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....