Women pastors ?

As I said in my book review of My hair...by Yvette Maher, I disagree with her decision to serve as a pastor. I don't think it's biblical for women to serve as pastors. Yes, women can lead women Bible studies or teach Sunday school classes for kids but they shouldn't be in roles where they are in leadership over men in the church (and I'm not sure what I think about women politicians, torn on that issue). I will discuss a few scripture references here using the ESV:

First: Genesis is the story of creation and who did God create first? Adam was created first and given the authority to name the animals. Eve was created to be the helper and companion of Adam. Genesis 2:7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he formed. v.18: Then the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him. v.21: So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, This is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman because she was taken from man.

Who committed the first sin? It was woman who was deceived and convinced her husband to follow suit and as such, both were punished. Genesis 3:16 (see also, multiple verses before to get the full context) To the woman he said, I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you. -- See that, man is over woman, NOT woman over man!

Second: Read I Timothy 2 - here is v. 12: I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. So we can see here that women shouldn't serve as pastors because that puts them in a leadership position with authority over men. This make me wonder about women as political leaders - I know that in the Bible, there were women judges but is that really the same thing as being a governor/senator/president in today's times? I don't know! Certainly, women can have roles in a church to support it with her gifts, even the gift of teaching.
What about the chapter in Timothy (3) where instructions were given for elders and deacons? They hold authority over the church and so women can't have authority over man. -- They are to be HUSBAND of but one WIFE. He must manage his household well and have control of his children. -- I wonder how churches that have women serving as elder or deacon get around this chapter? Political-correctness, I'll wager!

Back to the reason that got me started on this topic - in the book, My hair and God's mercies by Yvette Maher (she is an associate pastor and that is what really got me started), she has a section titled Mantle of authority. I find it interesting that in this section, she concedes that the husband should be the authority in the house and yet she holds a place of authority over men in church! The 'mantle of authority' as she describes it, is given to man by God and is provided for spiritual leadership for the household. Huh! Look at that...spiritual leadership - reminds me of Timothy 3 where man is to be head of his household and if he can't control his own house, how can he have authority in church. So, if man is to be head in the house and control it, then how can women be in authority in church? Hmmm....

My hair

My hair & God's mercies... new every morning by Yvette Maher - I received this book as a review copy from Tyndale House Publishers. This book was very easy to read and well written. Yvette uses the trials in her life as a stepping stone for teaching how to live a better life with Christ in control. As a teen, she went thru her father spending less and less time with the family and then eventually divorcing her mother. She sought her father's love and when he wasn't around, she sought love in other places. She ended up pregnant searching for love and it led her to have an abortion, a decision she regretted even before she became a Christian (not that non-Christians don't regret it). She partied hard and did drugs and was very promiscuous. She found love again and once again ended up pregnant. This time she chose to keep her baby and the baby's father decided to marry her, knowing that they had a lot of work to do in their relationship. Shortly after she married, she was blessed with twin daughters, and this in spite of her having had an appointment earlier to have an abortion and then backing out of it! Eventually, they moved to Ky and closer to her home and this is where her life really made a change. Her next door neighbor was a Christian and they often walked their kids together. Little did Yvette know, her neighbor and others were praying for her salvation. One weekend, she left the kids with her husband to go to her high school reunion and while there, realized everyone was busy getting smashed while she just wanted to show pictures of her kids off. She left the reunion early and sat in her car thinking about the friends at the reunion getting smashed and then of her neighbor who was a Christian and decided she wanted what her neighbor had and prayed to God. She made a deal that she would live His way for a year if He would show her that His way was better for her than her way - a year was up a long time again. Over the course of time, her husband became a Christian as well. They went thru many ups and downs in their relationship and even had a time where they talked of seperation or divorce but they fought for their relationship and sought help and prayed without ceasing and eventually were able to grow even closer and fix things. You'll have to read the book to learn more about their fight for their relationship and what all they went thru, it is a good example of how to deal with issues biblically. I had just 1 issue with the author and plan to do a blog post about why - I disagree with the fact that she is a pastor as I believe this is not biblical. Otherwise, I recommend this book for everyone who feels they can't escape their situation and that God can't possibly love them or bless their life. He does love us (yes, even non-christians)and provides for His children.