December 8, 2005
Can Women become Church Pastors?
More and more we’re seeing protestant churches ordain women as pastors of their church. A local church near me has a husband and wife as “co-pastors” of the church. And yet the Catholic Church has infallibly decided that women cannot become priests. Who is correct?
The Bible and Women Pastors
Believe it or not, Scripture is unequivocally clear on this subject. All protestant churches adhere in some variation to the principle of Sola Scriptura, which states that the Bible alone is the authority on every subject. This, after all, is one of the foundations of the Reformation. One example:
1 Tim 2:12-15. I permit no woman to teach or have authority over men; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve
He is specifically speaking in the context of the church in this passage – this doesn’t pertain outside of the church context (before everyone is angry). In addition, there are many places in Scripture that list requirements of pastors, priests or deacons and specifically use the term “men” or “husbands of one wife”, etc.
Under the umbrella of Sola Scriptura, all verses of Scripture are considered true and given to us by God. In other words, you can’t use another verse in order to ignore this one. Many cite Galatians 3:28 as approval of women pastors, but there are several problems with this. First, if you believe this to be true, then you do not believe some Scripture (particularly the verse above) to be infallible. Second, this is a complete misunderstanding of the verse, which is trying to say that all men and women are under the law and under the power of sin (all must be saved, in a collective sense).
It is not possible to ignore the specific verses pertaining to a matter in order to get what you want. Churches which ordain women pastors are essentially ignoring key parts of Scripture in order to be politically correct – they are not Bible-based once this is done.
Moreso with the Catholic Priest
It is also important to point out the differences between a protestant pastor and a priest. A protestant pastor is a manager in large part as well as a preacher and a counselor. His primary role, however, is preaching on a weekly basis to the churchgoers and running the church. A Catholic priest does do all of these, however his primary role is an administrator of the Sacraments. Mass is still valid without a sermon or homily, whereas it would seem pointless in some protestant churches – particularly those like the Baptist church that have no sacramental practices. The priest’s role is to stand in persona Christi, in the place of Christ, by celebrating the Eucharist, administering confession, and so forth. A protestant pastor does not make this claim and does not have the ability (given through the Catholic Church) to administer Sacraments that require the claim.
So, it is moreso in a Catholic Church that a priest cannot be a woman. Because Christ chose to become man, He has created a specific image of Himself that our priests imitate when handing out the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. God gave women all kinds of special gifts, the most obvious of which is the ability to carry children and give birth. However, when a person stands in the place of Christ, administering the Sacraments Christ gave to us, he should be a true to form representative. The Catholic Church has infallibly stated that priests must be men, although many media outlets and liberals ignore this declaration and continue to suggest that women can be priests.
Conclusion
In the end the answer is simple: women cannot become pastors or priests. As stated, women have several roles and abilities that men cannot fulfill. Women can give birth to children. Women, as Pope John Paul II notably taught, are first in the order of love. But women cannot become pastors or priests.
If your church has a female pastor, you must question whether it adheres to Scripture at all.
God bless,
Jay
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Dear Jay:
Very Good. I got a question. Base on the Bible since Women cant become pastors in your sense, do that disallow them to even speak about God's Word. For example i know a Chirstian couple. Dont want to spread personal Information, but i heard him said to his wife, "If anyone ask you either within the Church or outside the Church anything about the Bible, you be quite". I mean its one thing to say WOMEN CANT BE PASTORS,and other to say they cant spread God's word outside the Church. There is a diffence about whats going on within the Church and whats going on outside the Church.
What do you think about this. Was it right for him to say that? Do the Bible say that women cant teach outside the Church?
My pentecostal church does not have a women pastor. To my knowlenge i never went to Pentecostal church who have one.
God Bless
Ramon
Ramon,
I would say that clearly the man was wrong. Jesus instructed all of us to spread the good news! All of us are witnesses to Christ and should tell others about Him.
God bless,
Jay
Dear Jay
Thanks for your quick reply. Yes we should all spread Gods word.
God Bless
Ramon
I am researching this subject matter and would like to know where in the bible it says that we should all witness to the world. I have found two scriptures Mark 16:15 and Matthew 28:19 where God sends his great commission to the eleven remaining disciples, but I can't find one for the woman or a non gender reference.
Posted by: Lamar Simmons at January 9, 2006 3:08 PMi believe that everyone can becomea pastor if it is of god. i believe that as long as they have the knowledge and know everything it is to know about our lord and saviour jesus christ they can become a pastor regardless of their gender.
danelle
Jay, while the Roman Catholic Church is clear on the point of priests, the bible is not clear on the point of pastors.
First, the idea of an autonomous Church community led by a pastor accountable only to a "board" of elders occurs nowhere in the Sacred Scriptures. The role of pastor is not even mentioned let alone regulated in the Bible.
As for the "husband of but one wife", this has been interpreted as prohibiting polygamy as the logic which make prohibit women would also make it prohibit unmarried men as well.
As for "a woman teaching", almost every Church has female "Sunday School" teachers and I would even guess that the children's liturgy in your parish is led by a woman. One explanation of this passage is that "no woman to teach" refers specifically to the teachers of the cult of the goddess Diana (just as in the context of Cana, "woman" refers to the prophecy of the Second Eve). These "women" taught that women were made before men and that people who abandoned the cult of Diana would die in childbirth.
These passages of the Bible are exceedingly unclear and that's why we have an Infallible Magisterium to guide us through. I think it's a little unfair to expect a Sola Scriptura Protestant (which already rejects the idea of an ordained priesthood) to muddle their way through this mess of ambiguity and arrive at the Truth.
As far as I know, the Roman Catholic Church has made no infallible proclamations on pastors who are not priests. In fact, since it is precisely the sacrament of ordination which cannot be conferred upon women, then a Protestant pastor who is not ordained can hardly be expected to conform to rules concerning the Catholic clergy.
I know John Paul II rightly spoke against the ordination of female bishops and priests in the Anglican Church (I believe he said that it set back ecumenism by 20 years), but that is a separate issue than women "pastors".
Posted by: Broken Record at June 14, 2006 11:33 AMI have a question, pertaining to "female pastors"
If the MALE counter part does not preach or pastor, then who will?
Prophet K. Gant, AMB.
Posted by: Ambassador K at September 27, 2006 7:50 PMI being a protestant (pentecostal) completely denies a women to be a pastor.
Because
Macdaly Marry was the first to see Jesus Christ after resurrection but when she came to touch Jesus He denied her; on the contrary Jesus asked His disciples to touch Him and believe Him.
In 1Tim 3:2-13 where St. Paul defines the qualification of a leader, pastor and bishop and there he clearly states that the leader should be male.
Pastors have authority and responsibility before God and a women dosent have any authority above man before God. As man is the image of Jesus Christ and woman is the image of Church and Jesus have complete authority on Church.
Posted by: noha at May 6, 2008 1:11 PM
