Last time, I began taking a look at the issues of God, Gender, and the Church. With so much debate surrounding these topics today, my goal was to begin applying biblical sense to some of the nonsense that exists. Let’s review.
I argued last time that…
Last week, Lifeway Christian Bookstores (an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention) made headlines by removing the current issue of Gospel Today magazine from its racks, making them available by request only. Gospel Today is the most widely distributed urban Christian magazine in the country. The feature cover story, entitled “Female Pastors: Breaking the Glass Ceiling”, “took positions that were contrary to what we would say” according to a spokesman from Lifeway.
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Tamara Bennett, one of the female pastors featured, defended the article by saying, “Sometimes we forget that ministry is God’s business. It’s not a man’s business.” Gospel Today spokeswoman, Teresa Hairston, was particularly upset that Lifeway would “treat it like pornography”, because they made it available only to those that ask for it at the counter.
Questions about the role of men and women, especially in the church, has become one of the most volatile issues in modern Christianity. Should women serve as pastors? If not, where and how can they serve? If not, why not? Does this mean that women are inferior to men? As society continues to blur the gender lines, isn’t it only right for the church to follow suit? These issues… (more…)
I’ve been listening to a series by Mark Dever, Capital Hill Baptist Church & 9 Marks Ministry, about Gender Roles.
Even though I’m listening to the series backwards (e.g. Message #4, #3, etc….not backwards as in some kind of “Stairway to Heaven backmasking” backwards), I’m thoroughly enjoying it. Message #4 is entitled, “Gender Roles in the Church“. I thought I would start there, because…
