A Statement from the Elders

Centuries of church history reveal a pervasive limitation on the activities of women. Although allowed and urged to tend the sick, cook for the poor, and work with children and other females, women have been excluded from significant congregational leadership roles – especially in the church’s public assemblies and teaching ministries.

It is the shepherds’ conviction that these centuries of history have been shaped by cultural norms and expectations and have not always reflected the teaching of the New Testament.

On the launch date of the Christian church, Peter claimed the time had come when – as a Jewish prophet had foreseen – “my servants, both men and women . . . will prophesy” (Acts 2:17-18). The verb translated “prophesy” does not relate to telling the future but to teaching, preaching, and otherwise sharing divine revelation.

It seems to be overlooked that practically every statement of Christian duty is stated in terms of male categories (i.e., he shall, he must, he will) in older translations such as the King James Version. Christians have always understood that females were included in these category statements – except for those involving leadership.

In Paul’s letters, there are specific statements that have been used to limit female roles in churches. In those texts, he was affirming a principle that says Christians should guard against using their freedom – whether slaves, non-Jews, or women (Gal 3:28) – in ways that would offend and create barriers against the Christian movement and message.

For example, in the male-oriented and male-dominated culture of Paul’s time and place, women who stepped into roles typically reserved for men were viewed negatively in many situations. Thus, the causes for which they were advocates would have been devalued. That is why he gave counsel that a “woman who prays or prophesies” should be culturally sensitive to the prevailing standards of modesty in a given city or region to wear a head covering (1 Cor 11:4-6).

In a text where Paul tells women to “remain silent” and lays down the rule that “they are not allowed to speak” (1 Cor 14:34), already he had told males to “keep quiet in the church” (v.28) and to “stop [speaking]” (v.30). In all the cases in this setting, the apostle was seeking to establish a modicum of order where there had been needless chaos (v.40) – chaos that would be off-putting to unbelievers. The issue was decorum and orderliness, not gender discrimination.

It is important to note that Paul begins all this with the assumption that women were praying and preaching in Christian assemblies – but not always with the charitable sensitivity that should be shown to unbelievers. But it is the principle that is most critical: The apostle warned against taking the Christian message to a culture in defiance of its prevailing cultural norms. In the twenty-first century, our circumstances are very different. Women have widespread access to education, social function, professional life, and leadership that was unknown in Paul’s day.

For churches to exclude women from a public voice violates the Pauline principle of respecting place and time. In the first century, pressing women to embrace church leadership would contravene this Spirit-given guideline; in today’s setting, refusing leadership roles to women defies the same principle.

The notion that sound Christian doctrine denies women the opportunity to use their God-bestowed gifts and training in church settings is culturally offensive in our environment, a serious obstacle to the reception of the Christian message, and thus a misuse of Scripture.

After months of Bible study and prayer for discernment on a topic where informed judgments vary widely, our leadership group has come to the consensus opinion that biblical teaching authorizes both males and females to share leadership and teaching roles in a local church. We believe culture has imposed second-tier roles in settings where the Bible gives freedom. Thus, with only the roles of elder-shepherd and Lead Teaching Minister at Harpeth Hills reserved to males, all roles of service and teaching, worship leadership and ministry functions will be open to all who wish to be considered for them.