"Those who say I shouldn't be in the pulpit"
The Rev. Sheryl Brady finds irony in that a woman whose candidacy for vice president of the United States is being elevated by evangelicals could not pastor a Southern Baptist church.
"We’ve got Hillary Clinton who has broken all records, we have Sarah Palin running for vice president, and yet there are those who say I shouldn’t be in the pulpit," said Brady, one of five female pastors featured on the current cover of Gospel Today .
The Christian magazine recently was pulled (see today's online News & Record) from the shelves of LifeWay stores, including one in Greensboro. The stores are owned by the Southern Baptist Convention, an affiliation of largely conservative evangelicals who officially voted in 2000 that women shouldn't serve as senior pastors. A few of the churches, which are autonomous, have selected women to lead them.
Comments (6)
To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.
Brady's attitude is typical of the rationalizations that liberal churches and women pastors use to justify a clearly prohibited biblical practice. There are numerous reasons why the church is NOT the work place or the political arena. Frankly, I'm not all that happy with women in the political sphere - especially if they are mothers of young children. If a woman/wife has children she has a NEW CAREER! Not a sideline! After children are raised, certain secular careers become feasible.
In short, the issue is ultimate authority - who does God invest with it in the home and church? Men - clearly and consistently. This is not because of superiotiy of value or IQ. It is the unique qualifications of the masculine nature. The difference between the sexes is NOT merely external and superficial. To disrupt and ignore these key differences is counterproductive, both in the home and in the church. Preaching and giving spiritual direction to a mixed-gender congregation is an act of divine authority, and only to be carried out by a man - not a woman, and certainy not a deviate.
The main reason why women and liberal churches are deceived in this regard is that they have already jettisoned the Bible as currently authoritative, and thus tend to proof-text and twist it to fit their own PC-driven agendas. It is just part of the larger feminist assault upon God's divinely ordained system of authority, and should be rejected decisively - which the SBC seems to have had the courage to do in this instance. Kudos to them!
Posted on September 27, 2008 8:14 AM
As an atheist I love to see squabbles like this - keeps church and church related things from being so god awful irrelvant & boring.
Posted on September 27, 2008 8:41 AM
At this point, it is up to the individual to come into the Light and realize that God is truly NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS or continue to live in a way that hinders God moving in one's life. I would hope that it is the former and not the latter.
Either way, it is a travesty to limit what one can do based on one's gender. How sad!
Shalom
Posted on September 27, 2008 2:40 PM
"Either way, it is a travesty to limit what one can do based on one's gender." Darryl
God does. His wisdom far exceeds yours, Darryl. He created men and women different (as per my other blog on this subject) for good and important reasons. Men can't have babies, or nurture them in a maternal way. So why should men not be allowed to have babies. (I know, some have reported to). The gender difference in this case is not merely somatic or anatomical, but deep and intrinsic. Every woman I have ever seen, in the pulpit or elsewhere, who seeks to assume authority in decidedly masculine roles, is either quite masculine in manner, or becomes so in order to become authoritative and forceful. Because this is contrary to God's creation intent it ends up causing unforeseen problems and confusion of role and calling.
The masculine traits and nature that enable men to possess a sense of provision, protection and oversight in marriage and family also carry over into the spiritual family of church. There is a natural authoritativeness and leadership that exudes from true men that is part of the qualifications God set in place for authorities in the church/synagogue. The fact that PC mania is blind to this dynamic only reflects the liberal mindset that man knows best, that he created the universe (somehow) and can radically alter what God has supernaturally revealed in his Word. As in all matters of morality and order today, rebellious man feels free to intrude and alter the natural order. It is called rebellion in the Scriptures.
Unfortunately, the terrible consequences of such tampering will only appear in the future. The Scriptures were provided by God to give us the perspicacity to avoid such foolishness - but we seem determined to wreck our culture by ignoring and rejecting God's gracious revelation.
Posted on September 27, 2008 5:01 PM
To use a tried and true phrase to the arguments listed in opposition to female leadership: That dog will not hunt!
Shalom
Posted on September 28, 2008 7:41 PM
"That dog will not hunt!" .........only for those who adhere to a redacted version of God's word. what a wonderful person i'd make myself to be if only i could pick & choose what scriptures where applicable. but i realize i'm a sinner saved by grace and not saved by a by pulling myself up by my own bootstraps.
Posted on September 30, 2008 7:20 AM