2nd Opinion: Taking a risk with God for women in ministry_12405

Posted: 1/21/05

2ND OPINION:
Taking a risk with God for women in ministry

by Roger Olsen

I surprise students by telling them I have belonged to two churches pastored by women–one in Minnesota and one now in Waco.

For approximately seven years, our family's pastor has been a woman. Then I say: “Don't get me wrong; we don't have anything against men in ministry. If God calls a man to preach, who are we to oppose that?” That always elicits a nervous chuckle from most students; a few women students are especially tickled by the joke. And, of course, it is said facetiously.

By far the majority of pastors are and probably always will be men. However, more churches and denominations–including evangelical ones–are becoming receptive to women in the pulpit and behind the door marked “Pastor.”

Occasionally, a well-meaning person will ask me when I became liberal and began believing in women pastors. I surprise them as well. That never happened. I grew up in a very conservative denomination that ordains women to ministry; both my birth mother (who died when I was a child) and my stepmother were licensed ministers. The denomination ordained many women who planted churches, preached revivals and pastored. I first encountered strong opposition to women's ordination and pastoral leadership in seminary and never heard arguments convincing enough to change my mind.

The organization Christians for Biblical Equality explains the biblical basis for women's ordination and for women as pastors. (See www.cbeinternational.org) Evangelical theologians Stanley Grenz and Denise Kjesbo wrote a book that convincingly argues for full equality of women with men in church, family and society, Women in the Church: A Biblical Theology of Women in Ministry.

I find that many Christians–including some Baptists–have accepted full equality of women with men in ministry but have yet to be open to a woman pastor. They say, “I just don't think I could sit under a woman's ministry.” When asked why, they often appeal to comfort level and culture: “It would just feel so odd to me” and “It's a cultural thing.” I would like to help such people with my own testimony (and speaking for my whole family) about our experiences with two women pastors.

Many people are surprised to hear that neither woman Baptist pastor is an ideological feminist. Of course, both believe that men and women share full equality in every area of life, but neither uses the pulpit as a platform to promote a feminist agenda of inclusive God-talk or reverse discrimination that implies women are superior to men. Both joyfully work side-by-side with male colleagues. Neither Penny Zettler (our pastor in Minnesota) nor Julie Pennington-Russell (our pastor in Texas) has a chip on her shoulder. Both have experienced rejection due to their gender, but neither is angry about it.

At both Elim Baptist Church in Minneapolis and Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, one hears men and women saying, “You know, I didn't know how I'd feel about having a woman pastor, but now I wouldn't trade her for anyone.” Pastor Penny's husband is a lay partner in her ministry and actively involved in the church even though his profession is computer programming. Coincidently, Pastor Julie's husband also works with computers and is as active in the church as any layperson. Both take ribbing about being “the pastor's husband” with good humor. Their congregations love them as couples, but the women lead in the church. And that's perfectly all right with these traditional Baptist congregations.

Most importantly, our family found these women pastors to be models of sound biblical preaching that touches the hearts of their congregations with notes of personal application. Pastor Penny's style is narrative; Pastor Julie's is topical. Both successfully relate the biblical text to everyday life with humor, stories, self-disclosure and conviction. I have personally never sat under any pastor who more genuinely “comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable” than these two women pastors.

Some of my best seminary students are women called by God to pastor churches. And yet they often run into a cultural wall of opposition as they seek churches in which to minister. I urge them to be patient, but my heart grieves for them and for the churches that could be benefiting from their pastoral leadership just as Elim and Calvary are benefiting from their female pastors.

To those Baptists and other Christians who are open-minded to women in ministry but who still have personal and cultural qualms, I say, “Give a woman a chance; you may be very pleasantly surprised as my family and I have been.”

If we never take risks, nothing ever changes. God is calling women into his service, but he depends on us to give them opportunities to serve. Let's set aside our personal qualms and cultural hangups and give God-called women a chance to lead, just as they have been leading both women and men on mission fields for centuries.

Roger Olson is professor of theology at Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary.