God has been ordaining women for thousands of years.
There are a lot of ministries women cannot participate in. Well, actually, not a lot. In fact, there are very few. But it seems people make a big deal over those few and ignore all the ministries in which they can participate. In fact, there are many ministries for which women are uniquely equipped. And there are some ministries in which only women can participate.
Let’s start by examining the “vast” list of restrictions on the ministry of the women in the assembly. They cannot speak in meetings of the church, and they cannot have authority over men or authoritatively teach men (1 Tim. 2:12; 1 Cor. 14:34). That’s it. If that seems terribly restrictive, let’s remember that in most meetings of the church, a small minority of the men have anything to say. Furthermore, only a few men will serve as elders or Bible teachers, having authority and authoritatively teaching the Word. If a man isn’t up at the pulpit speaking, is he a second-class Christian? Of course not. And if a woman has a biblical conviction that she should remain silent* in meetings of the church, does that mean she is wasting her gift as a second-class Christian? Of course not! So, while some would make much of these biblical restrictions, they are not, in fact, very restrictive.
Spiritual gifts
But that’s enough discussion about what women can’t do. God has given the church women who minister in a wide range of capacities, so let’s discuss what they can do. The obvious starting place is to discuss spiritual gifts. Four sections of Scripture discuss spiritual gifts in detail: Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4. What is interesting to note is that none of these gifts are gender-specific. There may be a few specific ministries and venues where Christian women will not use their gifts, but the gifts themselves are available to both men and women. I’m thankful for the women who have gifts of teaching and evangelism. From what I’m told, women teachers can often relate to other women in ways men find difficult. This is not to diminish the value of teaching from the pulpit by men, but is a simple acknowledgement that women can often speak to other women in a very special way. With regards to evangelism, it can be a dangerous temptation for a man to witness to a woman, and, in some cultures, it’s almost impossible. But women evangelists can reach other women quite effectively. Women may not be “ministers” in the sense denominational churches understand the expression, but there is no doubt they are ministering to the church!
Besides speaking gifts, what other spiritual gifts might women use to minister? The answer is obvious: all of the gifts! Whatever permanent gifts the Spirit has given to the churches are available for women to use in ministry. One seldom discussed gift is that of administration or ruling. A woman will not exercise such a gift in the ministry of formal oversight. But under the authority of the elders in an assembly, she might coordinate an evangelistic outreach for the whole assembly, or a program of visitation to nursing homes, or marshal the efforts of the women in the assembly behind some worthy cause.
Training younger women
Consider Titus 2:4, where the older women are told to train the younger women to love their husbands and children. Doesn’t this seem odd? One would think a newly-wed wife or a young mother would already love her husband and children. And, in a sense, she certainly does. But since the Scripture gives this command, there must be an aspect of love which can be taught and learned.
It is unlikely that this is referring to emotional attachment, for that is usually present when a woman gets married or has a baby. More likely, this is referring to the development of a giving attitude. When a woman first starts a relationship, her husband is likely to dote on her. But as the relationship matures, and particularly when she starts having babies, she is called upon to give more and more of herself. She is called upon to give when she doesn’t want to give, and even to give when she feels she has nothing left to give. An older woman can come alongside to help and encourage her in these new situations in ways that no man could truly understand, much less accomplish. The older woman will teach by example and by word. In her own life she’ll demonstrate that while giving isn’t easy, her whole family has been blessed. And if the older woman is wise, she’ll use Scripture to demonstrate that these principles are true and timeless. Nobody should doubt the value of this sort of ministry; and, if a church is blessed with even one older woman who ministers in this way, it will make a significant difference in the life of the body.
Ministers in deed
In Romans 16, Paul gives personal greetings to a long list of coworkers and friends. In verse 13 we read, “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.” Here we see a woman who treated the apostle Paul as her own son. Paul traveled under rough conditions and had no familiarity with luxury. Yet this precious woman’s care for a traveling worker was such that her deeds are recorded for eternity in Scripture. To the list of women who ministered to the Lord’s workers we could add Lydia (Ac. 16:15), as well as Joanna and Susanna (Lk. 8:3), and Martha (Lk. 10:38) who ministered to the Lord Jesus Himself. When the Lord’s workers are away from home and family, they depend on the hospitality of the Lord’s people. A woman with a heart for the ministry of hospitality can make a tremendous difference to the worker’s stay, affecting the entire character of his ministry. In some cases, it might even be the difference between a worker extending his stay to continue to bless with his ministry, or leaving early to return to his family. The importance of this ministry cannot be exaggerated.
Lastly, we should consider some of the traditional ways women have ministered. These include child care, Sunday School, DVBS, and food groups. While listed last they are certainly not least, and nobody should dismiss the value of these ministries. Many a young mother needs a break and a chance to hear the Bible taught on a Sunday morning, and the opportunity comes through other women who lovingly staff the nursery. It is no exaggeration to say that most churches would not have Sunday Schools if it were not for the women who volunteer to teach the children. Before I was saved, I was blessed to attend a DVBS run by a couple of young ladies in a Baptist church. They had it on their hearts to help win us for the Lord, and though my decision came later, I believe their ministry was one of the means by which the Lord reached me with the gospel.
And while some politicians may disparage women who “bake cookies,” the women’s food groups help foster fellowship among the Lord’s people between meetings, at fellowship meals, and at conferences. Frankly, we can have a profitable conference without a guest speaker (through Bible readings), but it’s hard to have a conference without somebody feeding us!
Some may wonder why we don’t have women ministers. But from this short list it should be clear that we do have women ministers in a biblical sense. The sisters among us have a fruitful and valuable ministry, which is as the Lord intended.