Women elders and church leadership
Churches often land in very different places on women in ministry—even within the same broader faith family. This piece calls for humble respect toward those who differ, with a shared aim of honoring God and his Word.
- The practices surrounding women in ministry vary widely from church to church.
- Disagreements don’t have to prevent fellowship and effective ministry together.
- Humble respect can help believers honor God, women’s gifts, and one another.
By Mark A. Taylor
Can we ever agree about women in ministry? Given the huge breadth of belief and practice among Christian churches, maybe not.
The range of practice
Some Christian churches, for example, have decided to add women to their board of elders.
But then there’s the church that will not ordain the women on its ministerial staff or let these ladies attend an off site overnight planning retreat with the male ministers and elders.
Our major conventions welcome women speakers to their platforms.
But I heard about a Christian church that hired a woman music director with the stipulation that she face only the choir; she was never to turn and lead the whole congregation in singing.
Women perform virtually every ministerial function on many mission fields, and we support women as military and medical chaplains.
Yet I remember an American congregation that would allow a woman to teach junior high boys, but not 10th graders because those fellows now qualified as men.
Most of us are willing to be inspired and instructed by a female soloist or writer. Many of us are afraid to be inspired and instructed by a female speaker.
Most of us are willing to let a woman lead a major enterprise like VBS (and that leadership usually involves recruiting and directing men). But many of us still debate whether women can pass Communion, let alone chair a ministry team for something like small groups or seniors.
A call to humble respect
I have my take on all of this: my preferences, my comfort zone, my understanding of Scripture and my questions about what Scripture really prescribes. I doubt I’d change anybody’s mind by outlining my position in this short space. And I wonder: Why can’t all of us both the “liberals” and the “conservatives” on this issue acknowledge that those among us who differ about women in ministry are seeking to glorify God and obey his Word?
I spoke with a minister whose elders have discussed whether women could be elders too. They’ve decided no, despite the opposite conclusion by a Christian church in the next town. “I have no problem with their decision to recruit women as elders,” my friend told me. “I just hope they will respect us for the position we’ve taken.”
That’s what those on every side of this debate are seeking. Respect. Respect for God’s Word. Respect for women’s gifts and their call to serve God. Respect for the person across the table, whom Scripture directs me to consider more highly than my own opinions (Philippians 2:3).
Can humble respect help us agree about women in ministry? Maybe not. But at least it frees those who disagree on this subject to minister effectively in fellowship with each other. And isn’t every woman and man in our churches happy when that happens?
Author: Mark A. Taylor
Mark A. Taylor, who served as Christian Standard editor from 2003 to 2017, retired in June 2017 after almost 41 years with Standard Publishing (Christian Standard Media).
