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IMPORTANT BELIEFS

Women in ministry.jpg

In faith, we believe that all individuals are created in the image of God. We are all born again regenerated as Spirit man, one in Christ and as such, women carry inherent value, dignity, and potential. This belief transcends gender boundaries, affirming that women, like men, are called and gifted by the Spirit to serve in various capacities within the church, including leadership roles.

 

While interpretations of women's leadership roles in the church may vary, one truth remains constant: in the eyes of God, men and women are equal. The historical devaluation of women stems from the brokenness of our world, but through the Gospel, women have found empowerment and opportunity. In Christ, they have flourished, making significant contributions enriching the fabric of society through their creativity, leadership, and service.

 

Throughout scripture, we find examples of women who played significant roles in the life of the faith community. From Deborah, a judge and prophetess, to Phoebe, a deaconess, Philip’s daughters as Prophetesses, Priscilla had significant influence among churches, Lydia oversaw the church at Philippi; etc. women have been instrumental in shaping and leading God's people.

 

Jesus’ words and acts are directive. In the gospels Jesus never suggests that women’s roles were to be secondary or limited in the community of faith, even when He had the opportunity to do so. Jesus’s approach to women was “revolutionary” for His era. Jesus himself broke societal norms by engaging with women as equals, honoring them, and entrusting them with pivotal roles in His ministry

 

  • Jesus regularly addressed women directly while in public. This was unusual for a man to do (John 4:27).

  • The disciples were amazed to see Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar (John 4:7-26).

  • He also spoke freely with the woman taken in adultery (John 8:10–11).

  • The woman with the bleeding disorder (Luke 8:48; cf. Matt. 9:22; Mark 5:34)

  • A woman who called to him from a crowd (Luke 11:27–28).

 

Furthermore, the essence of Christian leadership lies not in gender but in the character, integrity, and gifting of the individual. In our view, Apostle Paul's teachings emphasize the importance of spiritual gifts and callings rather than gender distinctions. In Galatians 3:28, he declares, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." This verse underscores the equality and unity of all believers in Christ, regardless of societal categories.

 

In embracing women in church leadership, we honor God's diverse creation and recognize the richness of gifts and perspectives they bring to the body of Christ. We affirm that leadership is not about dominance or power but about service, humility, and stewardship of God's people. As we strive for a more inclusive and just church, we heed the Spirit's call to empower and affirm women in their God-given roles, knowing that their leadership enhances the flourishing of the church and advances God's kingdom on earth.

“And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. (1 Tim 2:11)

 

The verse does not say that it is restricted to the church.

 

  •  “A woman cannot teach a man.” This means that women cannot be doctors, professors, or high-school teachers.

 

  • “A woman cannot have authority over a man.” This means that a woman cannot be elected to political office, or to be a manager in a store that has male employees, or to be a principal of a school that has male teachers.

 

  • The verse makes no exceptions. “Women are to remain quiet.” They cannot be entertainers, news reporters nor have any role in mass media etc.

 

Conservative Bible scholars, theologians and church leaders all say that the verse should not be understood in such a literal way. We need to understand why.

Do you think the women Paul worked with and commended in Romans 16 were required to be quiet in church and had no authority?

 

  • We know from the rest of the New Testament that Priscilla with Aquila instructed Apollos,

  •  Phoebe was a deacon and Paul’s representative to Rome,

  • Lydia oversaw the church at Philippi. 

  • Junia is called an apostle and was imprisoned for her witness. It seems unlikely that these things could have been accomplished while being quiet in church or without any church authority.

 

What do you think Paul meant when he said women must be silent or quiet? 

 

If we take this literally, then shouldn’t women stop from speaking in church – at all?

Women in ministry

 

The following list is of first-century women ministers and church leaders mentioned in the New Testament:

Philip’s daughters (Acts 21:9),

Priscilla (Acts 18:26Rom. 16:3–5, etc.),

Phoebe (Rom. 16:1–2)

Junia (Rom. 16:7)

possibly Chloe (1 Cor. 1:11)

Euodia and Syntyche (Phil. 4:2–3)

Nympha (Col. 4:15)

Apphia (Phlm. 2)

“the chosen lady” (2 John 1)

 

God gives us examples of female leadership (over men and women) in the Old and New Testaments.

 

  • Deborah was an Old Testament judge, meaning she led Israel before they had a king (Judges 4-5). She was known for wisdom, spiritual insight, and success in battle. And as an important aside, there is ZERO indication in scripture that her role was assumed because there were no qualified men willing or able to lead. God called her uniquely, just as he called the other judges.

  • Anna was a prophet who dedicated her life to praying, praising, and teaching in the temple. She was also one of the first people to meet Jesus as an infant, and recognized and proclaimed his divinity (Luke 2:25-38).

  • Huldah was an Old Testament prophet who was a trusted source for interpreting and understanding scripture. She was even sought out by the king of Israel to teach his men about the meaning of prophecies from God (2 Kings 22:11-20).

  • Priscilla was part of the church in Ephesus, and co-lead with her husband in teaching and evangelizing (Acts 18:24-26). Priscilla (wife) and Aquila (husband) were commended by Paul as co-leader of a house church in Corinth She and her husband provided corrective teaching to the Apostle Apollos and he received it. In fact, she was so honored by Paul that out of 26 named people in Romans Paul lists her first! (Romans 16:3-5; Acts 18:26) Furthermore, she is one of four leaders who is specifically greeted and appreciated in Paul’s second letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:2; 4:19).

  • Phoebe was a deacon in a formal position of leadership at a church near Rome. Paul praised her for leadership and impact, and asked the rest of the church to follow her instructions and aid her in her ministry work She ministered too many, including Paul himself. She may have been the leader of a house church or a legal expert (which is the meaning of “helper”). (Romans 16:1-2)

  • Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus’ followers throughout his ministry, and was the first person to see him after his resurrection. She is also the one who received the first call to preach the good news of his resurrection. And her first assignment was to preach to men (John 20:16-18).

  • “the chosen sister” (2 John 13), and probably Lydia (Acts 16:40), etc.

  • The Samaritan Woman was an adulteress who received Christ and became an evangelist, leading many in Samaria to trust the Lord. She paved the way for the revival that the Apostle Phillip (one of the twelve) brought there after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. (John 4:4-26, 39-42; Acts 8:4-8)

  • Female prophets were common in New Testament churches (prophets were high-level leaders, second only to apostles). They served as Holy Spirit anointed, truth-telling teachers. Peter affirmed women prophets in his Pentecost sermon (quoting Joel’s ancient prophecy) and Paul sanctioned it also. (Acts 2:16; 1 Corinthians 11:5)

  • Lydia was the founding member of the church at Philippi in Macedonia. Lydia hosted Paul and his missionary colleagues, and she most likely cared for the church after Paul left Philippi. No other Philippian is mentioned as much as she is in the New Testament (Acts 16:13-1540).

  • Philip’s Four Daughters were unmarried and devoted to serving the Lord as prophets in Caesarea. They also had a ministry of hospitality, including to the Apostle Paul.

  • (Acts 21:8-9) Junia, the wife of Andronicus, was named by Paul as “outstanding among the apostles.” She was a prominent Christian leader and missionary who helped establish and lead one or more churches. (Romans 16:7 KJV Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.) 

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