Theologian and Pastor who thinks out loud.
I have heard from many women ministers over the last couple months. Overwhelmingly, the message is this: “Even though I’m in a denomination that ordains women, no one will hire me.” I am beginning to wonder if we don’t need an affirmative action program for the church.
Several passages in 1 Corinthians have been used to claim that women should not be leaders or teachers in the Church. I think St. Paul would be appalled by such an interpretation and that significant scholarly evidence would support this conclusion. (There are many places in this post where I am following the good work by Phillip Payne in his book cited below.)
In my work as a University Chaplain, I talk a lot with students about having a good mentor and becoming a good mentor to another. One of the findings of the National Study of Youth and Religion is that only committed religious parents can have more impact on the religious faithfulness of young people than adult mentors. Mentors matter.
A little while ago I wrote a post about women in leadership that was viewed more than 7,000 times, still one of my most popular posts. Of those views, only 200 people clicked through to the N.T. Wright article that presented the biblical arguments upon which my post depended.
I know that many that viewed the post were those that already shared my opinion and had researched the topic. But many that I interacted with via social media complained that my article wasn’t biblical. Well here you go.
A few weeks ago I wrote about the double standards that women leaders in the church face. Many of the women responded affirmatively to my comments that a woman’s appearance is scrutinized far more than her male colleagues.
Left to Right: Rev. Renee Perkins, Rev. Jenifer Stuelpe Gibbs, Rev. Jill Moffett Howard
Three Indiana United Methodist clergy on their ordination day.
When I was a 23 year old theology student, I nominated the first woman to be elder in the life of our conservative church. The response: “We don’t feel called to challenge the church constitution at this time.”
Most of us are pulled in lots of different directions. Sometimes we come to church and are challenged to do more: more prayer, more missions, more giving and so on. Our university students at University of Indianapolis’s McCleary Chapel are no different. This is my call to the students to “Do Only What You Are Called To Do.”
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Dr. Jeremiah Gibbs 