Should women be pastors, preachers, and church leaders, or should they be “silent in the churches”? Is the husband the head of the wife, or are they equal partners in a mutual marriage, leading their families together? Many Christians and churches do not allow women to be pastors, preachers, or church leaders and encourage complementarian approaches to marriage and family relationships. They point to statements from the Apostle Paul, such as the following:

“A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.” 1 Timothy 2:11-12 (NIV)

“Women should remain silent in the churches.” 1 Corinthians 14:34 (NIV)

“But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” 1 Corinthians 11:3 (NIV)

“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.” Ephesians 5:22-23 (NIV)

These statements seem to make it very clear that God doesn’t want women to be pastors, preachers, and church leaders and that husbands are their wives’ God-ordained leaders…right?

We in the Evangelical Covenant Church say, “Wrong.” These conclusions come from a superficial, face-value reading of scripture that relies on a “plain sense” understanding of whatever English translation of the Bible you’re reading. This approach is fine for your personal devotions because God’s Spirit can speak very easily through a simple reading of scripture like this for daily encouragement and inspiration. However, when it comes to studying scripture for doctrine, we must take a more conservative approach, ensuring that we do our best to find God’s inspired meaning of the text.

We must remember that the inspired Word of God is what was written in the original manuscripts in Hebrew and Greek, not any modern English translations. The inspired meaning of any passage of scripture is found only in the original author’s original intent for their original audience in their original context. Once we discover that, then we can discern its implications for us today.

The inspired meaning of any passage of scripture is found in the original author’s original intent for their original audience in their original context. Once we discover that, then we can discern its implications for us today.

This requires a deeper study of the historical context, the cultural circumstances, and the nuances of ancient biblical idioms (phrases, metaphors, etc.). It also requires measuring statements like these against what we find in the whole of scripture (Genesis to Revelation). After this kind of study, we in the Covenant Church have found some helpful clarifications of the original intent behind these statements that Paul makes about women. Thus, we have come to a conclusion that is quite different from some other Christian churches. The Covenant Church has been empowering women as leaders since our denomination’s beginning, ordaining women as pastors for almost 50 years, and encouraging egalitarian mutualism in the marriage relationship.

The Covenant Church has been empowering women as leaders since our denomination’s beginning, ordaining women as pastors for almost 50 years, and encouraging egalitarian mutualism in the marriage relationship.

Some people think we should treat this matter as one of those “gray areas” under the Freedom in Christ affirmation. They propose that we embrace both convictions within the Covenant Church, allowing room for respectful disagreement. However, because the former conviction negatively impacts 50% of our population and limits them from full participation in church leadership and has a significant impact on church practice, affirming both convictions as equally supported in the church (in the same manner as our approach to infant baptism and dedication) is simply untenable. Therefore, we collectively affirm women at all levels of ministry and leadership in the church and clearly identify this within our Affirmations.​ However, we also recognize that there are those among us who disagree and come to a different interpretation of the biblical witness. We don’t expect everyone to agree with everything the church affirms. We prefer to focus on what unites us rather than what divides us. Even clergy are allowed the freedom to be in faithful dissent.

My hope is that these explanations will provide some helpful insight into our conclusions and why we affirm women and encourage an egalitarian mutualism in the marriage.

Follow the buttons below for more thorough explanations of each topic.