VintageBrett.com

Women In Ministry: the Irving Bible Church Decision

My church is losing its mind, and I think I'm OK with it.

Here in the MetroPlex, there's a nice buzz brewing over Irving Bible Church's recent decision and statement concerning its stance on women and their role in ministry. Though the church originally released its statement in May this year, it was this Dallas Morning News article from last Saturday that has gotten things rolling, with a strong nudge from a series by Denton Bible Church pastor Tommy Nelson.

That and the fact that a woman, Jackie Roese, preached at Irving Bible Church (IBC) for the first time in its 40-year history this past Sunday, Aug. 24. 

What it's all led to personally is my own shifting in perspective on the issue, which I attempt to clarify in the paragraphs below. In summary, the Elder Board (which includes senior pastor Andy McQuitty) spent roughly 18 months tackling what is and has always been a heavily debated issue within Christianity, with opinions ranging from thinking women should have absolutely no involvement in corporate worship to giving women the head role as senior pastor. Their journey included intense scriptural study, reading through scholarly books that each supported different sides of the issue, guest presentations by supporters of different sides of the issue, and prayer. They've provided myriad resources here on the church's website. In summary, they came to this conclusive statement:

At IBC we recognize that God created both man and woman in His image, that He offers the same Holy Spirit to both men and women at salvation, and that the same spiritual gifts are available to both men and women for service. While the New Testament seems to imply that eldership is reserved for men, the elders of IBC affirm that women in all other roles are scripturally qualified, spiritually blessed, and directly called to use their spiritual gifts to build Christ’s Kingdom.

As a member of IBC, I've been challenged to work through my own beliefs regarding the topic of a woman's role in ministry. I'm still working through it, and my plan is to share my own discoveries here at VintageBrett.com over the next few weeks (maybe months). And I'm urging you to pitch in.

Stinky Hands

I read this passage this morning:

These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
    - Matthew 15:8-9 (I know, it’s actually a reference to Isaiah)

This whole passage is pretty entertaining. The Pharisees have tried to confront Jesus with why his disciples don’t wash their hands before they eat, citing a “tradition” that was not even part of the law given by Moses. So Jesus answered a question with a question, and then this scripture. You can read the whole thing here.