Think: The Church, The Truth And Women In Ministry

My position regarding women in ministry has changed in the past month or so as we have further engaged with this topic. Previously, I would have said that I was not opposed to women being ordained as pastors, but I did not believe they should be senior pastors. However, after watching Dave Ward’s video entitled “Think: The Church, The Truth & Women in Ministry,” my position began to change. He breaks down nearly every argument I had ever found myself using to defend my position. Utilizing the Genesis account of creation, Ward advocates for the equality of women in all arenas, including pastoral leadership at all levels. In addition, he contextualizes 1 Timothy 2:12, in which Paul writes, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority

3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Eph. 4:11; compare 1 Tim. 2:12). These New Testament references indicate that this office should be filled by men. The position of the pastor in a church with one pastor or the senior pastor in a church with multiple staff is the contemporary equivalent of this New Testament office. In addition, denominational and district executives who serve as overseers of the church generally or local churches specifically shall be men. In situations of need and for the duration of that need, a woman may serve in the role and perform the ministries of a pastor-teacher. In 1 Timothy 2:12 in the Greek, Paul says that a woman should not "continue" as the official teacher of a congregation nor "continue" having authority over men. He does not forbid her doing such altogether. (“Constitution of the Missionary Church”)
The Missionary Church has adopted a fairly affirming view of women in ministry, as it approves of women holding nearly every position other than full-time senior pastor, even allowing women to fill in temporarily as senior pastors. While I understand the Missionary Church’s position in regard to this issue, I think it demonstrates a lack of contextualization. Instead of reading Paul’s epistles as letters written to specific people who were part of specific cultures, the Missionary Church appears to be drawing concrete

Nevertheless, I believe it is necessary to compromise on non-primary issues in order to maintain unity among the Body of Christ, and I do not see women in ministry as a primary issue. This is why I will not leave my home denomination because of the slight difference in opinion about women in ministry; however, if a denomination is against women in ministry entirely, I would not choose this denomination. Ideally, as I progress through the process of choosing a denomination to which I will belong and for which I will work, I would prefer that the denomination employ female ministers at every level of ministry. If I believe, though, that God is calling me to a denomination that has an intermediate view on women in ministry, such as the Missionary Church, I think it would be wrong to resist this call. After all, it is unlikely that I will ever find a denomination with which I agree on every issue. Just as God can use sinful people to accomplish his purposes on earth, I believe he can use denominations who do not hold the correct position on every peripheral issue to accomplish his purposes as well. In fact, I believe he has already done this. It is impossible for any denomination to be perfect, yet he has used a myriad of these imperfect denominations to do His work. In sum, while I am in favor of women being ordained and working at even the highest levels