Is the role of pastor and teacher open to both sexes, or has God ordained that men alone occupy these positions? I have remained silent on this issue for 30 years. I’ve never published anything on it, and never taught on the issue…until now.

I’ve been doing a podcast series titled Answering God’s Critics. Recently, I’ve been answering the criticism that the God of the Bible is sexists and misogynistic. I started with the Old Testament data and worked my way to the New. What the New Testament has to say regarding women in ministry, however, is a series in its own right. To that end, I’ve started a sub-series on the topic of women pastors/teachers.

The first episode is live. It’s what I call a 1-N-Done episode. It’s a highlight reel, if you will, of my argument. In the weeks that follow, I will explore this issue in more depth.

Where do I land on this issue? I am a complementarian. That means that while men and women are equal in worth and dignity – and spiritual equals in the kingdom of God – God created the sexes differently, and assigned different roles to each sex. God has ordained that men be the spiritual leaders of their home and the spiritual leaders of the church. As such, the role of pastor and teacher should only be occupied by men. This does not mean women cannot be involved in ministry. They can, and we see them doing so in Scripture. They prophesy, evangelize, serve, support, etc., but none occupied the position of pastor or (theology) teacher.

I like to say that I am a “reluctant complementarian.” I would prefer that complementarianism not be true. On a personal level, I have no in-principle objection to women pastoring and teaching. And I know there are women who are fully capable of doing so. My personal bias, then, is toward egalitarianism and against complementarianism. When I read Scripture, I would prefer to find that God agrees with my perspective. But He doesn’t. Passages like 1 Timothy 2:11-14 and 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 are sufficiently clear on this matter. Many have sought ways to reinterpret these passages in a way that conforms to our cultural views on gender, but I think all of them falter on Biblical and logical grounds. It’s our cultural perspective, not the Word of God that needs to change.

Listen to the 1-N-Done episode (#201) at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1958918/episodes/19106589, or wherever you get podcasts. Follow my podcast to be notified of future episodes, or check back at https://thinkingtobelieve.buzzsprout.com every Friday.

I expect that this will engender debate, but if you want to engage me in debate on this issue on this blog, please listen to the 1-N-Done episode first. If you do not begin your post by affirming that you listened to the episode, I will not respond. If you care enough to debate me on the topic, then you should first be clear on what I believe and why. That information is contained in the episode, not in this post.