17 years ago, I was president of the board of elders at our former church. One day, a prominent member approached the board demanding that she be scheduled to preach on Sundays. She claimed she was a better teacher than our senior pastor. The issue was further complicated because her husband was also on the elder board and, surprisingly, supported her request to be approved. After a contentious meeting that lasted until nearly midnight, we voted 5-1 to refuse her request. Not to be denied, she and her husband continued to vigorously disagree with our position. It became such a major distraction within the church body that we had to ask them to leave the church. In stark contrast to the last 2000 years of church history, her request was nothing new... women have been openly trying to enter both pastoral and congregational preaching roles for well over 50 years. In another case, Saddleback Church was expelled from the Southern Baptist Convention over this same issue after Rick Warren’s church foolishly ordained three women as pastors. But these two cases are no longer the rule. Increasing numbers of women are being elevated to the roles of pastor and preacher in Christian “churches”. It seems that those dedicated to honoring God's plan for church leadership are fighting a losing battle. According to U.S. Census-related data (via American Community Survey, as cited in reports up to 2023), women make up approximately 19.9–20.7% of professional clergy overall. Data USA reports 19.9% women in the clergy workforce in 2023 (based on labor statistics). Mainline Protestant denominations averaged higher rates (around 27–32% for ordained clergy or pastors in those groups). At the same time, evangelical and conservative traditions (e.g., Southern Baptists) remain much lower or near zero for senior roles. What’s changed? Three things... Gen Z women (ages 15-27) are leaving traditional churches in droves, and LGBTQ advocates have connived to install more church “leaders” sympathetic to their cause. According to the Survey Center on American Life, there is a growing divide between traditional churches and many young women who have grown increasingly liberal. The survey also reveals that this exodus has coincided with the rise in LGBTQ identity among young women. Nearly three in ten women under the age of 30 now identify as something other than straight. Many of those leaving traditional churches indicate that “negative treatment of gay and lesbian people” was an important reason. Many of these young women have serious reservations about what they regard as unequal treatment of women in churches that still uphold biblical values. If they do seek to attend church, they favor those with women pastors who typically tend to be more affirming of LGBTQ persons. The Survey Center also notes that 61% of Gen Z women now identify as feminists... Consequently, they are more likely to reject those male church leaders they see as “paternalistic” dolts who subjugate women. Thirdly, weak male leadership in women-led churches has let this happen... What is driving this? A lot of this twisted mindset is coming out of that cesspool also known as American colleges and universities. In recent years, women have become more college-educated than men of the same age. Because of this, increasing numbers of them believe the feminist lie that they'll find complete fulfillment in childless careers rather than God, church, and family. In an interview with the Associated Press, Cheryl Summer (a former Southern Baptist churchgoer) says, “There is a tremendous cognitive dissonance for a woman of faith who is leading professionally or through volunteer efforts when she experiences the glass ceiling and walls in her place of worship.” Sadly, the response of many churches to this exodus of young women is to cave into the whims of culture by elevating women to positions of pastoral authority to keep the seats filled. As a result, there has been a significant rise in the number of women pastors who tell young women what they want to hear. At the same time, there are increasing numbers of spinless millennials and other progressive types in church leadership these days who will happily greenlight the idea of women leading their churches. Those who approve of women pastors list “gender equality” as their justification. At the same time, those who disagree are labeled as racists and women haters. So, what’s the problem? Why not have women as pastors? The answer, as always, is found in the careful and accurate interpretation of scripture. When it comes to women pastors, there is one thing that stands out from everything else… God has assigned different roles to men and women in the church. With that understanding, there is no biblical case that can be made for women pastors. This is not my opinion… it is the pronouncement of scripture. God has established a divine order of things when it comes to the role of women in the church. (Complementarianism). Anything else is allowing secular culture to shape their churches to keep the collection plates full of cash. Instead of rejecting worldly marketing methods and adhering to the biblical mandate that churches should shape the culture around them, they let worldliness shape their church. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote this…
This passage of scripture offends a lot of people as it instructs women to remain silent (not preaching) and submit themselves to God’s plan of male authority in the church. Again, not my opinion or feelings, but God’s Word. Churches must not cave into worldly wisdom and strive instead to teach the whole counsel of God... including His intended roles for men and women. Paul wrote this in his farewell letter to the Ephesian elders,
Anything less silently supports the destruction of the family. And that silence is deafening these days. It’s time to man up, boys...
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