I spent more time on this essay than nearly anything else I've ever done. If I could get a Master's in Gender and the Church, I would. (But not exactly a field full of jobs, so something else it is). This didn't make the best grade ever because I had a theologically conservative teacher and he refuted a lot of my points.
In 2015, ten percent of senior pastors in Christian churches were women (Emmert 2). While this is not overly impressive, especially given the 37 million churches around the world (Kramer 6), it has generated quite a buzz as the number rises each year. When I told my brother that I was going to write a paper in defense of women ministers, he said in genuine bafflement, "It's 2019. Are people still having that conversation?" The fact that there are people in this world had no idea women pastors could even be an issue is not a sufficient argument. Yes, it is 2019, but that does not disguise the fact that a sizeable portion of Christians still stand by 1 Timothy 2:11-12 and consider the ordination of women strictly forbidden by God. However, when one delves into the historical and spiritual context of a few select verses, his or her understanding begins to change.
Let us start by looking at the verses that seem to prohibit women from leadership roles:
"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet" (1 Timothy 2:11-12, NIV).
"Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. If they have any questions, they should ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings" (1 Corinthians 13:34-35, NLT).
"But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God" (1 Corinthians 11:13, ESV).
Most people, including the official website for the United Methodist church, use Galatians 3:28 as a rebuttal. "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (NIV). However, the use of this verse is a weak argument. Within the context of Galatians 3, this speaks of equal salvation for all, and nothing of equal leadership rights. A reliable solution to this problem does not present itself clearly and immediately. To understand the validity of women preachers, one must dig into the context, something necessary for much of the Bible.
First, we were not meant to take everything in the Bible as literal. If women stayed silent in the church building, as 1 Corinthians 13:34 orders, they would not be able to sing, take part in liturgies, say the communion prayers, greet friends, offer encouraging words, or whisper to their children. Colossians and Ephesians—books written by Paul, who also penned these words about women—offer instructions on the keeping of slaves. Does this mean slavery is okay? If one is to take the Bible in the absolute literal sense, then everything looks crystal-clear. Slavery is allowed if regulated and women are forbidden from making a sound in church. Is it this easy?
It may be easier to take these things at face value, but it is wrong. Instead, we need to look at these scenarios in the manner of Stephen J. Lennox, author of the excellent God's Story Revealed, in which he writes, "For God to work in our present culture, He accommodates himself to our individualism and human-centeredness. But He loves people, so He works with them wherever He finds them" (Lennox 42). Much of the Bible makes little to no sense until a careful reader considers the history and circumstances surrounding the events. The seemingly ridiculous laws in the Old Testament were carefully crafted by God to keep the Israelites safe and to make them stand out as his chosen people. God knew the early church society was one steeped in a culture of slavery, and instead of immediately outlawing it, he instead regulated it. God, as Lennox points out, "moves slowly" (Lennox 18), not throwing significant changes onto a group of people all at once.
