual truth from women. Priscilla clearly taught spiritual truth to Apollos (Acts 18:24-26). Men clearly learned spiritual truth from prophetess’ in Scripture (2 Kings 22:11-23:25). From a practical standpoint, we have many gifted and trained female authors and speakers today that have proven their giftedness to teach spiritual truth to both men and women. To the second question: yes, under the headship of men in the church (Board of Servant Leaders and lead pastor in our case), we see no biblical reason why women cannot lead other men in the church. If God saw fit to have Deborah lead the nation of Israel -- specifically ten thousand men into battle -(Judges 4) we do not feel it would be inappropriate for a qualified, godly, trained woman to lead a Bible study with men present. Again, we are assuming that the female Bible study leader is graciously submitting to the headship of men at the highest levels of church leadership.
