Hi. I don't mean to say it's a huge majority, and the complementarian viewpoint obviously remains the norm in most Baptist circles, but the tide is turning across evangelicalism to the point at which many, I would estimate a slight majority, evangelicals will either:
1) affirm an egalitarian viewpoint, or
2) admit uncertainty regarding the issue, or
3) be complementarian, while admitting that textual interpretation of this issue is tricky
And this is from my experience, both in Baptist churches and other evangelical fellowships, in Baptist university and other evangelical institutions.
Blessings.
Reaching Women and Children With Woman Pastors
Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by gb93433, Aug 10, 2010.
Page 2 of 4
-
-
Women should not be pastors or teach men, but they can teach (not pastor) women and children. A pastor can only be a man. There are no provisions in God's word for a woman pastor.
-
Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
-
-
Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
-
-
I have found that if I take the time to lead men they will lead other men if I led them in such a way to reach anyone anywhere. We can lead a man to Christ in 20 minutes to two hours but it typically takes about 20 months to 2 years to get him on the road and going. I think we get back what we are investing in. If the men are not leading then we may be wearing them out as slave labor and not training them to lead. Men are results and goal oriented. Men will not do what you want them to do unless they are sold on it. In order to be sold on it they must see that it goes beyond just slave labor and what you want. I think too many pastors and congregations expect the pastor to perform miracles when he should be concentrating on small numbers for himself and everyone else. If everyone is discipling another then everyone is being reached. Typically I never met with more than four men personally but they are men reaching men. I do things in such a way that if they are not following then they will leave. Sometimes they want to do something else and that is okay.
Every time I do ministry I try to take one or two men with me. It doubles as time together and ministry. They see how I do ministry.
I have seen men who are great leaders in the business world falter in the church because they do not transfer what they already know and apply it to ministry. I just started meeting with a man who had about 300 employees and he cannot figure out why he did so well in business and not in the church. He is like an incredible magnet with people but does not lead them because he has not made the transfer. Right now he is imitating what he has seen done in the church and not what I know he did in business. My next step with him will be to help him to realize that if he does things the same way he did in his business then most likely he will be able to reach more people.
Ministry is much like what Nehemiah did. It works well but it does take organization and thoroughness.
I visited a church many years ago to learn from them and see what they were doing right. The pastor at the time was not all that good of a preacher in terms of dynamic but he knew what was needed to turn that church around. He hired his first staff member to make disciples. In the first year the man met with five men every week for over one year. Eventually those five started leading ministries. At the end of ten years that church went from 250 to 4000. Too many today are short sighted and not quality minded. That is true in the business world too. Too much is dependent on the quarterly report rather than being focused on the long term.
A good book I recently read on men's ministry is Pastoring Men: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why It Matters Now More Than Ever by Patrick Morley. Morley says the answer to having men lead is by making disciples. I have been praying for two men in the church and two weeks ago they asked to meet with me. Near the end of our first meeting they asked if we could keep meeting. I have not met with any of them less than two hours. They are men who want to grow and learn. I give them homework each time we meet. Then I follow up on the homework next time.
We cannot expect men to know where we are headed unless we guide them. I do not tell antagonists where I am headed because they have the giftedness of the paralysis of analysis and do not produce anything except new ideas that they do not do. I just tell them to start a ministry and see where it leads. What they always start is nothing. I have seen them fail time after time. They are like an empty bag. An empty bag makes the most noise. -
You know a good way to solve this problem? Get the congregation together as a whole and preach to them as a whole.
-
Scarlett O. ModeratorModerator
...................................
-
-
No matter what culture anyone uses to justify their disagreement with God's word. God is the same God He was yesterday, today and He will be tomorrow! -
-
-
And I am also never, not in a million years, going to say that there is any shadow of turning with God. But the issue of female subservience would seem to be an issue of accommodation. There are also times where a certain behavior would be appropriate and where it would not, such as alcohol consumption, depending on context. -
-
Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
-
-
Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
-
Page 2 of 4