“My husband and I have been going to a Baptist church that describes itself as ‘old-fashioned, independent, fundamental, KJV Bible-believing & preaching.’ My husband loves this church and wants us to become members, but there are a few things that have been bothering me.

The first thing, my husband met with the pastor about a month ago for lunch and the pastor was explaining their beliefs to my husband. Apparently he went on and on about how this is a men’s church, that they’ll never have a women preach ever, and that women should remain silent in church.

“The second thing, I went to a women’s event there that was about biblical femininity. But it was mostly a slideshow showing ‘good’ and ‘bad’ outfits for women to wear; the ‘good,’ being below-knee or floor length skirts, and the ‘bad,’ showing pants or above-knee skirts.

“The third thing, my husband went to church on Wednesday and the pastor asked for prayer for a sick baby in the congregation. He asked all the men to come forward to pray without asking the women to do anything.

“I’m worried that this church is too legalistic and extreme. Now, my husband loves this church so I guess I’m just asking for reassurance that these things sound okay. A part of me feels like I’m questioning them too much but I just want to be careful before deciding to trust their actions more.”

This was a comment from one of the women in the chat room and I asked her for permission to make a post out of it since this sounds like my kind of church! First of all, I love KJV. I have been reading it ever since I went to Michael and Debi Pearl’s conference nearby many years ago. Michael is a firm believer that it’s the only Bible we should be reading and makes a good case for it. I have grown to love reading this version! (I will never be contentious about this issue, however.)

The Apostle Paul was VERY clear that men are to be the leaders of the churches. They are to be the elders and deacons and women are to be silent in the church. In fact, he wrote that it is shameful for women to speak in the church so this church is simply obeying the pure Word of God which is a great thing and something all Bible-believing churches should do. Many “Christians” today, unfortunately, prefer water-downed, tickle-their-ears type of churches and teachings. Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits (Isaiah 30:10).

I would love to go to a women’s event at a church about biblical femininity! Teaching women about modesty should be something the older women of the church should be doing. If the Apostle Paul wrote this through the inspiration of Almighty God: “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array” (1 Timothy 2:9), then elders (those ordained by God to be leaders in the church) and older women (those commanded to teach younger women to be discreet) have every right to teach women modesty standards. (Shamefaced means to not draw attention to ourselves which means dressing modestly.)

When they asked the men to come forward to pray over the sick child, the women could all easily pray quietly in the seats for this baby. This church clearly shows that men are the leaders and this is biblical.

Is this church legalistic and extreme? I asked this woman who made the comment if they teach the Word of God. She told me that yes they do. Her husband was saved in this church, they also help the sick and needy, and baptize those who become saved. We must understand that legalism is making up man-made rules. The modesty standards they have set could be considered legalistic but if the leadership wants to set them, then it is not since God has ordained them to lead. The church leaders are allowed to run their churches however they want and it’s up to those attending whether they want to attend the church or not. There is no perfect church since there are no perfect people.

This church seems extreme in our culture but I bet it is exactly how the majority of churches operated before the 1960s. The churches spoke out against birth control. All the women wore dresses below their knees. There were no female preachers in the true Christian churches. Men ran everything while women sat quietly in the pews and learned. This is the way God designed for the churches to run but most of us have been breathing the feminist air our entire lives so this seems legalistic and extreme to us, but it’s not.

If they are diligent to teach the entire Word of God, they are a good church and I would love to go to a church like this one. Someone should be setting modesty standards in our churches these days, that’s for sure! Most of the women who commented on this thread in the chat room wrote that they would love to attend a church like this one. Yes, women, there is a remnant who loves obeying all of what the Apostle Paul wrote concerning women.

Lastly and most importantly, if her husband loves this church, she needs to submit to his leadership and learn to love it, too!

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