The other day I happened into a room in which a couple of folks where discussing the IBC statement on women in ministry. They continued the conversation but as I was now the third person in the room it seemed to ratchet down a little bit after I made my entrance.
The two snippets that I heard were (and I will paraphrase mightily as I was trying to “not” eavesdrop but it was hard since the discussion continued) was that one person was concerned that it took the Elders 18 months to arrive at a conclusion since anything that took that long meant that there was something unsettling about the whole thing. The other item of concern was the feeling that this new statement was the result of our current liberal, feminist culture.
What I found interesting was that the things that this person expressed concern about (the lengthy time of study and the influence of current social and cultural standards) . . . were things that didn't concern me at all and here's why.
Where they saw the lengthy, protracted process as negative and indicative that if it took that long there must have been some mental gymnastics involved to arrive at a conclusion . . . I saw it as indicative that real blood, sweat and tears were involved and that the Elders saw something along the way that really challenged them to look deeply into the issue. Also, that this was so significant a topic that to spend anything less would be a disservice to the body of believers that they are charged with shepherding.
As for the influence of our current liberal, feminist culture . . . in my opinion the Elders sought to look, not just beyond the current mores, but also look beyond the past 2,000+ years of mores (liberal, conservative, feminist, chauvinistic, etc) and consider the revolutionary statements that Jesus and Paul were making to the culture of their day.
Paul consistently exhorted, encouraged, recognized and lifted up women in the church and, to be blunt, Jesus was a chick magnet who elevated women to equal status among the believers and totally turned the social and culture mores of that era on it’s ear. I submit that the past 2,000 years has seen a regression from the role that Paul and Jesus established for the church and that we’ve allowed a male dominated secular world view to deflect the intended role of women away from what was intended.
Hmmm - probably the only thing that you will remember from the preceding paragraph was my characterization of Jesus as a chick magnet. I hope the rest helps. If not click HERE to read more about the journey that the Elders of IBC took as they came to their conclusion.
Obviously, this is not a new topic (at least 2000 years old, right?). And there have been countless books written on the subject of the role of women in the church. One particularly good one is "Women in the Maze: Questions and Answers on Biblical Equality", by Ruth A. Tucker. Tucker, a historian who has taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Calvin College, and Fuller Theoligical Seminary, seeks a balanced and honest approach to what the Bible has to say about women . . . in the church, in the family, in the world. To set the tone for her book, she begins the preface with this question from a young girl: "Dear God, Are boys better than girls? I know you are one, but try to be fair." As children often do, this simple question sums up many of the aspects and impressions of a complicated issue. Tucker sets out to answer the question by looking at what the Bible says IN CONTEXT of the greater work involved (not, as is often done by both feminists and chauvinists, out of context in order to support a particular argument). Not surprisingly, her conclusions vary. Sometimes, the full scriptural context helps explain what the writier was trying to say, and why, showing that no ill will toward either gender is intended. And sometimes, she comes to the conclusion that the author's words are simply at odds with contemporary opinion and understanding. If Tucker has an agenda, it seems to be to try to genuinely understand what the God of Love is trying to tell us about ourselves, and about how we ought best to get along and "be church". I found it to be a very thought-provoking book, a satifying treatment of a difficult subject.
Posted by: Davndize | July 25, 2008 at 04:12 PM