
What’s a nice egalitarian woman like you doing…?

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9 responses to “What’s a nice egalitarian woman like you doing…?”
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Great post, Michelle, and a very good and difficult question. I think a lot depends on the church itself and how their theology works itself out in practice. I'm really glad you feel the freedom to be and to minister as who you are — to me, that's the main thing, for the church to be empowering every individual to use his or her gifts in the body,
That being said, for me personally, I think the issue is a deal-breaker at this point, in part just because of my own (sinful?) gut reaction against complementarianism a la the Gospel Coalition. It's true — we're always going to have to "suck it up" in some way when we join a church. Thankfully, we can pray for the strength to submit to the body AND to work to make the church the place God wants it to be.
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Hi Michelle! I am very happy to see you addressing this issue in a sane and real-life way. I am just finishing my thesis at TEDS on the topic of Women in Ministry in the EFCA so this is very present in my mind and life right now. Regarding the difference in viewpoints on this as a doctrinal question in the church, I do respect our "agree to disagree" policy, however, it is hard to justify one side of the table prohibiting the other from living out her conviction and call of the Holy Spirit. I believe the church, and we as individuals, should continually practice the self examen necessary to uphold the principle "ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda."
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Believe me, Amanda, I am a fan of working to make a local body all it can and should be. Agitating for change when a church has already decided who they are sometimes needs to happen – but I am glad to let the Holy Spirit lead on this one in this particular congregation. God knows I've been involved in fighting for change (not over women's ministry issues) at a few other congregations along the way, and the score is Other Congregations 3, Michelle 0. Endless meetings and discussions and angsty prayer sessions and schism and division – and in the end, I ask myself "What was accomplished in all that?" It seems that people with agendas different than that of the leadership get branded pretty quickly as problem children.
I'm so glad you are being affirmed in your gifts, are free to use them and have the vestments to prove it. 🙂 I am discovering that if I stop looking at a single congregation (or denomination) as the definer of my place in the body of Christ, I am more spiritually healthy. There are other places besides a local church/denom to minister.
Carol, I would love to have a peek at your paper and hear about your thought process once you've finished and have some time. It would be wonderful to grab a cup of coffee sometime when your schedule clears. 🙂
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I am seriously considering joining a church that is 'egalitarian' when I am not (according to the way the boxes have been drawn). The reason is because I think neither the church nor I define ourselves by that singular issue.
When the minor issues stay minor and the major issues stay major, there is lots of room for diversity. And unity doesn't have to be the same as uniformity.
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Wise words, hurdler!
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Michelle. I am so glad you posted this. I also wrestled with this issue when joining the church and chose not to fight that battle. I can also relate to not feeling like I need to because I am able to use my gifts in the church. Thanks for your thoughts, as always.
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Thanks for writing this. I loved how you put "it has stripped the gears from my propensity to agitate against institutional injustice when it comes to this issue." I "agitate" on my blog and with the elders and others, all the time and it's draining and not life affirming. My present church is evangelical free and does not allow women to be elders. but they do serve all over. never, rarely, preach. as an elder in my previous church (Presbyterian) it is difficult for me to want to become a member at my present church. EFCA seems to leave it to the individual church to decide the roles of women. I would love to talk with other women about this whole conundrum.
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Thanks for writing, Melody! I worked at Trinity International University (Bookstore and Chapel Office) off and on over a five-year period, and heard many female students say that though the denomination leaves it to individual congregations to set policy, most tend to veer away from tackling the issue. There may be individual EFCA pastors and elders who may be affirming of the idea of women in leadership, but lack the courage to advocate for change in a traditionalist congregation. It seems as though the denomination's policy might actually create confusion and frustration, because it seems to imply that there is a possibility that a women may be able to lead in a congregation – when in actuality, most of the churches in the denom are pretty traditionalist.
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Like you I did the same thing, attended a complementarian church although I am egalitarian. I did interview the one egalitarian on the church board to see where he thought the church was going, whether it would move for greater access to ministry or become more restrictive. At that time, it was generally a non-issue for me, though.
With my current church, however, I know that I could never do in that other church what I am doing in this one. I have incredible support and empowerment from the church leadership. Indeed, I am given incredible freedom.
Having a church that empowers women is an amazing treasure.
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