I too, grew up in a church that limited what women could do. a Things have
changed over the years, but women are still not officially installed as pastors or
elders. Allen asserted that the Bible is clear that God intended the primary
leadership role within the church to be reserved for men only.[1] a He makes
several compelling arguments and provides Scripture that he believes supports
that the office of pastor or elder should be held only by men.
This is an area that continues to nag at me, and the greater church. a While I
believe I understand what the Bible says and the argument for men only to hold
the position of pastor, I find myself struggling with it. My dilemma is that I know
too many women that say they are called to teach and preach. a And I can see
first-hand that they are called and are gifted to teach and preach the Gospel. a a
Moreover, while my denomination does not officially recognize women as pastors,
I know women who have been performing in the role of pastor for years.
It is not my intent to refute what Allen and others assert concerning the office of
pastor. a However, I find it hard to understand why God has anointed so many
women to teach and preach His Word if he wants them to be limited. a I wonder if
we, the church, are misinterpreting or just ignorant of what the intent of the
Scripture concerning pastors/overseers really means. Was Paul speaking to a
specific situation? a In any case, keep doing what God called you to do. a As Paul
said, “when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called
me … that I might preach [Christ], I did not confer with flesh and blood” (Gal 1;15-
16).[2]
A single mom, and called to ministry, what a rebel! (as far as some traditions in
church go). In my own church there can never be a pastor or leader of any kind
that is a woman, or someone that has been divorced. (as you read my post). I am
a divorcee, however long the 6 months we were married. I digress; I have been
struggling with the thoughts of women in ministry, and I have decided for my own
self, and my ministry, that I will not oppose women from ministry if I am ever in
that position to do so. I wrestled with the Corinthian church and Paul’s commands
(which I believer now where specifically for the church conduct in Corinth’s rowdy
fellowship). I do not want to please men, but rather God. So I prayed and was
searching in my Bible for the beginning of disciples in the New Testament. In Acts
it is openly declared that men and women will prophecy. Should we not listen to a
prophet when the speak because of their gender even though God says they will
prophecy? I think not. “‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My
menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And
they shall prophesy (Acts 2:17-18).”
a a a a a a a a a a Allen has some great points that all are called to minister, but not all are
called to ministry.[1] I believe this is true in many cases, and in many cases, we
can know if someone is called because of their fruit in ministry already. Are they
qualified as overseers/elders? This will be the determining factors for ministry for
me. Are they qualified based off how they are as a member of the body of Christ.
I completely agree with your point that, " I think that you should question God's
call on your life to ministry since the calling to teach comes with a heavy price." I
also appreciate that you are able to reinforce your point through sharing your own
spiritual call to ministry. I would love to hear more about how you were called,
how you knew you were being called at the time, and how that calling led you to
your current ministry position. For me personally, I had a very strong calling to
ministry, but I had no idea what type of ministry I was being called to, where that
calling would lead, or how I was spiritually equipped to excel in that specific
ministry. I am curious if your calling was clearer or if you had to discern it over
time like I did. I know that you mentioned doubts of your capability by writing, "I
am a woman... [and] I am a single mom." Despite these doubts, your calling
seemed remarkably clear from your description. Did you ever question your calling
or wonder if you understood it incorrectly? Or were you always sure of your
ministry calling and where it would lead?
Also you mention that you began with doubts, but "I went from hesitation to being
on fire for Christ." I would love to hear more about your progress from doubts to
clarity especially since you highlight that your spiritual journey was different that
the process described in the text. You write that, "I did not go through a series of
formal questions as found in the book, nor did I have much support from my
Church; if anything, the Church was a hindrance." It's very interesting that your
journey was so unique and different than the book, but I would love to hear more
about what your specific journey entailed. You were very clear about what your
journey did not include and how it was different from the book, but I did not fully
understand what it did involve.
Thank you for opening up and sharing this post. I loved reading it and feel that I
gained a lot of valuable insight from your story. God Bless.
References
Allen, Jason K. Discerning Your Call to Ministry. (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2016).
[1] Jason K. Allen. Discerning Your Call to Ministry. (Chicago: Moody Publishers,
2016). 19
[1] Jason K. Allen, Discerning Your Call to Ministry: How to Know for Sure and What
to Do about It (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2016), 36-37.
[2] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the New King
James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
