Gender and Leadership
Conclusions
- Both sides of the debate are trying to be Biblical.
- Both sides of the debate are radically breaking from church tradition.
- Both men and women were made in the image of God and are equal in personhood.
- The Biblical writers wrote within a patriarchal context, and this is reflected in their writings and the situations they addressed.
- The key challenge of interpretation is to identify what is cultural and what is timeless.
- The general movement of Scripture would appear to be away from the patriarchy of the culture of that day.
- The biblical answer to this question is not as clear as we might like. Some biblical texts seem to speak strongly about limiting women's role in the church. However, other passages seem to suggest either few or no restrictions relating to gender.
- At the end of the day, we are not left with a clear answer. Rather, we are left with a general direction, which could lead us to different conclusions. It takes wisdom to know how to apply this within the church.
- The role of pastor/elder within the church is never a sole position, and it is never one of power (although it does include the idea of authority). It is meant to be shared within a leadership team.
- Whatever position one holds, humility is key. Interpreting Scripture is a challenging task. Intelligent, godly people come disagree in their conclusions in this matter.
- Even if one takes a complementarian view, it is important to acknowledge that many Christians have sinned by mistreating women, and prohibiting them from roles that should never have been at issue.
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