Let The Women Speak!

There have
been many topics rumbling around my heart this past week but ultimately this
one bubbled to the surface as my heart‘s cry for my sisters in the faith could
not remain unexpressed.

As the story
about a prominent conservative pastor’s dismissive, dishonouring and unloving comments
about two female preachers in particular and women in ministry in general made
its way around the Christian news circuit I watched with mixed emotions. First,
I was angry that this pastor and those of his ilk still find ears willing to
entertain such unChristlike messages and attitudes. Even if his view was right
(and I will get to that) the manner in which it was delivered negated
everything he said. It was not delivered in love to say the least.

Then I was
grieved. Grieved that we are still here in this place in the church. That women
are still treated this way. It must hurt the heart of God. But then as the support
started coming through from the Body of Christ condemning this message of hate
and encouraging the women who had been named, I was filled with hope and joy.

The times are
changing. The female voice in the Church is being recognized and honoured. I firmly
believe that this is one of the signs that the church, the Bride of Christ, is
maturing. There is no return of Christ until the Church appreciates, honours
and is equipped by the female voice.

I first began to appreciate this on a very personal level years ago when I started doing bible plans on YouVersion. I was yearning for deeper intimacy with God and I quickly realized that the plans that really took me deeper were all written by women. Most plans tended to be very heady and academic, but the real gems were relational and encouraged an actual encounter with the Truth not just an appreciation of the truth. (Check out www.thistlebend.org!) There were some exceptions, but the trend was unmistakeable, women were better at teaching from a place of intimacy and encounter.

This
explained a lot of why the church today is so much head and so little heart; so
much truth and so little grace. The need to recognize and empower women is not
just for their sake, it is more for ours! It also explains the nature of the
enemy’s stronghold against female ministers; it’s all a rational, academic,
biblical argument centred on some statements from Paul. The problem is, if we
don’t have the heart of God, we cannot interpret the text accurately. We cannot
discern what in the bible is the will of God, what is the culture of the day
and what is the personality of men. There are so many passages in the bible
that show women in prominent positions of ministry that it is strange that we
hold onto a couple of verses from Paul.

What blinds
us is our own hearts of course; our own lack of love. We see only what our
hearts allow us to see. To illustrate: The bible has no support for the
abolition of slavery. None. Slavery is accepted throughout. In fact, it admonishes
slaves to obey their masters in sincerity of heart and not just to give eye-service!
Yet the Church today is crystal clear on what the heart of God is. There is no
doubt that slavery is not of God. But it was not always so. The upheavals that
are happening today in Catholic and Protestant circles concerning women in
leadership are akin to the battles that took place as men and women fought for
the abolition of slavery years ago. Our current crisis is a sign that our
hearts are awakening to God’s complete love for and calling upon women teachers,
evangelists, pastors, prophets and apostles. It is a good sign!

One day the
issue of the biblical view of women in ministry will no longer be a topic of
debate. In that day the Church will shine with another degree of glorious brightness
as we march on towards the fullness of the stature of Christ!