Women, can they preach in the church?

It is so good to be back. After eight days of intensive training in Counseling at Level Three stage, at Secunderabad, conducted by 'Person to Person,' my head was reeling with the Five Circle Theory and what not. I couldn't even think about opening my blog, let alone penning a blog. Now that I am at home, comfortably seated in front of my laptop, I thought now is the time to write about what ever I wanted to. 

Whether women can preach in the church or not is quite a controversial matter among Christians. It differs depending on the denomination. Church of South India (CSI) allows women pastors; so also Methodist church. However a little orthodox churches do not. They might be taking literally what Paul has said in 1 Timothy 2:11-12, "Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence." What Paul has written will have to be seen in the context of the culture of his days. In 1st century days women were not educated and not exposed to the world, and may be he laid the rule, "...women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak." 1 Corinthians 14:34. But did he say women could not preach? Being a pastor, does it mean she or he has authority over the others? Does the pastor rule over the others?  I really don't think he meant that. 

Within the family, the God-created institution, it is understandable that woman will be subject to the authority of the husband and submit to him. But that comes with a rider to men, that men need to love their wives as their own body and be willing to lay their lives for their wives, just like Jesus did for His church. One can agree that a wife is subject to her husband, who happens to be a man, but she is definitely not subject to all the males in the world! Who is any one to restrict women in that manner? No one can do that. That was not how God or His Son Jesus Christ pictured the scenario.

Look at what Jesus Himself said. Martha, the elder sister of Mary and Lazarus, was worried about preparing the meal for Jesus and His disciples, who had come to her house. When she requested Jesus to chide her sister Mary, who was sitting at His feet and listening to His words of eternal life, saying 'Lord tell my sister to help me,' Jesus answered her so very lovingly, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried  and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:41-42. Jesus didn't say, 'Ok, Mary, enough of you listening to me, now go and help your sister in the kitchen.' No, on the contrary, he appreciated Mary concentrating on matters of importance, His words, which contained in them eternal life. If Mary was listening to the eternal words from Jesus, she is going to go our and tell others and preach the word. So who is to stop her? Who can bind what Jesus Himself had loosened? The world was and is open to women, who will and must bring out their best, the talents that God has showered on them, and be a useful member of the community in which they live. Who can stop that? 

In any case it is very naive and simple-mindedness to tell women, who in the Twenty first century have traveled through the space, that she cannot bear leadership roles inside the church as well. As long as she is qualified and has the desire and inclination to do serve the Lord as a preacher or an Elder, she should be allowed to do so. If anyone in India today says that women should not preach in the church, I will take him or her to be very orthodox or from very backward background reflecting the culture of a small town or village. My surprise was, when I happened to meet a group of Western evangelists, in London, Heathrow Airport, who also held similar view! To see an educated man, coming from America, the most advanced country in the world, to hold such a view, in these days, was a shock. When I told him that I preach in my church, Methodist denomination, he in his self-righteous manner said I may have to answer the Lord when He comes! And I told him that it is the Lord Himself who has asked me to 'Go, preach!' Matthew 10:7. Of course that didn't convince him. I realized then that many youngsters in the Western world go away from good churches, may be because of such attitudes. How sad that these people put such heavy burden on people, which ultimately drives people from the very place to where they are striving to bring them.