Most Devout Evangelicals Support Female Preachers?
If you ever have a female behind a pulpit preaching a sermon, I encourage you to get up, leave, and never return. Find a church who holds to and obeys all of Scripture. Unfortunately, “three quarters of the most devout evangelicals believe that women should have a place behind the pulpit,” according to an article in Christianity Today. Now I understand why I receive so much push back whenever I teach on this topic. Women are not to hold leadership positions in the churches!
God’s Word is very clear that women are not to be in leadership positions in the churches. The deacons and elders (the God-ordained authority in the churches) are to be men; “the husband of one wife.” What are women’s roles in the churches? “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church” (1 Corinthians 14:34, 35). “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection” (1 Timothy 2:11).
There isn’t ONE woman in the entire Bible who was in a leadership position in a church. The Church wasn’t established until after Christ’s resurrection, therefore, no women in the Old Testament had authority positions in a church. Junia was of “note among the apostles” so the apostles knew him/her (Romans 16:7). We don’t even know if Junia was a man or a woman. There were only 12 apostles plus the apostle Paul. Junia was not an apostle. Jesus only chose men as His apostles. Priscilla was never said to have been in a leadership position in a church. Phoebe was a “servant of the church” and had no leadership position (Romans 16:1).
The reason that the majority of evangelical Christians accept female preachers/pastors is because they don’t know the Bible and they aren’t being taught truth regarding this matter from the pulpit. Some will ask me, “So what’s the big deal?” The big deal is that it’s in disobedience to God’s Word, and as soon as one begins to compromise on God’s commands, it’s a slippery slope from there. That’s a big deal!
There are two reasons given for women not being in leadership positions in 1 Timothy 2. One was that God made Adam first. He put Adam in charge and secondly, Eve was deceived. Women are more easily deceived as we see so many women following and wholeheartedly supporting female preachers, such as Beth Moore, Joyce Meyer, Christine Caine, Priscilla Shirer, and many more. (You can learn about all of these women and more HERE.)
Whenever I write about this, women will accuse me of preaching. For one thing, I am not in a church. I have never stood behind a pulpit and preached. I have no authority over anyone. I am teaching women the doctrines of biblical womanhood as commanded that I do in Titus 2:3-5. (I made a video on this topic HERE.)
What about 1 Corinthians 11:5 that commands women to cover their heads when they pray or prophecy? Does this mean they can speak in the churches? Here is what Gill’s Exposition Commentary wrote about this verse: “But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth,…. Not that a woman was allowed to pray publicly in the congregation, and much less to preach or explain the word, for these things were not permitted them: see 1 Corinthians 14:34 but it designs any woman that joins in public worship with the minister in prayer, and attends on the hearing of the word preached, or sings the praises of God with the congregation, as we have seen, the word prophesying signifies, with her head uncovered.”
God’s Word never changes. It is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Women haven’t changed since the Apostle Paul wrote his instructions about women in the churches either. “Women must stop believing the devil’s lie that the only role of significance is that of leadership.” (John MacArthur) Our roles in serving the churches, our families, neighbors, friends, and others is every bit as significant as any type of leadership position. Mothers, you are raising the next generation. What can be more important than that?
Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:104,105
32 thoughts on “Most Devout Evangelicals Support Female Preachers?”
Amen! Sad world we live in, the church has caved in to feminism.
What exactly is a Deacon? I don’t know, because my church doesn’t have them. But Paul refers to Phoebe as a deacon of the church in Cenchreae.
We attended a small community church for several years. We came in one Sunday morning and they were having a woman preach, so we left. We attended that church for probably a year-and-a-half more before they voted in a woman/man pastor couple. The woman introduced herself to me as “pastor” Carrie and I just said “nice to meet you”, and internally I knew I would never address her as Pastor. That was the last time we went to that church. We didn’t really talk to people about it before we left because we weren’t looking to cause division or drama. I only told a couple of friends who asked me why we were leaving. It was really a bummer because it was a great way to get to know the people in our town who loved the Lord, but this is one thing my husband and I will not compromise on.
I had a discussion with my sister-in-law about women pastors one time and I mentioned the verse about women keeping quiet in the church and she said “well, I think that verse has been misinterpreted”. And I wasn’t trying to be mean, but I actually laughed at her, loudly. It’s just ridiculous to see, in the flesh!! that people actually believe this. How could God’s word be any clearer?
“I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea” (Romans 16:1 KJV).
“8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 3)
KAK,
This is why the translation of the bible that you use (can be) important.
The Greek word that we sometimes translate into deacon is “diakonos”:
According to Strong’s Concordance:
diakonos: a servant, minister
Original Word: διάκονος, οῦ, ὁ, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine; Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: diakonos
Phonetic Spelling: (dee-ak’-on-os)
Definition: a servant, minister
Usage: a waiter, servant; then of any one who performs any service, an administrator.
As with many words in the Bible, the proper translation and usage depends upon context.
As Lori wrote above, in the Church, as Paul wrote to Timothy (and as described in Acts 6), there is an OFFICE of deacon (a leadership position), which clearly can only belong to a man (the husband of one wife).
Since we know that Phoebe is a woman, the best translation of “diakonos” in the verses speaking of her would be (the most common translation and usage of the word) “servant”, which is what the VAST majority of the translations (including the KJV) do.
Phoebe was a servant in the “church which is at Cenchrea”. She did not hold any leadership position and anyone who would contend that she did has a feminist agenda they are trying to push.
A description of what Deacons (male office holders) in the church do, is found in Acts 6:1-6.
Did God really say is still an effective tactic by Satan.
The church forfeits one aspect of Scripture it becomes much easier to do.
Caving on a six-day creation is another example
The church I was raised in had very good values. No alcohol, no television, no drugs, church discipline for fornicators, homosexuals, drug users, no movies, no secular music. A very beautiful and pure place, though, when human nature is involved, it’s never 100% pure.
Also, they understood you could lose your salvation, and the Fear of God, which is the real root of righteousness, was in that church.
However, it was a splinter off of another Church of Christ, because a woman didn’t believe in paying preachers. She was right about the preachers not being paid, the root of the lukewarm mess today’s church is in, but, unfortunately, wrong in her method.
As a result, the church emasculated many men, and had many domineering women. This occurred at the time of unprecedented sexual temptation in America, so when men are emasculated, it doesn’t take an Einstein to see where those with weak faith will turn to.
“A man knocking at the door of a brothel is knocking for God”
Chesterton
Great book by the brilliant E Michael Jones.
https://www.fidelitypress.org/book-products/libido-dominandi
The equally brilliant Henry Makow (A Jew for the lying snakes who call me an anti-Semite), has a fabulous article yesterday titled “Love is woman’s stock in trade”, on this topic as well.
https://www.henrymakow.com/
Women are fantastic at teaching other women and children, but, when they seek to usurp the mans role, they defy God, and bring misery and grief upon themselves. Look at feminists, they never age gracefully, and they rarely fail to be as internally homely as they frequently are externally.
Rebellion against God often leaves a mark which reduces attractiveness, though Satan is a master at Deceit, and representing that which is good as evil, and that which is evil as good.
Women preaching is not something I’ll ever be comfortable with. It wasn’t taught to me but always seemed instinctual. I also stopped attending women conferences and such because they’re all generally focused on how working women can get more prayer time or time for themselves.
Any women who think that it is OK for women to be Pastors and Preachers and be in authority over men in church, I would like to ask you this; when the apostle Paul told women in the churches not to be authority over men or be Pastors or Preachers, and to be quiet, do you think they disobeyed Paul?
One of the saddest consequences of this feminist longing for running out there, no matter where, to become a “pastoress” or any other thing, is that the sacred mission commanded by the Lord to women, wives and mothers, is left undone. Any other profession will soon find a substitute, but a wife and mother´s role in that family, in that unique home, is irreplaceable. The mission God gave us women was so essential, so crucial, that if we leave, nobody else will do it properly. Unfortunately, somebody came and convinced most women that it had no importance, when in fact, it has an eternal, decisive importance in the many lives placed to be there, of all times and places possible in history, to be nurtured, taught, loved, sung to and influenced by that woman, and no other. The few women-leaders I´ve met had this common factor: their homes were in ruins, their husbands unattended, their children uncared, their inner peace missing as they never stopped running here and there.
I think we should pray “Thy will be done” much more. A Christian should be focusing on what his/her dear Lord´s will is for today, for this week, for this short time we are given, in the special circumstances we´ve been placed. When I listen to some supposedly Christian leaders, men and women, so full of their own goals, I usually get the feeling that the will of God is the last thing in the world that has ever crossed their minds.
We used to have a shop underneath a church office building and the pastor was a divorced woman who had remarried. Honestly, it was bizarre. My husband used to enjoy debating the Bible with her, particularly the bits about women and divorce. She seemed to truly not get it. How could she possibly preach the gospel when she doesn’t follow the Bible?
The command for women to be silence in the church is one that appears to be an anathema to so many. They just will not do it (obviously they are more spiritual than all the women Paul referred to and Paul himself). I understand the women in rebellion but I’m often taken aback to know how many men support this nonsense. They are like Adam taking the fruit from Eve even though they know better, or Abraham taking bad advice from Sarah even though he knew better. I’m shocked that there are any men at all in these audiences. If all the men walked out that would stop this but somehow women find a way to speak and to preach; they have a “word from the Lord” or they are leading the congregation in singing and they have an “encouraging thought” etc.
We will not knowingly attend a congregation that allows this. We usually check their websites when we are out of town visiting a new congregation.
Men are designed by the Lord to fight for women, not with them. Most of the time when wives have an argument with their husband, the husband shuts down. This is a part of how the Lord programmed the male mind to help de- escalate the conflict and control his emotions. Invariably, the wife misinterprets his silence as unloving, but the opposite is usually true. As we see Feminism take hold in society and culture, we have seen men retreat. The best way to get rid of men, is to tell them they are not needed. This has been the constant theme being preached from entertainment to academia. Men are not designed to fight for themselves, only to sacrifice for ideals larger than themselves. This is why men volunteer for military service.and in times of war, the enlistment rates increase. This speaks to the base instinct in a man, to protect the vulnerable, to serve the greater good for his fellow man. In return he hopes to be rewarded with respect and love from his country and his family.
So now that the tentacles of Feminism have been increasingly enveloping the church, we see men, consistent with their nature, retreating from a fight they are unable to win. I have heard the lament from women for years saying,”Where have all the good men gone?” Well, I will share it with you, they are hiding in plain sight. Yes, too many have opted to retreat to their parents basement playing video games, to fight and win on the only platform they feel they can win on. Far more are working hard to lead and provide, those are the hardwired tasks God has placed inside him, most without the adoration and respect they deserve.
So why have men retreated from church where the Word of God is preached, why aren’t husbands involved more, why? I will tell you, the last bastion of hope and support for his role in the family and in the community was the church, and it has largely betrayed and abandoned Biblical teaching on headship. Most have not even heard the term. The church has gone the way of all the institutions where a man’s contribution was respected and cherished.
It was in the church where a man learned how the home structure was designed by God and was encouraged and fiercely defended.
It was in the church where a man learned what his role and responsibilities were in his family, church and community.
It was in the church where a man learned that marriage is a picture of Christ and her bride. The church is led, rebuked, encouraged, loved, washed, sanctified and purified by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Marriage should look like this.
It was in the church where a man saw the older women teaching the younger women to 1) Love their husbands, 2) Love their children, 3) Be keepers at home, and the whole point of this mandate is so that the Word of God is not blasphemed. (Titus 2) .
I
t was in the church where a man learned to love his wife as Christ loves His church. This is the self sacrificial life of the husband to protect, provide and pro generate his family.
It was in the church where a man learned that he along with his God is enough to provide for his family. He learns to trust God to meet his needs and establish the work of his hands. It’s also where his wife was encouraged to accept the standard of living God has allowed her husband to provide, and be content with the things she had.
It was in the church where a man learned to invest his time, talents and treasure to meet the needs of those closest to him, but also for those around the world.
It’s also where he learns women are prohibited from leadership positions, Paul expressly stated that women should not have leadership over a man in the church. But you see, this is just one of a long list of areas we have tossed to the curb of expediency. This is where Feminism has taken an obvious stand. More subtle areas would include things
Lack of standards in and out of church.
Lack of teaching on Biblical roles for men and women.
Lack of teaching on Biblical submission for wives to their husbands.
Lack of commanding men to take the leadership in their homes and church.
Lack of Biblical hymnody that exalts the power, might and authority of God Almighty.
Lack of politically incorrect, Biblical worldview preaching.
Lack of fellowship times where people can share their Christian walk with the local body of believers.
Lack of encouragement for young women to seek marriage and family as opposed to career and worldly pursuits.
Men will rise to the challenge when they are needed and see a path for love and respect. Yes, men should be like Christ in that he was abused, betrayed and crucified, and yet still endured the
cross of shame for all of us, even for those that did and would reject him. Great men are all around, but few are great apart from great women. When the women get right with God and stop trying to “do it all” and “climb the ladder”, “break down the barriers”, “my body my choice”, maybe then we will see men step up in the areas we need them to. Yes. we need more good men, but when will the women allow them and encourage them to stand? When will the women see their ministry is to their husband first, to their children second and everything else 3rd? When will the lure of monetary success fade away to family success? When will we see our men as God’s gift to our family, church and community?
I hope you write a lot more about this Lori. I respect everyone and try and make the point politely but I’m becoming a bit hesitant to correct them because these women that preach sermons to men can get quite nasty and they seem to have a little gang of women followers who are just as nasty. I admire your bravery. Going by what I’ve seen, having women in leadership roles in churches over men, creates such a mess, especially in the family unit. When the women are silent, submissive, etc, the men thrive, notably they become more and more confident in every area, whether it be in their family or some role in church. Also the women are content and happier. I’ve been in Christian churches a lot longer than I’ve been a Christian myself because I had Christian foster parents.
My husband and I know of many pastors who know biblical truth but settle to worldly opinion because they’re afraid of teaching the true Word of God. They are literally afraid to teach biblical womanhood and submission because they’re worried about how the women in the congregation will react. Imagine that! Being more afraid of disobedient, sinful women than of contorting the words of a holy and perfect God.
Our response has always been Matthew 10:28: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” If I had spent my life leading my congregants astray by knowingly and purposefully twisting God’s Word to remain liked and popular, judgment day would be terrifying.
Christianity Today jumped the shark quite awhile ago. They’re clearly promoting progressive religion over Christianity. I’m not surprised they “found” such overwhelming support among “devout evangelicals,” whatever that means.
Dear Montesquieu, can lose your salvation?? Frankly, that church sounds like a place where head-games get played upon the vulnerable, just for kicks.
As for giving up beer, movies, tv, grunge-metal, card playing…that can be done in the flesh, Buddhists pull that off quite successfully.
Hi Lori, I wasn’t sure how to contact you, other than here, because I don’t have social media, such as Facebook, etc.. This is kinda off topic, but I’d Like your opinion, or rather your understanding on the Word of God, on this one subject. I know a woman who married a divorced man, several years ago. Their Marriage has been in a bad place now too, for quite some time. My mother in law whom I really respect told my husband and I, that the way she understands the Bible is that when someone marries a divorced person, they are both committing adultery, because I guess God doesn’t acknowledge that marriage. Matthew 5:31-32 talks on that subject. So she thinks the woman should just leave her husband, and they should both remain single, until death. Now I’m not planning to ever advise anyone to leave their spouse, since God so hates divorce. But this is a very messy situation, and I’m not sure how to admonish the woman biblically, on what she should do. The Bible doesn’t seem to be clear on what to do once you’re in that situation. It just says not marry a divorced person, because you’ll both be committing adultery, then. This woman says that her husband lied to her about lots of things, and she didn’t know he was divorced before they got married, but i’m not sure that that’s true. Anyways, does God not see them as married now? Should they just separate in “peace” and be “friends” rather than marriage partners, and remain single? Or should they now stick to this marriage? They have 2 children together, and the husband had 2 children with his first wife..
Montesquieu,
Church discipline for homosexuals? Did I read that right? If so, that is not of God. It is up to God to punish and discipline. We are supposed to bring others to Him by love and scripture.
My church has unpaid, homeless preachers who go out in pairs to preach the gospel. It’s absolutely possible to do this without emasculating men – my church leadership is 100% men.
We believe you can lose your salvation (I’ve given examples of this in previous comments on this blog), there are very good, pure, holy values. Church discipline is carried out.
And the women are in subjection to the men.
Some women do also share the gospel, but they’re single, unmarried, devoting their lives to the Lord, and they do it under the leadership and direction of the men. The married women’s focus is on serving their husbands and families.
This article is very timely, especially the link to the listing of women false teachers. I was just handed a devotional book today, the author a woman I’d never read, and just for kicks, I checked her against the list. She was on it!! Suffice it to say, I won’t be reading it or passing it on.
My husband and I were having a conversation today about how many of the male teachers on Christian radio are teaching a very soft, watered down version of the Bible. He said that it can be so wearying to constantly be on guard, checking absolutely everyone who were once trusted sources. We just won’t listen to one in particular that added a woman to their round table discussion. She just takes over adding her 2c’s.
I need to also guard against this in our family devotions. (take the beam out of my own eye…) Our sons are all 20 and older young men. My husband doesn’t mind me commenting, but I’ve recently noticed that if I comment, my sons are more likely to not share their thoughts on the passage we’re reading. I think my daughter and I need to be silent or simply ask questions during this time. It’s so easy to justify doing this. I say to myself, ‘I’m just excited to share what the Lord’s been teaching me!’, but I can hear pride in those words.
Truly, it’s best to learn in silence and ponder like dear Mary.
Timothy,
Homosexuality is a sin. The Bible instructs that we (Christians) confront and deal with sin in the body of Christ.
If the person practicing homosexuality claims to be a Christian, then they must be confronted with Church Discipline according to God’s instructions to us in Matthew 18:15-17 – “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”
If there is an unrepentant sinner in the church, the Apostle Paul spells it out for us how that person should be treated in 1 Corinthians 5:11 – “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”
For a more detailed explanation about Church Discipline, I refer you to this: https://www.gracechurch.org/about/distinctives/church-discipline
Blessed Wife,
I am not Lori but I think that I can help.
You are right when you say this is a “very messy situation”. There are lots of possibilities but the Bible is clear on most (if not all) of them. Let’s take a look.
1. Are they both professing Christians? If not, then does it really matter?
2. Is she a believer and he an unbeliever? Then she should remain married to him for as long as he is willing to live with her (1 Corinthians 7:13).
3. Was he divorced against his will? If so then he is no longer bound and free to remarry (1 Corinthians 7:15). There is a 75% chance this was the case.
4. If he initiated the divorce, was it because his first wife was sexually unfaithful to him? If that was the case then the divorce was justified and he was free to remarry (Matthew 19:9).
5. If he initiated the divorce, was it because his first wife abandoned him? If that was the case then the divorce was justified and he was free to remarry (1 Corinthians 7:15).
Your commitment to never advise anyone to leave their spouse is a wise one. If you want to admonish her biblically, then as a woman, you should encourage her to love her husband, to love her children, to be sensible, pure, a worker at home, kind, and in subjection to her husband, so that the word of God will not be dishonored (Titus 2:3-5).
Regarding other issues that may (or may not) need to be addressed in their marriage, that should be left up to the men in the church.
As a man in the church, I would advise her to stick to this marriage; (1 Peter 3:1-2) submitting to her husband in everything (Ephesians 5:22-24) as long as he is not asking her to sin, and reverencing him regardless (Ephesians 5:33b).
Even if (and this is a big if) he sinned by getting married again, his sin is NOT her sin and it is not up to her to address the issue. Her vow was “to death do we part” or “as long as we both shall live” and she should stick to it.
Michael Pearl has an excellent book called Divorce and Remarriage. Biblically based and very good! I would suggest you pick up a copy. ?
First off, Christianity Today is, in my opinion, a watered down magazine that I personally do not trust. Every church I have attended either prohibited women preachers by church constitution or it was implied. I looked at the survey and did not find information regarding how many they surveyed or what the demographics were of those surveyed. The 2011 survey they reference had over 2,000 surveyed, but little information regarding their demographics other than what denomination church they attended. Statistics can be used to “prove” just about anything by how the questions are worded and who is surveyed.
Thanks, Tim Keller, for taking the time to write your comment. I found what you wrote to be very encouraging.
Amen Heather! Women are not allowed to preach or lead in my church and if we ever went to church and a woman got up to preach my husband would have us up and out of there before she got started! I am quiet at church like I am supposed to be and if I have questions I ask my husband when we get home.
I posted this to FB. I hope you’re okay with that. I just c&p the whole thing including your name.
Try ReviveOurHearts.com, and the True Woman conferences. Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth is an absolutely AMAZING teacher to women, and is very focused on biblical womanhood!
Wow, what a thorough, well written comment, Tim. I wholeheartedly agree with everything you have said.
I have been saying for years now that men simply don’t know what to do anymore. They open doors for women and get abused because women can “open doors for myself”. Ugh! I love and appreciate it when men hold a door open for me. It’s a sign of being respectful and manly in my opinion. I always make sure I thank the man who has done it for me. Feminism has destroyed how men think about women and it’s created a whole bunch of confused people that don’t know their roles and value in society.
I love what you say about church being the place men and women are to be taught and encouraged in their roles – that is so true. It’s really sad that I’ve never seen a church do this. I’ve been saved a bit less than 10 years and have attended a few churches in that time, but never have any of them been as you described. What a sad, sorry state the church is in today. Is it no wonder that we have such little effect on the world around us when we act just like the world but with a Christian veneer? There is very little distinction between the two today. 🙁
(I hope it’s ok for me to share your comment on my fb page and blog? I think it’s so very important that Christians are made aware of what you say as it’s the truth. We need the Church to stand up and start getting back to the old paths and God’s ways.)
Also, known as 2×2’s?