The Role of Women in Church Leadership - Essay Example

A Report Writing Of My Past Presentation Number Department Introduction Though lasting only fiveminutes, the presentation that I made on 13 February 2013 is one of the most riveting experiences I have had in my academic and spiritual life. The supervisors were Oluwasen and Kehinde and Dr. Akomolafe. The point of my presentation was the argument sounding the role of women in church leadership, in respect to St. Paul’s statement in Galatians 3:28. I used the scriptural reference to show and build the theme that before God, all are considered equal regardless of gender and can therefore serve God in equal terms and abilities. To underscore my theme, I quoted Richison’s (2000) work which postulates that Christ’s redemptive work not only saves all (male and female), but also gives people the will to work for God. Because of this, there is no room for gender discrimination, since men and women are justified. I also made reference of Johnson’s (1997) work, wherein he argues that the cause of feminist Christians is misguided since Galatians 3:28 and other scriptural passages in the New Testament are indicative of, and in support of gender parity. Particularly, Johnson shows that cases that feminists take as scriptural references that act as vestiges of gender discrimination are actually instances which have been taken out of context. I also point out that and concede to Davis’ (2013) postulation that God only qualified functional differences of the sexes: He defined the roles that men and women have to play, in the society, but did not intend them to treat each other as unequal. Because of this, it is wrong to say that God in the Scriptures sanctioned gender inequality. I ended up with the standpoint that in respect to Galatians 3:28, women should be allowed to discharge leadership roles just as men, since men and women are equals. Likewise, the reason I drew for their equality is their being in possession of inherent qualities that espouse them to leadership duties, calling and responsibility (Lind, 2013). Relevance of the presentational argument Another facet of the presentation that gave it utmost importance to me is the relevance of the argument itself. From the presentation, I learnt that Christians, regardless of their sex, can identify with Christ. This is because, I realised that the concept of servanthood emanated from Christ Himself who was also the perfect servant. The Bible in Exodus 21:6 and Deuteronomy 15:17 speak of an individual who makes himself a slave out of his own volition and his ear is pierced (or opened) with an awl. Later on, Psalms 45 confirms that the slave in Exodus 21:6 and Deuteronomy 15:17 is a foreshadowing of Christ, the servant of God. To underscore this standpoint, Isaiah 53 also refers to Jesus Christ as the suffering servant of Yahweh, while Hebrews 10:7 rightly confirms Jesus as the servant in Exodus 21:6 and Deuteronomy 15:17, Psalm 40:8-17 and Isaiah 53. In regard to the above, it becomes clear that the prerequisite for becoming God’s servant and fully identifying with Christ is willingness of heart, and being open to the leading of the Spirit. To gainsay this standpoint or to maintain a sexist standpoint above is to inadvertently advance the notion that only one gender can identify with Christ (in His servanthood). The same is to also intimate that only a certain sex can experience the functioning of the Holy Spirit, since the Spirit helps the cause of ministry, yet it is being pointed out that some ministries are a preserve for a given sex. The foregoing clearly shows that the matter that is laid out in Galatians 3:28 has profound meanings, touching on pneumatology (the doctrine of the Holy Spirit), ecclesiology, soteriology, anthropology and other branches of Christian theology. The presentation also gave me the impetus to rethink feminist standpoints that have been taken against the Bible, to the effect that the Bible promotes favouritism against women. A critical look at the matter at hand reveals that there are several women who assumed very influential roles in the early Church with Veronica (the woman whom Jesus healed from haemorrheage), Mary Magdalene and Priscilla, serving as examples. There are also indications that the Junias that Paul speaks about in Romans 16:7 was also female, or a female apostle. Personal Reflection on the Presentation that was made That the presentation I made imparted great impact on me is a matter that cannot be sidestepped. For one, I gleaned on the nature of God as a mystery that is too vast to be reduced to mankind’s sexual or sub-cultural prejudice. Particularly, during the presentation, I came face-to-face with the falsehood that God portrays Himself as man and therefore, only man should assume some ministerial positions. Particularly, I learnt that in God’s name El Shaddai which He first revealed to Abraham, feminine qualities are incorporated. This is because, in Hebrew, the word Shad from which the name El Shaddai emanates means breasts. This may pass on the idea that God presents Himself as the One who nourishes (just as a mother nourishes). This is one of the instances where God reveals His person by clearly identifying with female attributes to magnify His caring and benevolent predisposition. On a personal note, the presentation that is the topic of discussion has also gone a long way in fostering interpersonal relations between me and my female counterparts. As I came to the realisation that God considers all people equal, their gender, colour, race, social standing or ethnicity notwithstanding, I was compelled to begin to look at people anew. From the presentation, I learnt that what mattered most is their stand with God in Christ. I again came to the realisation that a person’s worth was not premised on the person’s gender, colour, race, social standing or ethnicity, but on the fact that Christ considered it worthy to die for him or her. Again, from the presentation, I learnt important values on what people in authority ought to be. Particularly, I learnt that man ought to tamper justice with mercy, as made my presentation under the tutelage of Oluwasen and Kehinde and Dr. Akomolafe. When my laptop failed to trace my presentation on the due date, it would have been justifiable for these academicians to heavily penalise or disqualify me. However, these bore with me and allowed me to reconstruct another presentation, and thereby giving me another chance to prove my mettle. It is from this experience that I learnt the need to tinker judgement with compassion. In so doing, we identify with the Christian God who is Himself a God of second chances. References Davis, J. J. (n.d) “Some reflections on Galatians 3:28 sexual roles and Biblical Hermeneutics” Data retrieved from http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/19/19-3/19-3-pp201-208_JETS.pdf on Feb 11, 2013 Johnson, L. S. (1997) “Role Distinctions in the Church Galatians 3:28” Data retrieved from http://bible.org/seriespage/role-distinctions-church-galatians-328 on Feb 11, 2013 Lind, M. (2013) “The Real Meaning of Galatians 3:28” Data retrieved from http://www.bibleviews.com/gal-3-28.html on Feb 11, 2013 Richison, C. G. (2000) “Galatians 3:28” Data retrieved from http://versebyversecommentary.com/galatians/galatians-338/ on Feb 11, 2013 Read More