Biblical Role of Women in the Church


Religion, all the religions of the world, have always been in constant flux with churning and confrontations inside their walls. At least that is how is appears to me. Humans ventured or were forced out of their old geographical confines and settled elsewhere. In the new place they started new gods and forgot about the old ones. I would guess that in every single case the new god, created in the minds of the relocated tribe, approved of the people who believed in it.

Something just like that process is happening today. There are people leaving their former god, maybe creating something new, and people changing what their current god thinks. In all cases, the god approves and loves the people who created the god in their minds. 

A perfect example is found in a series of articles now being released by mega Christian author, Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven Life). Warren has been very successful at not only selling books but preaching and establishing a series of churches in California. He gave the prayer at one of Obama's inaugurations. Warren has been a lifelong Southern Baptist and his churches were part of the voluntary affiliation with that denomination. That is, until they were expelled recently. They were kicked out because Warren had made an accurate observation, women can be very successful head pastors. He appointed two of them. His brand or "denomination" was the largest single block of churches in the Southern Baptist Convention. But Southern Baptists no more.

Warren used to believe in "complementarianism," the view that God sees the genders as being different but by their nature each "compliments" the other. This, of course, is a view that was invented by males and precludes women from being equal authorities in the home and rules against them being head preachers. Warren, "after years of Bible Study" has concluded complementarianism is not the only view endorsed in the Bible. The other view is "egalitarianism," that women are equal to men. Warren finds that neither view is consistent with everything written in the Bible. He endorses neither.

Warren has found it best to have women behind the pulpit when the church is best served by them. He wants his God to endorse his conclusion. With the old God it was no, the new one says yes. 

Warren has labeled the old God followers Phoresies. The new God says halleluiah for female preachers. I think Southern Baptists, Catholics and the other groups run by males have encountered a crafty and forceful foe.  

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