Women Pastors and the SBC

Recently the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) has made a stand that they believe is based on Biblical standards about women pastors.  There are many complicated aspects to this issue, some biblical and some non biblical. 

First of all let’s see what the Bible says.  In 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 Paul instructs his protégés on the qualifications for pastors.  The word Pastor can be interchanged with other terms but I will use the word Pastor because it is what we in the American church use to reference the leader of the church.  The first qualification is that the leader must be the husband of one wife.  This implies that this person is an adult male who is married.  I believe that both aspects of this are important for the leader of a church who is composed of families.  God had created men to be the leaders in the home and in society.  It is a natural position for men and it is designed by God that way on purpose.  Today people focus on the person being a male but I believe that him being married is equally as important.  Having a wife and being married is important to understanding the complexity of relationships within a church full of married people.  

Now the question comes, are there exceptions?  Yes.  Following the instruction for a husband of one wife, there is a list of qualifications.  (1 Timothy 3:2-4)

“Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive.”

If all of these qualifications cannot be met and there is a woman who meets these qualifications then I believe that a woman can be a leader of a church or a “Pastor”.  Notice that this has everything to do with there being a lack of qualified male leadership and not women usurping authority.  Likewise the marriage qualification may be excepted where there is not a married male who is otherwise qualified.  It must also be noted that these congregations would be extremely small and would not be the norm.  

Now, lets get into the complexity of this issue.  The Recovering Fundamentalist Podcast covered this issue very well and you can find that in episodes 99, and 100.  The complexity first of all gets complicated with the spiritual gift of Prophecy.  This gift is one that is not exclusive to men as the Holy Spirit has gifted it to Women as well.  As such I believe that women can and should “Prophecy”.  In the modern church that is usually done through preaching.  So as preachers, or prophetesses, I believe that women can and should preach, but they should not hold the office of pastor.  

Now, let's address the overapplication of the title pastor in the American church, especially to male leaders.  In the modern church you have a lead pastor, which I have made the argument is biblically supposed to be a married male.  However under the lead pastor there are other leaders who shepherd and care for those beneath them.  In many churches they will call the person who is in charge of the children’s ministry the Student Pastor unless it is a female and then she is the Children’s Ministry Director, or a similar title.  There is nothing wrong with a woman, who is spiritually qualified, leading, shepherding, and pastoring children and or other women.  In Titus 2 Paul admonishes the older women to mentor the younger women, so this relationship is biblical.  The complexity of the issue comes when churches over apply the title of pastor to men and women who are leaders in the church but are under the authority of the biblical lead pastor of the church.  

So to summarize, The bible makes it clear that the leader of a church, or a local body of believers should be a married male who is above reproach, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money and one who manages his household well. In larger churches this is the "Lead Pastor" or "Senior Pastor". Underneath the Pastor there are going to be other leaders as God has gifted them to edify, instruct and encourage the body of Christ. These are both men and women who have been gifted by the Holy Spirit. Some of these will have been gifted with the gift of prophecy which can be exhibited and used in the form of preaching. These men and women should use their gift as the Holy Spirit gives them ability. Finally, the modern church has over used the title of pastor and in the SBC there are churches that are using it in a way that other churches would never use it and so they are divided by semantics.