Women in Church Ministry

While you're pondering this topic, Kim, you might want to check out the thread Mothers Saved In Childbearing Pt. 2- good discussion there.

There is no definitive way to answer this question Scripturally. In the OT, it appears that boys were not counted as men until age 20, but I think there is a great necessity for men to be the primary instructors in preparing boys to become men, so IMO men should take over the teaching of boys around age 13.

There are no prohibitions that I can see. Women are to mentor each other, and while I think we've forsaken one-on-one relationships for the efficiency of the classroom model, I don't think that women getting together to study the Word is a bad thing. It doesn't make sense to say that women can get together for every reason under the sun except to discuss Scripture. Or to restrict women from getting together at all for any reason.

I think most of these scenarios border on the ridiculous. What if a guy is standing outside the door eavesdropping? The lions, the tigers, the bears, oh my. What it would mean is that men could never subject themselves to being within earshot of a women talking intelligently about anything, lest they learn something from a female.

I'm not comfortable with women 'sharing their thoughts' in formal settings such as Sunday School, mixed gender Bible studies... the Bible does give us a clue on this by saying that if the woman wants to learn something, she should ask her husband at home- so why not write a note to hubby during the class and if he doesn't know the answer, he can ask. Two birds, one stone, and nobody gets hurt... except for the birds.

See #4

According to my perception of Biblical principle and pattern, females should not hold any formal 'staff' positions in the church. Chief cook and bottlewasher- OK. Overseeing the nursery? OK. Organizing the food pantry, the International Dinner, baby and wedding showers? OK. But if Scripture mandates that a woman isn't to teach in the church or hold a position of authority over men, then she isn't to teach/hold a position of authority over men. All of the descriptors, from the use of the pronoun 'he' to the other qualifications seem to designate the man for offices in the church. Their wives are to be supportive, and their testimony, as described by the text, informs the man's credibility as an authority.

I think the only argument I've ever heard to explain the exceptions in Scripture that made sense was that if God can't find a man to do something, He'll find a woman- hence Deborah and other female exceptions-to-the-rule. But what makes them special is that they are a deviation from the norm. What we tend to do is take the anomalies and try to make them the standard. They are exceptions for a reason.

Yes- there are many obvious mandates and examples from which we can garner information about roles in the home, but it seems not so much information is given about how women function in the church. We also have staff positions in the church that are not in existence in the NT, like choir directors. Although, one could use the OT pattern of how the temple functioned and who was allowed to serve... that'd eliminate women in teaching/authority roles... but men were also didn't qualify as well for various reasons. Women were active as far as donating materials and furnishing it though. I don't know what you could effectively distill as far as NT doctrine from all of that.

But in both the OT and NT we see the lives of many women and wives/mothers. We have a detailed passage in Proverbs 31, and no where is it mentioned that she was an integral part of the temple ministry. This is, however, the absence of information, and I'm cautious about giving the lack of mention too much significance, although it can be indicative if there are other patterns/principles that reinforce it. We do have some definite information about what is/isn't expected of women in the church, but it seems to be focused on authority functions, not helper or supportive type roles.

Probably all-of-the-above. The ability of most folks to travel quickly and easily, the advent of the career woman, the abundance of inexpensive products and services that used to be provided by the wife or trade within the community, the focus on convenience... all of society has moved away from deeply meaningful relationships in favor of shallow Monday-night-football fellowshipping, and we no longer engage in our communities because we can so easily choose to only hang out with our co-workers, family, church friends, fellow hobbyists...

Women especially are more fearful now of bodily and emotional harm, I think, and are increasingly reluctant to get involved in the lives of others. But relationships are hard work, and you have to be willing to take some lumps and persevere in order to have meaningful friendships or a beneficial ministry. However, it is much more self-gratifying to bemoan one's victimhood and hope for a spot on Oprah.

This was kind of a thinking-out-loud post, so excuse me if there is a lack of coherency.