2.09.2009

Women's Right to Preach!

In 1859, Catherine Mumford Booth wrote an article in defense of women preachers. The title of her article was "Female Ministry; or, Woman's Right to Preach the Gospel."
The title makes me wonder...is it appropriate to speak of it as a right? I find that using the word 'right' in relationship to a woman's position in the church is not considered the Christian way to speak of it. To speak of 'rights' smacks of liberal civil rights 'speak.' To speak of 'rights' sounds like an entitlement. To speak of 'rights' seems selfish and self-serving. To speak of 'rights'
is perceived as a demand and seems to set up a sense of competition. How does speaking of "Woman's Right to Preach the Gospel" fit with the idea that we, as Christians, should not demand our rights?
Funny, we don't have a problem speaking of our 'right' to vote. Or our 'right' to 'privacy.' Or our 'right' to the freedom of worship. Or our 'right' to assembly. Or our 'right' of freedom of speech. Most of us do not consider these 'rights' as selfish, self-serving or un-Christian.
Is it really because a Christian should not demand their 'rights' or is it really that a woman should not?
I wonder...

2.08.2009

There is neither male or female...

Why the Best Man for the Job is a Woman: The Unique Female Qualities of Leadership hails the lady CEO as a sign of a revolution taking place in a corporate culture traditionally dominated by men. The world of business is changing...and it is women who are best suited to meet the challenges of the modern marketplace. Book [the author] contends that women such as Meg Whitman of eBay and Marcy Carsey of Carsey-Werner succeed because they embody seven uniquely female abilities: they can sell their visions; they are not afraid to reinvent the rules; they are closely focused on achievement; they show courage under fire; they turn challenges into opportunities; they are aware of customer preferences; and they maximize what Book calls "high touch" in an era of high tech.

Within the church, I think we need to be really careful to avoid the temptation to make the argument that women have uniquely female qualities that not only qualifies them to be pastors, but makes them better suited for the task. First, persons are called into ministry. Each person, male or female, is uniquely gifted for the ministry to which the Holy Spirit calls him or her. Secondly, to say women are better qualified based on their abilites (as the book review indicates) is to diminish men and their gifts and what they have historically contributed to the ministry. Thirdly, there should be no competition nor contrast and comparison. Fourthly, to speak of women as though they are totally different in their ministry giftings from men, is to minimize and isolate womens' gifts and still maintain the male model of pastoral leadership as the norm. The Holy Spirit is the gift giver and the One who does the calling. To make this argument does a disservice to those called into ministry and also to the Third Person of the Trinity. Women do not have to be better (or the same) as the opposite sex. They, like men, just have to be called!