The Hesitant Nature of Women in Ministry

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The Hesitant Nature of Women in Ministry

The assumed role of women in context of religion has been a topic of much controversy within many denominations and congregations throughout history. Even with the advancement of women in secular society, women have still been prohibited from occupying pastoral roles in various religious denominations. Women have long been regarded as the backbone of the church community, but their extensive and significant contributions are made as lay leaders, not as religious heads of churches. In Baptist Churches for example, women function as evangelists, missionaries, teachers, and choir directors. Due to the significant and fundamental contributions that women have played in bringing people to Christ one can not help but question the old axiom that women should not assume pastoral roles within the church. Moreover, I would posit the idea that contrary to the Baptist credence, it is scripturally dubious and religiously ambiguous whether women should occupy pastoral roles within the church.

During the Protestant Reformation, there was an assembly of Christians who were not content with the Church of England and thus decided to separate from the Roman Catholic Church because of their dissatisfaction. These individuals became known as Separatists. It is historically understood that the Baptist faith emerged out of this assembly. Though there have been various reformations and restructurings within the Baptist denomination most seem to regard the biblical text as truth. The Baptist church has generally ascertained the idea that God inspired biblical text and thus believe in the literal meaning of it. Therefore, most Baptists congregations deny women eligibility for pastoral roles due to infallibility ...

... middle of paper ...

... Author Ward Powers write in First Corinthians: An Exegetical and Explanatory Commentary, “If women are by divine ordination and design forbidden to speak in church, teach, or have authority over men in any capacity or under any circumstances, why are there so many examples of women who served in positions of authority in the Bible?” With that it mind, I chose to acknowledge the bible as a source of wisdom, but I will not overlook its illegitimacies and perpetuate the idea that women are biblically prohibited from assuming pastoral positions.

Work Cited

Powers, Ward. The Ministry of Women in the Church: Which Way Forward?

Australia: Mosaic Press. 1998.

Powers, Ward. First Corinthians: An Exegetical and Explanatory Commentary

Australia: Mosaic Press. 1991

The Holy Bible: King James Version. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers 1983

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