Can women be in a position of authority over both women and men in the Baptist Church ?
In some faiths women can be in authority over women only !
Women in position of authority !
Discussion in '2005 Archive' started by bruren777, Jun 21, 2005.
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Gold Dragon Well-Known Member
Some say yes.
Christians for Biblical Equality
Some say no to women having authority over men.
Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
These two groups probably best represent both sides of the issue. -
Circuitrider <img src=/circuitrider2.JPG>Site Supporter
The way the question is worded it sounds like there is some Baptist Pope out there who decides for Baptists whether women are to be used as leaders or not.
The simple answer to this question is that every local church has to decide how women are to be used.
For me, women may lead other women and minister to children, but there a clear biblical prohibitions against women teaching or having authority over men. That is where my church and I both stand on the Word of God. -
What constitutes authority?
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Circuitrider has said it well.
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Thank you, that's what I thought. I know of two Baptist churches in which one woman is the pastor. The other has a woman in the position of director of education, so she is over all teachers in the church, men and women alike.
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At the risk of sounding like the alpha male, the popular term in the 60s & 70s was sexist.
I do not dominate my wife, nor does she dominate me.
We share responsibilities and decisions.
By authority in the church I mean when said person calls a male member at home and wants him to do things at the church. This has occured more than once.
A situation such as this tenuous at best in any church.
Also directing men on how to present a topic for Sunday school. -
Well now bruren, calling and asking for things to be done voluntarily, is a whole lot different than calling and saying it must be done.
One is a question the other an order. Only a person of authority is allowed to give orders. In the church that should be a man. Even then, orders should be given carefully if the man is wise. -
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Gold Dragon Well-Known Member
1 Timothy 2:11-15
1 Corinthians 14:34-36
1 Corinthians 11:2-16 -
Thanks Gold Dragon. You are right; the Ephesians reference is of no help here. That was an off day for me.
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Gold Dragon Well-Known Member
Now that our roles are reversed, I submit to her while she give audience to my suggestions. We have a great working relationship and serve together in many capacities.
Honestly, she does a better job at it than I did. -
As I look at those verses, none of them really speaks to the subject of women in authority. One tells women that when they preach (prophesy) that they need to keep thier head covered - I suppose in or out of church, the other tells women to keep silent in church. As I understand it, the history behind that verse is that women sat on one side of the chruch and men on the other. the problem the church had was that too many people were talking at once, and asking questions - Paul in trying to restore order commanded the women to ask thier husbands for an explanation when they got home. The purpose of the verse was to restore order to the fellowship.
Of course on this board I hold a very minority view. -
I know there are alot of men who resent being under the authority of a woman for reasons other than a scriptural basis. They resent it on the in their work environments and so it stands to reason that they would resent it in all situations.
I look at it differently, probably because I was reared mainly by my mother who was thrown into the role of primary bread winner as my dad was disabled for the majority of my life with Parkinson's Disease. He was unable to work and mom took the reins of the household and worked at several jobs for low pay, but kept our family of eight afloat. We never had want for food on our table and I owe a great deal to my blessed mother.
Our household was all female except my older brother who was married when I was about 9, my father who was passive and dependent, and me. My maternal grandmother lived with us too along with my mother and my 2 sisters.
Mother was the wage earner, the cook, and the nurturer of us kids and we helped in the household as best we could.
So, I have never held any animosity toward women being in charge in any position in the church and out in other areas even in the supervisory position over me on the job.
Now I know that this is likely to be off topic somewhat, and I know some of you will admonish me for this post as you are not talking about in the home or any place but in the church, but I just wanted to throw my two cents in here as my view is not a popluar one and not held by many men.
Maybe too that is why I listen to some of the women on this board when they try to instruct or teach or be an authority. And.... btw, I do not NOT listen to men either. -
Definition of authority by the Roman officer who's servant was healed by Jesus (Mat 8:9) "I know, because I am under the authority of my superior officers and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, 'Go,' and they go, or 'Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, 'Do this or that,' they do it."
Any pastor that thinks he can do that in a local church is about one good Baptist business meeting away from being unemployed -
We ordain women because we baptize girls - Chuck Poole
Love this quote! -
Also, this implies that anyone baptized can be ordained just because they've been baptized, and ignores the requirements set forth in scripture. I think it's a terrible quote, sorry. :rolleyes:
As a former strong feminist, pro-abortion and all, I would never belong to a church with a woman pastor.
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