Women in Ministry! Absolutely!

Ezra 2; Ezra 3; Luke 8
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Scripture

Luke 8

1 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

Observation

It amazes me how we always seem to have people in leadership that are against something that we are doing in our churches and want to tell us that we are liberals etc. because we allow certain things that they feel are not Biblical. The role of women in ministry today is just one good example. Liberals in my view are folks that don’t believe in the Virgin Birth of Christ, His Deity etc. But some in our Baptist convention describe someone as a liberal because they don’t believe exactly the same way they do. It is their way or no way. Some would think of me as liberal because I allow a woman to speak in church on a Sunday morning. Anytime a Beth Moore, or an Ann Graham Lotz wants to speak in our church on Sunday morning I am going to say, “Yes”. And I am also going to let the Director of our student ministry Laurel Barden, speak to our church as I feel led to invite her. (I have revised the above sentence which did read, "I am also going to let the Director of our student ministry Laurel Barden, speak on a regular basis.") I changed it because it made it sound like I was going to ask Laurel to speak on a weekly basis. I was trying to make a point, but the point was taken way past what I had intended. I will comment more about this in the comment section!

My opinion (and it is just my opinion) is that women can serve in any position in our churches as long as they have a man over them in the role as senior pastor. (I do believe that the more men you have serving as leaders the stronger your church will be.) Let me add that in any church where I am going to be a member there would need to be a man as senior pastor. If a church wants to have a woman as their senior pastor then that is their business, and I would cooperate with them to fulfill the Great Commission but I just would not be a member of that church.

Jesus didn’t seem to have a problem with women in ministry. It seems that He had women that traveled with him as He traveled from town to town and He didn’t have a problem being supported by their generosity.

Let me add that many times women have to fill roles that men should be filling because there are no men to fill those spots, or there are no men willing. On the mission field, women missionaries have started churches and out of necessity had to fill the role of pastor because there was no man there yet to pastor the church. Women are strong leaders in our churches today. They have always been strong leaders since the day they walked with Jesus like we find them doing in Luke chapter 8!

Application

I will write a note to some of our strong leaders today that just happen to be women and encourage them in their ministry!


Prayer

Heavenly Father, smile on us today. May your face shine on my wife, Kathy. She is a strong but gentle leader. Thank you for blessing me with her. Use her today to calm some storms. Help her to be an encourager and use her to help other women be all that you want them to be. Enlarge her ministry Lord. I pray for our other women that are in leadership. May they sense their worth and value today and may they draw their strength from you. Use them greatly in the life of our church. Amen!



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