One of Christ's Greatest Churches Opens Sermon Scroll to Women - And Some Questions (2023)

Highland Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas, one of the largest congregations of Churches of Christ in the United States, announced this month that both men and women will preach at its services. In the past, women were prohibited from preaching. After studying the scriptures, the elders discovered that “the scriptures supported a woman preaching in our congregation,” Loretta says.Fultonin oneespecialFor himAbilene News Reporter, Part ofunited states todayRed.

Women preaching in other places of the church of Christ

Fulton reports on two other Church of Christ congregations where women preachsame item, Refuge Church of Christ and Minter Lane Church of Christ.

At most Church of Christ colleges today, women preach in the chapel, while aminority—including Faulkner and Freed-Hardeman—continue to completely prohibit women from not only preaching but also singing, reading scripture, and leading prayers in their services when men are present.

The Churches of Christ are almost the only ones in Christianity that prohibit women in this way.

The vast majority of Churches of Christ completely prohibit women from speaking and leading their services and from teaching Sunday school to men and boys over the age of 10.

The Churches of Christ are almost the only ones in Christianity that completely prohibit women and girls in this way. Some denominations do not ordain women as senior pastors or priestesses, but generally do not prohibit women from reading the scriptures, leading songs, teaching Sunday school and similar functions, and in some cases from preaching.

Many evangelical denominations (z.B.,Assemblies of God, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Church of God, Church of the Nazarene) and nearly all major denominations (z.B., Methodist) ordain women pastors.

Few denominations in Christianity so completely prohibit women from speaking and serving as churches of Christ do.

It is customary in Islam to completely prohibit women from speaking and leading their worship. But it is not done uniformly in Islam.

Growing recognition of long-term harm to girls; trauma reports

A recent study found that there are only male leaders in the churchcauses long-term damagefor many of the young women in the congregation. He reported that adult women who had only male leaders in the church experienced (1) lower self-esteem (associated with more depression and anxiety), (2) less education, (3) higher unemployment, and (4) a more authoritarian and critical attitude. as a result a Vision of God (associated with negative mental health) on average than men and women who had influential women church leaders growing up.

In another recent survey, an alarmingly high percentage of women reported in churches of Christtrauma symptoms.

The growing number of churches of Christ has changed

As the Highland Church of Christ, a.s.increasing numberof Churches of Christ congregations studied and changed the Scriptures after concluding that prohibiting women and girls in this way simply follows a tradition of man and contradicts God's Word. Highland made this particular decision years ago during college and decided now was the time to implement it.

Many of the changing congregations have found that the churches of Christ have paid little attention to the issue.large amountScripture that calls women to speak to men, teach them, guide them, and have authority over them, in congregations and elsewhere. And youfinishedthat if the few sentences that people are pointing to support the tradition of forbidding women to speak entirely (1 Cor 14:34-35Y1 Timothy 2:12) be readin conection, do not mean that women are completely forbidden to speak.

You struggle with sin and some questions

Many people have come to the conclusion that it is immoral and sinful to attend services where women and girls are prohibited from speaking, whether they are prohibited from speaking as preachers or with others because of their gender.

Is it moral to attend a religious service where blacks are racially prohibited from preaching or otherwise speaking?

How, then, can it be moral to attend a religious service where women and girls are prohibited from preaching or otherwise speaking because of their gender, some ask?

(Remember, some Christians think that some phrases in the Bible mean that God commands blacks to have no authority over whites - the so-called curse of Ham, Genesis 9:20-27 - just as some Christians think that some phrases in the The Bible means that God commands that women should not be allowed to speak in worship.)

Jesus calls women and men to love (worship) God and love (serve) their neighbor with all their hearts, minds, and souls. This is the greatest commandment. (Mark 12:28-31)

Doesn't stop women from worshiping Godintheir hearts, minds and souls, and love and service to others in worship prevent women from doing what Jesus asks them to do? When women are prevented from singing, helping with communion, giving communion talks, etc., they are prevented from worshipinginyour heart, mind and soul and service to others.

Will we participate in preventing women and girls from doing what Jesus asks of them: participate in keeping women and girls silent and sitting because of their gender?

And when God asks the womanand againspeaking again in the bible, leading, teaching and exercising authority over men in a congregation and in other places, isn't it a sin to prevent women from doing this? (Click the Always About 20+ Scripture link)

We will participate in preventing women and girls from doing what God asks them to do: participate in helping women and girls to remain silent and sit because of their gender?

Would it be immoral and a sin to get involved in people being silent and sitting down because of their race?

If it is a sin to participate in racial discrimination and to participate in racial discrimination and to participate in it, how can you say that it is not a sin to participate and to participate and to participate in gender discrimination?

example of christ

Christ is the Word sent to the world. (John 1) And Christ asks us to follow his example. (John 13:13-16)

The first people to whom the Word revealed the good news of the resurrection were women, Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary." (John 20:16-17; Matthew 28:9)

The Word revealed the resurrection to them, pronounced the name of Mary, said“Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father”, telling them: “Do not be afraid” (John 20:16-17; Matthew 28:10).

Christ told them: "Go... to my brothers and tell them: 'I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God'" (John 20,17) "Go and tell my brothers to follow Galilee... ." (Matthew 28:10)

Mary Magdalene approached the assembled disciples and spoke to them and taught them: 'I have seen the Lord!'...she told them that he had told her these things” (John 20:17-18; see also Luke 24). :9, 33; John 20:10, 19))

Christ invites the women to go to the assembled men and tell them what the Word has revealed to women and what the Word expects of men.

But those who insist that women do not preach or teach men tell women that they do.nogo and tell the assembled men what the Word has revealed to women and what the Word wants from men.

And those who dismiss this as "merely" delivering or conveying a message denigrate what the message was, whose message it was, the occasion, and its importance. The arrogance to dismiss it as "merely" delivering a message is incredible. The value of this simple message is incalculable. This simple message being preached should never be received with such arrogance.

And the Greek terms for preacherjust meanta herald (a messenger who brings news), a messenger, an announcer, a herald, or the like in any case. In other words, for Mary to be a messenger bringing the news of the truth of the gospel of Christ's resurrection exactly means that she was a preacher, as that term was used in the New Testament. People who insist on more cut to the chase their modern, non-biblical, non-New Testament definition of a preacher.

Christ told women to preach to men. What are you doing?

Closing questions

So, in addition to the questions above, I will ask what example Christ sets for us and we follow him.

And will we, the churches of Christ, recognize that it is a sin to discriminate against women and girls in this way, apologize to the women and girls in our congregations, repent and change?

And if a church does not change or work diligently in this regard, how can someone who recognizes these things continue to partake of a good conscience, whether for their daughter or for themselves or those around them?

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Sources and Notes

For a discussion of Scripture on this topic, see Steve Gardner,“20 passages that call women to speak, teach, lead and have authority over men, in the congregation and elsewhere”,AuthenticTheology.com (September 3, 2018).

For a discussion of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 see Steve Gardner,“Most Christ Church colleges no longer exclude women from service leadership:…1 Corinthians 14:34-35…”,AuthenticTheology.com (May 22, 2018).

For a discussion of 1 Timothy 2:11-15 see Steve Gardner,“Most Christ Church universities no longer exclude women from leadership of services:…1 Timothy 2:12…”AuthenticTheology.com (May 30, 2018).

For a discussion of 1 Timothy 2:12 see Steve Gardner,“10 Churches of Christ Where Women Speak in Congregation: 1 Timothy 2:12, “Doctrine or Conquest of Authority” (Part 3),”AuthenticTheology.com (April 9, 2019).

For a discussion of old women, see Steve Gardner,“10 Churches of Christ Where Women Speak in Congregation: Old Women (Part 2)”AuthenticTheology.com (April 3, 2019).

Wiley Clarkson maintains a list of gender churches of Christ inwhere the spirit leads.

This total ban finds its roots in a key segment of the movement.of necessityIn the 19th and early 20th centuries, a narrow and traditional interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:12 held that women were prohibited from speaking, teaching, or exercising authority over men in any public place: in the workplace, in in government, in the military, in church, at conferences, in public, everywhere. In the 20th century, the denomination restricted it to church use only, but pocket arguments today argue that it goes further.

Some are also unsurprised by the long-term negative effects of young women looking to their mothers and friends and finding themselves barred from precious leadership and ministry every Sunday for years simply because of their gender. It would not be surprising if young girls who watch their mothers and their friends and who are discriminated against every Sunday for years have a negative impact on these girls. And of course, if men and boys see that young women are discriminated against in the church, it would affect how those men and boys treat those young women in the workforce.

On other denominations, for example, the Baptist history of women's preaching and ordination:https://religionnews.com/2019/06/27/should-southern-baptist-women-be-preachers-a-centuries-old-controversy-finds-new-life/

(Before you dismiss this with the idea that the Bible tells me so, remember that only a small percentage of Christians think that God commands that women be completely prohibited from speaking and leading worship. I think about 4% of American Christians participate in this practice I suspect that the percentage of Christians who believe in the curse of Ham is lower but not negligible it could be approaching that number I hope it does not.)

I believe it is about 1-3% of American Christians who completely exclude women from speaking, leading and actively serving in worship, the majority of that being Churches of Christ. Most of the Primitive Baptists and Amish, some Conservative Mennonites, some of the Independent Fundamentalist Baptists, and the Plymouth Brethren do the same as the CoC, to my knowledge, but they are small groups. A much larger proportion of IFBs come close to this, but generally allow women to lead vocals, singing solo or in small close-up groups. The only religious group of any size besides the Churches of Christ that *completely* excludes women from speaking and leading worship that I could find is Islam, and it's not a monolithic practice for Islam, it's cultural. It is my understanding that most orthodox religious traditions allow women, for example, to read scripture in their worship. If you know anything else, can add or remove something from this list, or have any comments, I'd love to hear from you. Please contact me about theContactbook page. Thank you so much.

See these passages for the use of "predict" translated from the root word "reden" or "speak" / laleo:

Acts 14:25
Marcos 2:2
Acts 13:42
Acts 8:25
Acts 11:19
Acts 16:6

Of course, "husband of one wife" in 1 Tim 3 is not a requirement to be a minister (nor does it require one to be married or male). The elements in 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1 (for example, having children) areno requirements checklistbe an elder, pastor or preacher. In fact, Paul, single with no children, encouraged people to stay single. And Jesus was single and had no children. Paul notes that he was "appointed a preacher and an apostle" (1 Timothy 2:7).

Added 10/1: many evangelical denominations (z.B.,Assemblies of God, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Church of God, Church of the Nazarene) and nearly all major denominations (z.B., Methodist) ordain pastors. See sources/notesHere.

Added: Rains et al., "Unity in Christ: A Qualitative Study of Women's Early Experiences as Leaders in Public Worship at Broadway Church of Christ“https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/discernment/vol7/iss1/2/

Updates: September 17 13:19 (clarified time of Highland decision); Sep 20 8:06 (made wrestling section more readable; added last closing question; cleanup); Sep 21 at 10:49 p.m. (Harding delisted with Freed in light of comment, but it's unclear if he's included or not); 5/10 added the last two paragraphs to the examples of Christ section and parentheses; 5/20, with an emphasis on edits.

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