Question: Should Women Be in Ministry? (Part 1)

Question: Should Women Be in Ministry? (Part 1)
By Tommy Franks

Many of my colleagues will not address this issue. Many say it is a “hot potato”.
Should Women be in Ministry? My question to you is: Why not? The term deacon or evangelist or teacher or minister or prophet is not for “Men Only”. It is not a “Men’s Only Club”. Spiritual leadership within the Church includes both men and women. From the beginning of time, women have been in positions of leadership and should never be excluded from leadership within the Church.

Have you ever heard a man quote the following…sometimes with a little smirk on his face? “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control” (1 Tim.2:11-15, NKJV).

What was the cultural environment during Paul’s day? Was this directive meant for today? I think not. The Old Testament and New Testament include women in high leadership positions…prophets and even a judge. Miriam (sister of Moses) was a prophetess (Ex.15:20). Deborah was a prophet and judge of Israel (Judges 4:4). Huldah was a prophetess (2 Kgs.22). Esther was a “leader” and a queen (Esther 1-10). Anna was a prophetess (Lk.2:36). Phebe was mentioned as a deacon (Rom.16.1). Aquila and Priscilla had a church in their house (1 Cor.16:19).

During Biblical times, the society was male-dominated. The status of women was much like that of children today…totally subservient to the male who was the head-of-his household. To some men, it would have been considered scandalous for a woman to have a leadership role in the Church. Not only were women prohibited from taking roles that appeared to be dominant over men, they were urged to dress modestly and wear their hair long according to the customs of the time. Both men and women were urged to observe the gender-appropriate conventions for head coverings.

Biblical-era women were normally not educated and were confined to domestic duties. Most women would not have had the education needed to take a teaching role in the Church. The young Christian communities in the Mediterranean area were already looked upon as hotbeds of dangerous heretics by the region. The apostle Paul and other church leaders were very concerned about avoiding any appearance of scandal that would make a bad impression on the people they wanted to convert to Christianity. Much of Paul's writings are concerned with instructing Christians in proper behavior and correcting problems within the Church for both male and female rolls.

Although he accepted that people have different roles in society, the apostle Paul proclaimed that all believers are equal in God's sight: “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. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise” (Gal.3:26-29, NIV).

Many people look at the twelve male apostles and various verses in the Bible and conclude that it is an absolute prohibition for women to have any type of ministerial role. They say things like, “It is the natural order of things…decreed by God, that women should forever be subservient to men in accordance to Genesis 3:16. Based on inerrancy of the Bible, these passages must be taken at face value, and women must forever be barred from roles in ministry.” (More to come in Part 2)