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Women Leaders in the Church

Women Leaders in the Church

I belong to a church in Brisbane Australia and we are currently going through a bit of upheaval over the issue of appointing women in the church as elders

, I am still a babe when it comes to such matters and the only scripture I can find in relation to this topic is found in 1Tim 3, The evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of the blokes .. I have read you book and what you say just makes sense, are you able to shed some light on this topic for further study, so I can make a decision based on Gods’ Word.

Your Bro In Christ, S


Usually I don’t answer a question with a question, but in this case, let me ask, why is this a question at all? Why is it some oppose women teachers, preachers and elders? What motivates the heart of those who would say, that strictly based on gender, a person is disqualified from being a leader in God’s cause?

Is such a position not the height of bigotry and closed mindedness? To globally assert that all persons of female gender are, by genetic predetermination, excluded from being a teacher, elder or preacher is no different that asserting that spiritual fitness is determined by skin colour.

The Bible demonstrates that excluding persons from leadership based on gender is contrary to God and His methods. Females have held leadership positions in God’s cause throughout Biblical history, from Miriam, Deborah, and the prophetesses of the New Testament to Joan of Arc, Mother Teresa, Ellen White and other modern female leaders.

In God’s kingdom what matters is character, whether God’s law has been written upon the heart, whether a person has been renewed in mind and motives to live in harmony with God and His methods, whether one is willing to stand for right and not compromise, even if the heavens fall, not whether one is male or female. And interestingly, according to scripture it takes both male and female to make the image of God (Genesis 1:27). When we move to an exclusively male or female dominated society (or church) we distort the divine image and impair the spread of the gospel.

God’s kingdom is the kingdom of self-sacrificing love. “Greater love has no man than he give his life for a friend.”(John 15:13). “This is how we know what love is that Christ gave his life for us and we ought to give our lives for our brothers.”(1John 3:16). “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son…” (John 3:16). What methods are practiced by those who insist that, based on gender and gender alone, a person is disqualified from leading in God’s cause? What motivates the heart of those who oppose women in leadership? Is it love or is it some primitive male insecurity couched in religious dogma? The Pharisees in Christ’s day were very good at making bigotry appear pious and holy – are we as a Christian community falling into the same trap?

When we read scripture and texts like 1Tim 3 we must remember the context, to whom it was written. Paul was not writing to you and me. He was writing to one of his students in the first century AD. The same Paul also told slaves to obey their earthly masters (Eph 6:5). Do we take this advice literally and apply it today and conclude that slavery is acceptable? Or do we recognize Paul was writing in the context of a social fabric understanding the nuance of his society and seeking a course which would promote the spread of the gospel most effectively in HIS day?

When modern society finally stood up and fought to abolish slavery there were religious leaders who turned to scripture and the writings of Paul to support the “legitimacy” of slavery. Are we, as a church, not making the exact same error when we use Paul’s writings to a first century audience and try to apply it to women’s role in leadership today?

One of the founders of my church, who was a woman, made it clear that the issue of women leadership is not determined by men but by God and has been settled by the evidence of God’s blessing upon women leaders in the form of souls saved to the kingdom. She so strongly believed that women should be in Christian leadership that she states she was directed by God to use her tithe money to give to women who were doing the gospel work because the church would not pay them. (EV 493, DG 105, 106). (This should give pause to those church leaders who believe that tithe money should blindly be given to an organization rather than realizing the tithe is God’s, to be used to spread the gospel as He directs in its use).

Here in America, Martin Luther King Jr. powerfully called our attention to the injustice of racism and the foolishness of judging a person by the colour of their skin. His words ring down the corridors of time:

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

Should we not as Christians take these same lessons and apply them to male and female roles in the church?

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the [Christian] dream.

I have a dream that one day this [church] will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all [humans] are created equal….”

I have a dream that my [wife, mother and sister] will one day live in a [church] where they will not be judged by the [gender of their being] but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

Do you share the dream?

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I have been following your Bible study class for about a year now. I must say I am impressed with how your ministry has grown. I took it upon myself to listen to all your lesson podcasts from the past and they have both enriched me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I have learnt a lot from this class. I have also noticed how the class has grown in spiritual strength. One of the things that benefited me is that now I am not afraid of God. I use to be, but now it has melted away. The second thing is that you helped me to have a real life relationship with God. Now He is my friend that was always there and I love having him with me all the time. Thirdly, because of this class, it inspired me to take over and lead a class. I have called it “Let Us Reason Together,” adapting your inquisitive style and creating a class of free thinkers.

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Testimony 40

I was brought up in a different faith and have been petrified my whole life of God. I believed that I would burn in hell for eternity. When I was 12 I started pursuing the things of this world, but for the next 45 years the Spirit was always calling me, as I knew there was a God through nature. I could see the vast sea of stars in the universe and knew there was something bigger out there. Five years ago, through a Revelation seminar, I was blessed to learn about God’s character and government.

Then I found Come and Reason Ministries and have come under some extreme pressure when I speak about the ministry. One time a member sent me an internet article titled “Whats wrong with Tim Jennings?” I asked her what she thought of it and she said “I don’t know, I didn’t read it.”

I have always wanted to find out for myself the truth about God, so I stayed with the Design Law construct and have been liberated to understand the big picture. Once we consider Design Law, all other Bible stories and prophecies seem to fit perfectly. It is truly beautiful to see people grasping how God operates this Universe of Love and the liberation it has provided in their lives. It blows my mind to see how consistent Design law is with what our founders believed. I hear statements like “This makes so much sense.”

Tom W., Mt. Pleasant, MI, USA

 

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I just want to say thank you so much for your conversations via YouTube. I regularly tune in to your lectures, “Let’s Talk” sessions, and many others. Through these I’ve found greater depth and meaning to God’s word. Thanks for all that you do and please continue. I’m currently working in the middle of Silicon Valley at Stanford University. I feel like God really has me in the right place right now and I’m sensing that your teachings might be part of it.

B. F., Silicon Valley, CA, USA

 

Testimony 46

Over the past couple of years God has been expanding my view of Himself and His character. Along my approximately 40-year journey, I have often had questions, but was hesitant to voice these and step outside the traditionally accepted thinking, for fear of admitting that I may in fact be eternally lost. In the recesses of my thinking has been the thought – if one blindly accepts (which is widely regarded as “real faith”) and does not question, is this really ‘truth?’ I often find it challenging to grapple with very theological ‘speak,’ but Dr. Jennings has a real gift of explaining spiritual concepts with clear practical examples. The weekly discussions are growing my Christian experience and slowly changing my view of how to live as a child of God in today’s complex world. Finally the whole Old Testament sanctuary teaching moved in my mind from fantasy to reality!

Beverly S., South Africa

 

Testimony 18

The Healing the Mind DVD set tarted me on a journey that has changed my relationship with our loving God more significantly than any other study, and brought me to your book and Bible study podcasts, which I now listen to daily, thanks to the availability of archived content on your site and on iTunes.

Anonymous

 

Testimony 10

I personally download and listen to each of Come And Reason Ministries Bible study class lessons and PDF study notes to use when teaching my class. Really appreciate the class especially when Dr. Jennings is teaching. Thank God there are persons like him doing His work and traveling to share His beliefs.

B. L.M., North Plains, OR, USA

 

Testimony 72

I am blown away by the truth that you present. God’s Design Law makes so much sense! You have validated my impression that, if God is love, He would not kill those who don’t want to know him. If God gives us choice, then how can He destroy us if our choice is not to follow him. Thank you for opening my eyes and heart to the pure love of God seen through Jesus. The love I now have for Jesus is deeper and free from condemnation. My heart has been opened to love others as Jesus loves me. May God continue to bless your God-given insight into His word and your ministry. The truth has set me free!

H. Miller, Centereach, NY

Testimony 24

I wanted to thank you very much for presenting your understanding of God. I’ve always been troubled by this question: Why did Jesus have to die? Since my conversion I understood that The Father & Jesus are one, I did not have issues with that. But was there not any other way to save us than for Jesus to die? I guess I actually had a question about God – if He is so wise, how come He did not find another way? I did not see the real ‘beauty’  in the cross. Only when you explained the picture in the medical context, Jesus providing medicine for my selfishness, have I started to finally ‘see the light’. Thank you so much. Your seminar, “Healing the Mind,” are absolutely marvelous & have shared them with my family and many other people, including colleagues at work. Thanks, thanks, thanks. May God bless you abundantly in your ministry.

M. W., Australia

 

Testimony 43

Two years ago I stumbled upon your book, “Could It Be This Simple,” and then found “The God-Shaped Brain” videos on YouTube, your bible study class, and the ‘Come And Reason’ mobile app. I shared your book with a friend and after nine months of showing love, patience, and kindness this person has been changed by the love of God, too. The same love that healed me, I now express to other women in tangible ways, such as to a Baptist woman with high anxiety and childhood trauma. She was extremely happy and relieved when I shared about the so-called “judgment of God” and burning in hell. She had no desire to serve a God that was so harsh. I have repeated the phrase dozens of times to her. “What we believe has power over us, but we have power over what we believe…”

This message that you are sharing has changed my life. I will continue to serve other women and bring this message of God’s healing love to their lives by sharing your books, YouTube videos, and The Remedy Bible app. Keep up the good work. Don’t be discouraged. God is doing a mighty work in and through this ministry!

Jill L., Midwest, USA

 

Testimony 7

Ok, so last night I listened to “The Law of Liberty” and “How to Achieve Victory: Freedom, Truth and Spirtual Warfare.” These are both MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES so far! The logic is just soooooo beautiful. I had to re-listen to them a couple of times. I just want to EXPLODE! (<< we assume with joy and happiness)

N. B., Canada

 

Testimony 29

Thank you for all of your work to correct misconceptions about God’s character. So many people that my husband and I have talked to seem to be against the natural law construct and view it as “errant” and “dangerous.” Having learned more about it through your blogs and lessons, I don’t really understand why they view it that way, except that it means they have to relearn theology they have known for their entire lives. But I’m so excited to relearn this. For the past few years I have been questioning how I could trust a God who punishes arbitrarily and is full of wrath for those who don’t obey His commands. That view made me afraid to “mess up” or “not be good enough,” even within my relationship with God. I really appreciated the point you bring out about God not wanting us to serve Him because we are afraid, but because we love Him.

Melissa H., IN, USA

 

Testimony 60

Just watched watched lesson 10 in the 1st quarter 2021 bible study classs on Isaiah. I want to thank you for your intellectual spirituality; it’s not an oxymoron! From the point of view of a teacher I also enjoy seeing how much personal pleasure you clearly take in not just tasting, but feasting on God’s word – it reminds me of Jeremiah not being able to hold it in! It makes me smile that your cup is so full and overflowing that you make it to Tuesday’s lesson (on a good day). It just goes to show the richness of God’s Word.

God bless the Come and Reason Team from our church here in Great Britain.

Andrew H., Great Britain