Leadership - Men & Women Working Together in ChristOur church believes that the Bible leads us to the conclusion that everyone, both men and women, should be obedient to the call of God on their lives, including a call to preach the Word of God and be in leadership. Some churches believe men and women have complementary but different roles in the church, whereas our church believes we can share equal partnership.
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Although we respect our brothers and sisters in Christ who have a different interpretation of the scriptures, we hold fast to our conviction that both men and women can preach the Word freely.
Why have we come to this conclusion?
1. Scripture
In Acts 2:17 it says; “Your sons and daughters will prophesy…”. I know I want to hear what the Holy Spirit says through both our sons and daughters! Scriptures that could be interpreted to say otherwise were for a particular context and were descriptive rather than prescriptive in my view.
2. Our Heritage.
Churches which later became the Wesleyan Church ordained the first women as pastors both in America and in Canada. Luther Lee (Wesleyan Methodist) in the USA in 1853, and Rev. Ella Kinney Sanders (Reformed Baptist Alliance of Canada) in 1901. The Holy Spirit leading us in this direction is part of a long, rich heritage.
3. The Evidence.
God has done amazing things through women as they have preached the Word of God. In the early church, the Jews had trouble accepting the Gentiles (non-Jews) as fellow believers, but when they saw how God was working in their lives, this was their response; “When they heard this [the Holy Spirit’s clear outpouring], they had no further objections and praised God, saying, 'So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.'” (Acts 11:18). We look to scripture first as our authority but when there are different interpretations, we also look to the real life evidence to help us understand what God is saying in His Word. I have had the same reaction as the early church did in Acts 11:18 when it comes to women preaching the Word of God. I can’t deny that they are right where God means them to be.
This is not an exhaustive answer to this question, and you may still have questions. They are welcome. I'd love to dialogue with you. Please be in touch.
If you'd like to dig deeper on your own, this "Position Paper" is a great place to begin:
https://www.wesleyan.org/a-wesleyan-view-of-women-in-ministry
At the end of the day, we want to say loudly and clearly, if God is calling you to preach the Word of God and be in leadership, say “Yes" to His calling.
-Pastor Jason
Why have we come to this conclusion?
1. Scripture
In Acts 2:17 it says; “Your sons and daughters will prophesy…”. I know I want to hear what the Holy Spirit says through both our sons and daughters! Scriptures that could be interpreted to say otherwise were for a particular context and were descriptive rather than prescriptive in my view.
2. Our Heritage.
Churches which later became the Wesleyan Church ordained the first women as pastors both in America and in Canada. Luther Lee (Wesleyan Methodist) in the USA in 1853, and Rev. Ella Kinney Sanders (Reformed Baptist Alliance of Canada) in 1901. The Holy Spirit leading us in this direction is part of a long, rich heritage.
3. The Evidence.
God has done amazing things through women as they have preached the Word of God. In the early church, the Jews had trouble accepting the Gentiles (non-Jews) as fellow believers, but when they saw how God was working in their lives, this was their response; “When they heard this [the Holy Spirit’s clear outpouring], they had no further objections and praised God, saying, 'So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.'” (Acts 11:18). We look to scripture first as our authority but when there are different interpretations, we also look to the real life evidence to help us understand what God is saying in His Word. I have had the same reaction as the early church did in Acts 11:18 when it comes to women preaching the Word of God. I can’t deny that they are right where God means them to be.
This is not an exhaustive answer to this question, and you may still have questions. They are welcome. I'd love to dialogue with you. Please be in touch.
If you'd like to dig deeper on your own, this "Position Paper" is a great place to begin:
https://www.wesleyan.org/a-wesleyan-view-of-women-in-ministry
At the end of the day, we want to say loudly and clearly, if God is calling you to preach the Word of God and be in leadership, say “Yes" to His calling.
-Pastor Jason