WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP & ELDERSHIP RESOURCES:
(Click titles to go to the link of each one)
Our Belief:
Breakthrough's Women in Leadership/Eldership Teaching - A short teaching from Pastor Andrew on why we believe biblically Women can and should be in leadership and how to interpret the passages that are commonly used to speak against women in leadership positions.
More on our view...
Women in ministry and leadership are essential in God’s plan and design for his Church. God’s original design in Genesis 1-3 shows the beautiful equality and co-partnership between men and women to reign together over the garden, soon to be skewed by the fall. We see all over the New Testament Jesus empowering and raising up women. He allowed women to be discipled by him, and showed tremendous respect to women on so many occasions far different than the current culture did. He was the first Rabbi in history to allow a female to sit at his feet and learn from him, the position of a disciple. Examples of women exercising authority and leadership in the Old Testament; Miriam who was a prophet and in leadership, Deborah who was a judge/presidential leader, Huldah an esteemed prophet, and many more. In the New Testament; Phoebe who was a deacon, and Priscilla who was called by Paul “a coworker in ministry”, Junia who was an apostle, and more. God created women with gifts, and parts of his heart that cannot be found in men and vice versa. Men and women together make a dynamic duo for the kingdom, and we simply need both and what each gender carries. Women bring a nurturing and caretaking side of God, and also an emotional intelligence to the church that is so needed. The two main scriptures used to keep women from their rightful place in church leadership are found in 1 Corinthians 14:34, and 1 Timothy 2:11-12, and these versus are taken severely out of context and meant for the current culture and time in the cities of Corinth, and the church of Ephesus. In the full context of these scriptures it’s actually empowering women for what they needed then, not silencing them now. (Judges 5:1-31, Judges 4:4, 2 Kings: 22, Romans 16:1-2, Romans 16:3, Romans 16:7)
Articles:
Are Women Elders Biblical? - Presents a detailed biblical study showing that men and women, equally gifted and called by God, can serve in any church leadership role, including eldership, supported by scriptural analysis of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers
Defining Women Eldership - Outlines a position, grounded in biblical narrative and exegesis, that men and women should serve together at every level of leadership, including elders, and explains how such a model can be practiced in a local church context
Women In Leadership | Frequently Asked Questions - Addresses common questions about women’s leadership in the church, interpreting key scriptures in cultural and historical context, and affirming that women may teach, lead, and hold positions of authority alongside men
Women's Service in the Church: The Biblical Basis by N.T Wright - N.T Wright is an New Testament scholar and Pauline theologian who outlines his biblical basis for women in ministry in his essay, arguing that the New Testament fully supports women as preachers, deacons, and leaders.
Books:
Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible - Book by Phd New Testament Professor Scot McKnight which explains how to interpret the Bible and touches on Paul's writings concerning Women in Leadership.
From Genesis to Junia: An Honest Search for What the Bible Really Says About Women in Leadership - Book by Phd biblical scholar Preston Sprinkle examines key passages from Genesis to Revelation. He weighs historical context, interacting with a variety of scholarly perspectives, and holding familiar views up to Scripture: to explore what the Bible says about women in church leadership.
Lectures:
Women & Eldership - What is Our Position (Bridgetown Church)
Women & Eldership - A Closer Look at the Four Pillars