The Theology of Women in Ministry: An Open Letter, Bible Teaching and My Formal Stance
The views expressed here are Jenny Randle's personal stance on women in ministry and do not reflect or represent the beliefs or policies of any organizations or individuals she has worked with or churches she has been affiliated with.
Edited on November 22, 2024 at 8:00 PM to include specific denominational expressions of women in ministry.
An Open Letter to the Pastors that called to warn my Pastor I am in fact a woman in ministry
Dear Pastors,
I can only assume you didn’t have my phone number to reach out and discuss your concerns about my “blatant sin” of preaching the Gospel. Allow me to provide it now: (315) 726-3532. Should you feel compelled in the future to share your concerns on my theological standings consult my office directly before involving others.
It has come to my attention that multiple pastors around Amelia Island have raised concerns about my ministry work. After reviewing my publicly shared content over the past handful of years, I can only speculate that your objections may stem from my openness about seeking expanded ministry opportunities. For the record, my job search has never included senior pastor roles. Yet, I’ve often encountered individuals who feel it necessary to remind me of my gender while trying to spiritually manipulate me into repentance.
People outside the local church my husband, myself, and our kids attend have called my pastor and provided feedback regarding my beliefs. To the pastors who have chosen to critique me from a distance without addressing me personally: I find this method of communication both unkind and unproductive. Your actions have created unnecessary tension for me and my family. You’ve put us in a tricky spot while creating more work for my local pastor. I can’t imagine adding “discuss Jenny’s sin” to his to-do list has added to his pastoral productivity. I have loved the church we’ve been attending and consider them church family. I do not work for this local church, and I have respected its beliefs and policies. I have great respect for my pastor and his leadership. We’ve had many discussions about my work and his beliefs surrounding it. We have a difference of opinion, but we are more aligned than most would assume. I consider him a friend and a man of integrity, and I respect his leadership. Based on your assumptions of me, which I still do not know what they formally are, you have put me and my family in a hard position and created an unwarranted tension.
You have not seen the SOS text exchanges to my pastor asking for prayer when I feel weak and sick but have to step on a stage. You have not sat with the women of our church as we cry happy tears produced by encouragement our soul needed. You were not in the prayer meeting when we sent our missionary friend off to serve those that are often overlooked. You do not know me nor have we broken bread together.
Since I have never publicly shared my formal position on women in ministry, and you have not asked me what they are, I am taken aback by you, a leader in our community, calling into question who I am and what I stand for. Since you now have my phone number, read my formal statement below and call me with any questions you may have.
You may choose to persist in making assumptions about me and weaving melodramatic narratives about how Jenny Randle, a biological woman, is scandalously sharing the message that Jesus is Lord and Savior.
It grieves me that this situation has arisen, but I will not apologize for pursuing the calling God has placed on my life. Moving forward, I would encourage you to evaluate whether your approach reflects Christ’s call for unity and love—or whether it reflects something else entirely.
Sincerely,
Jenny Randle
The Question of Women in Ministry: A Personal Journey
I know I'm called to minister and preach the gospel.
I knew I was called to ministry at 18. In my 20s, I began working in the church doing media ministry. I’ve worked with smaller churches, megachurches, international church organizations, and faith-based media networks in Hollywood. Now 20-something years later, I'm an ordained minister and can administer sacraments, provide spiritual counsel, preach and teach the Bible, visit the sick, officiate ceremonies, and represent the church.
Today, I was reminded that God had called me to ministry and it’s a weight that is only carried through the empowerment of God’s Spirit.
But I began to wonder, if I'm called, why am I not accepted?
Understanding the Biblical Perspective
The theological interpretation of 1 Corinthians 14:34-31 and Timothy 2:11-12, where Paul says, "I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet” has been used in a way that has made women who are ministers feel unaccepted within some churches.
It's one of those verses that have been discussed a lot over the years, especially regarding the role of women in ministry. This text is in between Paul's insights on spiritual gifts and orderly church services. It's confusing because Paul affirms that women can pray and prophesy (1 Cor 11:5).
So why is Paul instructing women to be silent now?
Here's the thing: Paul's letters were written in a particular cultural context, vastly different from today. In first-century Greco-Roman society, women generally didn't have the kind of public influence or educational opportunities men did. Many women were uneducated, and their roles were primarily domestic. So, when Paul is writing this, he's speaking into a world where women taking on leadership roles, especially in religious settings, would've been shocking and likely disruptive to the community.
In the first century, it was rare for women to sit at the feet and learn from Rabbis. That's why when Jesus urges Martha to participate in his teaching, it is so mind-blowing (Lk 10:38-42). People began to take notice of Rabbi Jesus' different approach. In ancient times, illiteracy was the norm, especially among women with less access to education in Scriptures and public discourse than men. During church gatherings, it was common for knowledgeable individuals to ask questions during lectures, and it was considered rude and disruptive for those who lacked the knowledge to do so.
We made the whole "women can't be pastors" a gender issue when it's an educational one.
Paul acknowledged that these women needed proper education but didn't expect them to refrain from learning. Instead, he presents another approach for them: husbands should provide their wives with private instruction. However, Paul encourages them to refrain from interrupting the church's teaching because their limited knowledge can be distracting and disrupt the order of the church.
If we were to apply this to our modern-day church, it would be like if you go to bible study and haven't done your homework or studied the text, you shouldn't ask questions or cause disruptions. Those who arrive ready to learn and grow can engage in meaningful and rich conversations. For those with limited knowledge, interrupting the group with frequent questions might seem irrelevant or repetitive to the others. So, women, you are not silenced in the church... just do your homework and study the Word!
That said, it's essential to note that Paul's letters often dealt with specific issues in the churches he was writing to. The church in Ephesus, which 1 Timothy addresses, had pretty intense struggles with false teaching. Some scholars believe that Paul's restriction here might have been a way to handle a local issue—maybe women in that church were spreading lousy theology because of their lack of knowledge.
Although lousy theology is still a modern-day issue with no gender affiliation, I digress....
Paul's goal might have been to maintain order in that particular setting, not to set up a blanket rule for all women for all time. When we widen our view and look at the overall biblical narrative, there are plenty of women God uses in leadership and in teaching roles—
Phoebe was a deacon in the church (Romans 16:1-2)
Anna was a prophet, and the biblical text says she was at the temple and "began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem." Let's recap, who did she speak to? ALL. (Luke 2:36-38)
Priscilla was involved in Paul's ministry. So much so that she got top billing in his letters often, he even referred to her as a "coworker in Christ." She was significant in supporting early Christian communities and even taught proper theology to both men and women. (1 Corinthians 16:19, Romans 16:3-5, Acts 18:24-26, Romans 16:3-5)
Women were prophets. (Lk 2:36 and Ac 21:9)
Jesus instructed Mary Magdalene to preach of his return after his resurrection. (John 20:11-18)
Women told the apostles about Christ after his resurrection. (Lk 24:9-11)
Women were active and valuable in ministry, even if some passages have been historically used to limit women and keep them silent.
In fact a lot of churches mention in their statements of faith that humanity is made in God’s image. Both MEN AND WOMEN are created in the image of God (Psalm 139:13; Matthew 22:37-39; Romans 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10). Women are image bearers, and gender discrimination in the church has gone on for far too long.
If we were to study church history, we'd learn about the desert mothers in early monasticism like Amma Sarah. This woman sought the approval of God alone, which also pertains to this conversation. Then, there were the revival carriers like Carrie Judd Montgomery, Phoebe Palmer in 1882, and Minnie Abrams, a methodist minister in 1898 who helped lead the women-led Indian Revival!
These women were called, and God empowered them to preach, lead, and shepherd. So what's the issue?
After hearing about the theology of women in leadership, let's touch on its realities.
After graduating from seminary with my Master’s in Biblical and Theological Foundations, I was formally commissioned and ordained as a pastor. My ordination was through an interdenominational ministry organization that many well-respected male and female peers recommended. I found this fitting because my work crosses denominational lines within Christianity.
I've been a pastor for six months. Not much has changed in my job other than joking that my kids need to call me "Rev." I hung up my credentials in my office and occasionally flash my badge around here and there when it feels right. My role has stayed the same. I provide spiritual counsel through writing and as I meet with people, I preach and teach the Bible, pray with the sick and hurting, and represent the church at large.
When I first contemplated ordination, I called one of our former pastors from a church we were members at when we lived in another state. He and his wife have journeyed with me through my ministry's ups and downs. I don't think he realized he was doing it, but when I asked him for guidance on pursuing the formal slip of paper stating that I'm clergy, he inadvertently started quoting New Kids on the Block: "You got the right stuff." As our conversation continued, he affirmed God's call on my life.
One of the many steps during the ordination process was to meet with the elder board during a lengthy interview. In the meeting, the elder of all elders asked, "What does being an ordained pastor mean for you?" I'm sure my reply was longwinded about discipleship and pointing people to Christ. I don't remember my specific response, but I do remember his…
He kindly replied, "For us, ordaining you as a pastor means we're coming around you and celebrating the call of God on your life."
A room of men celebrating the call of God on my life?!
This affirmation was the norm within my household but not within the walls of the church spaces I had grown accustomed to.
I left the meeting overwhelmed with gratitude for the leadership of my overseers.
As a woman in ministry, I've had multiple pastors and strangers on the internet (whom I had no relational equity with) call me a sinner and attempt to lead me to repentance due to my "career" choices. Oddly enough (catch my sarcasm), these people were also too busy wielding their metaphorical pitchforks to ask me about my formal stance on women in ministry.
As followers of Christ, we are unified in our soteriological beliefs, even when our theological perspectives differ in areas like women in ministry. There is a way to engage in discussions about our differences respectfully and with compassion. Although a few ministry friends and acquaintances of mine do not affirm my own pastoral title, our conversations are fruitful, and I appreciate the opportunity to learn from each other in our shared mission. Perhaps this is why I'm drawn to Amma Sarah's ministry, as she sought the approval of God alone.
To the men who forgot to ask me what my viewpoints are and to those I work with formally, I am writing this to let you know where I stand regarding the "Can women be pastors?" question. There tend to be extremes on both ends of the conversation. I consider myself landing on the conservative side of the women in ministry conversation.
There are two perspective regarding women in ministry with a range of beliefs within both viewpoints:
Egalitarians
Complementarians
In studying different church denominations, there is not uniformity of expressions which makes the conversation nuanced. There are also conservative and progressive expressions within both viewpoints. I’ve done my best to summarize viewpoints below based on Theologian Sam Storms interpretation, “Where Complementarians and Egalitarians disagree is whether women can serve as the Senior Pastor or as a Ruling Elder in the local church, what I call senior governmental authority. Egalitarians believe the Bible permits women to hold such positions of leadership, while Complementarians do not.”
Source: Sam Storms, Complementarianism (Oklahoma City, OK: Sam Storms, 2006), 3.
Catholic Perspectives:
Roman Catholic Church: Only men can be ordained as priests.
Old Catholic Churches International: Ordain women to the episcopate and presbyterate, reflecting a departure from Roman Catholic practice and an embrace of egalitarian principles.
Protestant Perspectives:
Mainline Protestant Denominations: Many mainline Protestant churches, such as the United Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, support the ordination of women.
Anglican Communion: The stance on women's ordination varies within the Anglican Communion. Some provinces ordain women as deacons, priests, and bishops, while others do not, reflecting a diversity of theological interpretations within the tradition.
Baptist Perspectives:
Southern Baptist Convention (SBC): Holds the complementarian view, asserting that pastoral roles are reserved for men.
American Baptist Churches USA: Embraces a more egalitarian approach, ordaining women as pastors and bishops.
Pentecostal Perspectives:
Assemblies of God (AG): Endorses the ordination of women, allowing them to serve in pastoral and leadership roles.
Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee): Women are eligible to serve as Exhorters and Ordained Ministers, they are not permitted to become Ordained Bishops, a role reserved exclusively for men
Nondenominational Perspectives: Positions on women's roles in ministry vary widely among nondenominational churches, as they are independent and not bound by denominational doctrines.
I've landed my understanding of women in ministry as a hybrid of denominational beliefs within studying the translations of "elder" and "pastor" in Scripture and by examining women's roles in the Bible as previously shared.
Here is my official stance on women in ministry:
I believe that women should not serve as elders, based on the qualifications outlined in Titus 1:5-6 and 1 Timothy 3:1-7.
Additionally, I do not feel called to assume the responsibilities associated with being a congregation's senior pastor.
However, I firmly believe that women can serve as pastors.
I believe women can teach the Bible to both genders based on biblical evidence.
I believe women in pastoral leadership should have elder oversight. Based on the elder qualifications, this is from a man.
If our modern-day churches truly understood the original Scripture, I believe we'd call our senior pastors "elders" instead of "pastors."
I believe men and women are equal and have different and complementary roles.
Regarding marriage, one gender is not “better” than the other. We are to love one another and put one another’s needs above our own (see Ephesians 5:21 for example).
Here's why I landed here:
There are no mentions of the word "pastor" in the ESV translation of the Bible. In Ephesians 4:11-14 the text says God "gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes."
The word "shepherds" is translated into the word "pastor" in the KJV, NKJV, NIV, NASB, and CSB versions of the Bible. Let's look at the original language, shall we?
"Shepherd" used in Ephesians 4:11 translates to ποιμήν (poimēn) in the Greek
"Elder" that lists out the qualifications in Titus 1:5-6 translates to ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos) in the Greek
That same word translates to "office of overseer" which is found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and is ἐπισκοπή (episkopē)
"Teacher" in Ephesians 4:1 is διδάσκαλος (didaskalos)
also found in Mt 10:24, 25; 23:8; Jn 1:38; 13:13, 14; 20:16; Ac 13:1; 1Co 12:28, 29; Eph 4:11; 2Ti 4:3; Heb 5:12; Jas 3:1; Jn 8:4)
Shepherd/Pastor, Elder, and Teacher are three different titles. The qualifications for elders during that period were men. The shepherds (pastors) and teachers were not gender-specific.
Again, this "Can women be pastors?" question is not a gender issue. It's an educational one.
As I study what it means to pastor God's people and be a teacher of His word, I cling to Paul's charge to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2 and the words in James 3:1.
There is a weight for those who accept the call to teach God's Word and shepherd His people. Although I'm not formally a pastor within a local church, I consider my pastoral extension within itinerant ministry, writing, and supporting the global Church through my work with the ministry center I work for. I don’t need to be called “pastor” in order to lead and love others.
While Paul's words reflect specific cultural dynamics of his time, they shouldn't be seen as limiting the call God places on people's lives today. In studying the text's original language, I find no gender specifics in connection to who can pastor.
I've embraced the call to lead where God lands me but why aren't I accepted?
I recognize that my theological insight will not sway any keyboard warriors or those denominations that have silenced women's voices. The Lord will settle my soul when it wants to road rage on the nay-sayers, and He'll remind me that I don't need to prove myself. I remain grateful for those in my life who love and support me regardless of our differences, and I'm thankful for the men and women who continue to champion the pastoral call on my life.
I’m grateful to the church leaders that have invited me in to minister and trust me to teach a Word to your women or congreation. I don’t take that lightly.
I write my official statement for myself and the younger generation of girls that come after me.
Sharing my public stance on women in ministry seems silly.
Yet, at the same time, significant.
I don’t want this topic to be one that defines the ministry work I do, I just want to be able to DO IT. There's a calling on many lives, both men and women, young and old, to embrace the call of pastoral leadership. As we pursue our call to ministry with integrity, strength, and love, let us remember to proclaim the Word of God boldly and with unwavering dedication.
May we seek God's approval alone.
To God be the glory.
I have closed comments on this post. I will not allow disunity to be the focus of discussion on this post. You have my number, if you’d like to discuss further, give my office a call.
