December 6, 2006

A Plea to Pastoral Leaders: Women's Ministry is No Tea Party

In a culture where no one is unaffected by godless philosophies and technologies that impact the sanctity and dignity of human life, where many women choose to be single mothers mothers-by means of assisted reproductive technologies or the traditional way of getting pregnant- and are also the primary caregivers to the elderly, where extreme feminism targets the uninformed, where pragmatism reigns and truth is dead, I appeal to you, evangelical pastoral leaders, to reconsider the role of women's ministry in your church.

Ministry to women is an urgent need - as urgent as Awana and youth ministry. Women's ministry should not be treated as a place for feminine socialization but as another opportunity to make disciples. Women are at the heart of our society as mothers and grandmothers, caregivers to children and to each other. The influence that women have in the home and the workplace, in the church and in the public square is monumental and ought not be set aside or ignored. Do you wonder where the young women are?....why the numbers dwindle at the bible studies and social gatherings? While women's lives look very different from 30-50 years ago and the world has changed dramatically, ministry to women has taken on few changes.

Women need to know what they believe and why they believe it and women's ministry in the local church is a phenom place to continue that pursuit. I love a good tea party, but let's face it - women are more than tea parties and banquets - and the decisions they face in this world reveal that to be true.

So while I challenge the content of women's ministry as it currently exists in the early 21st century, I realize that a shift must start from the top. Pastors, do not let the Gwen Shamblin fiasco repeat itself. Pay attention to your women's ministry leaders, the choice of curriculum, the role of theology, and considerations of contemporary issues that affect all women. While the church engages culture in the 21st century, women's ministry must not remain in 1950.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Let's take the next step and build (a) a curriculum and (b) a program framework.