This post is the first in a series on God’s kingdom women. Each post will be deliberately controversial. I hope that readers will weigh in with their comments. Please join the conversation.
My contention is that those who hold a hierarchal view of gender (men must lead; women must submit) base their claims on grounds that are biblically inconclusive, historically inaccurate, theologically incoherent, philosophically inconsistent, and ethically irresponsible. In the following weeks the posts seek to answer the well-founded questions that are raised by those who observe the inequity between men and women in the church.
- If men are superior to women, then why doesn’t God say so in his word?
- If men are in charge, then why have women gotten the blame historically?
- If men desire to rule by privilege and domination, then why did Jesus become a servant?
- If men are essentially equal to women, then why are women still forbidden to serve in leadership positions?
- If men are effective leaders, then why is there still so much abuse in the church and the home?
My contention is that God has always called and gifted women for service in his kingdom. Christians believe that God’s Word is eternal. I believe that what God has to say about his children is of the most importance, so we will look at what the Bible has to say about women in ministry first. The principles that it contains are timeless so we will look at history. Since God is in control of history, we should expect to find evidence of the fulfillment of God’s plan for women throughout history. Since God gives understanding, we should expect theology to conform to God’s design. Since God give wisdom, we should expect to discover that philosophical pursuits will agree with God’s Word. And since God created men and women to love and serve in his kingdom, we will find that not following Jesus as our example will lead to ethical problems.
Over the next few weeks we will illustrate the problems with a view that only men may serve God in leadership positions in the church by relating the stories of women who were clearly called and gifted by God for service.
This week we will start with a story about a woman who was so gifted for her service that the male leadership let her do all of the work. She was undoubtedly doing the work of a deacon. At her church, only males were allowed to be called deacons, so she served faithfully without a title. She did not seek one; she was too humble and only wished to serve. Anyway, at her church titles were for men only.
Dorothy – Gifted by God
Dorothy was an indefatigable worker. She was involved in every ministry of the church: worship committee, music committee, home visitations, church dinners, ministry updates for the church newsletter, and just being there for anyone who needed help. Dorothy was dedicated to serving Christ by serving others.
This kind and caring woman maintained the food and clothing and household item put in the large barrels or boxes where goods were collected for charity. Dorothy was the one who made sure the donated food got to the local food bank in a timely fashion. Dorothy sorted the clothing that was donated and took the items to appropriate places. Serviceable women and children’s clothing went to the Women’s Shelter. Many other things went to the Salvation Army. One of the things I really admired about Dorothy was that she was willing to handle even the grubby, unwashed items that people were just throwing in to rid themselves of these items easily. She never complained or criticized. She never put any reminders in the church bulletin for folks to donate only usable items. She maintained a grateful attitude wherever she went. Dorothy had a true servant’s heart.
At Dorothy’s church many women helped her by taking food to those who were homebound for various reasons. Mothers of new babies were so glad to see their friends show up with enough home -cooked meals for a week for their family. Some women volunteered to clean the house or run errands for the new mother. Many offered temporary babysitting service. The husbands and fathers were also grateful for this help. Occasionally someone was laid off work. Again, the women would be there with groceries and anything else that might help. Childcare might be provided if the wife could get work while the husband was looking for a new job. The family would be thrilled when the smiling Dorothy would show up at their door. They were grateful for the material help but were warmed and encouraged by her personal attention. Dorothy assured them that everybody needs a helping hand some time and it was her privilege to be of service.
In Dorothy’s church a deacon was considered an officeholder. They believed that only men could hold an office and so all the deacons were men. Their job was to meet once a month and decide how the money would be spent. Decisions would be made about allocating the funds including salaries, building and grounds, ministries, and obligations. The Benevolent Fund was kept separate because people would designate with their contribution some money used to help others in the congregation who were experiencing difficulties. Members of the congregation could apply for financial assistance and the deacons would decide on a case-by-case basis on whom they would bestow the money. The head of the household, whether the husband or the elder in case of a widow, would come before the deacon board and explain their circumstances. The deacons would then direct the church treasurer to give the money to the congregant in need. The deacons handed out the money, but they did not do any visiting or care giving; that was for the women.
The congregation was handling the care for its members in the way that they had been taught. They sincerely believed that they held a biblical position in giving men the authority in decision making while delegating the tasks to women, who it is supposed are the natural care givers. Thousands of congregations follow these traditions which have been handed down for centuries. They believe what is taught by their elders, who were given the authority by God to instruct the congregation. They never question the hierarchy in the church. In fact, the other women felt that as Christian women it was their spiritual calling to assist Dorothy whenever they could and leave the decision making to the men.
Everyone at Dorothy’s church seemed happy and fulfilled in their work. I admired Dorothy very much and she never gave the impression that her church wasn’t the ideal, biblical church. It wasn’t until I had started working on a bible and theology degree at seminary and studied the scriptures and church history in depth that I began to have questions.
Inspired by Dorothy’s situation, I paid especial attention to Acts 6:1-7 where the story of the choosing of the first deacons is told to us by Luke. Yes, they were all men, but they were waiting on tables. At Dorothy’s church the men did not wait on tables. In addition, Luke does not tell us that this was an office. It was an important, needed service; in fact, the men in Acts were fulfilling the role of care giving. Where were the women? The deacons were following Christ’s example of ministering to the needy. I did a lot of meditating on this story. Above all, I want to serve God and I want to be sure to serve him in the way he wants me to. I believe that his word gives us the instructions for holy living including charitable works and ministry.
Looking at Dorothy’s church I asked:
What is a deacon? Is it an office or an area of service? May women be deacons? Was Dorothy called and gifted for her ministry?
What is it saying about servanthood when women do all the work while the men take the titles and the credit?
Would Jesus do it this way?
Is the only credential needed for service maleness? Does God say that? What are the biblical qualifications for deacon?
What about the historical evidence? Have we been doing it wrong for centuries?
Today, there are actually many congregations looking at the Scriptures and condescending to give women the title of deacon. But, they consider that work beneath the work of elders, so it’s ok with them; they just won’t ever give women the title of elder. I believe that they still have an ungodly, unbiblical hierarchy.
What do you think?
