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“Can women be eldersor senior pastors?”Ask Culture.
Brandon RhodesTH 508: Theology IIDr. LockwoodBox # 679April 28, 2006
 
In the 19
th
and 20
th
centuries, a long-enduring, slowly-fomenting movementreached its “tipping point” all across the western world: women were beginning to standup and redefine their role in society. Traditional functions, norms, and mores aboutwomen’s relationship to the various power structures of capitalism, patriarchy, church-cultic conduct, civics, and education all were re-evaluated. Some endured, othersridiculed, others thrown out. To be sure, the women’s rights movement and the feministschool of thought that came out of it have done much good for the world. Also manytroubling ideas, attitudes, and behaviors have come out of it.One particular question that society has asked itself about women is what their roles can be in church life. Can women become elders or ordained as senior pastors?What about Paul’s admonitions for women to keep silent and not have authority over their husbands? To secular society, these questions have always seemed rather ridiculous:if a woman can be a CEO or school teacher, then of course she should be able to serve ina leading or teaching role in a local church! Yet the Bible seems at first blushstraightforward with its answer:
 No, they cannot 
. Still, dissent against the long-heldconservative interpretation of these passages is growing. Many self-professing biblicalinerrantists believe women can be pastors and elders, which seems contrary to thescriptures in the eyes of many equally strong biblical inerrantists.To resolve the issue, this essay will first overview the key passages relating toanswering whether women can be elders or senior pastors. From there, the bigger question of the relationship between Christ and culture will be considered, as well aswhat hermeneutical decisions may sway the exegete one way or another. An answer willthen be synthesized at the end. Underlining the process of answering this question is the2
 
acceptance that, because the plain reading of the scriptures have a clearlyconservative/traditionalist flavor, the burden of proof will lie on the less traditional position of admitting women as elders and senior pastors. Further, because the questionat hand is built on one’s understanding of authority and women’s conduct in church, passages not dealing directly with eldership or ordination will be included.
1 Corinthians 11:3-16 – Heads coverings and authority amid orderly worship
Here, Paul reminds the Corinthians that “the head of every man is Christ, and thehead of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God” (v.3). He then explains howhead covering in various contexts and depending on the gender of the wearer can either honor or dishonor God or their spouse. Women, Paul says, should have long hair and“ought to have a sign of authority on her head” (v.10).Traditionalists believe that Paul’s exhortations are for all believers for all time.Their logic with this is fairly simple: because the Bible says so, thus shall we do. Tothem, Paul was establishing a tradition that was not intended to pass away.
1
As heconcludes the section, he tells the Corinthians that “if anyone wants to be contentiousabout this, we have no other practice – nor do the churches of God” (v.16). This seemsclear proof to the traditionalist that Paul’s words not only carry apostolic authority, butalso apply verbatim today. Their position is that ““Men are to exercise authority and takeleadership in the church. Women should acknowledge that authority and support it inevery Christian way, including how they dress and adorn themselves when they attend public worship.”
2
Traditionalists imply that this passage speaks of a biblical view of authority that has certain timeless expressions, such as head coverings and hair lengths.
1
Robert D. Culver.
 Let Your Women Keep Silence
in Women in Ministry: Four Views. Edited by BonnidellClouse and Robert G. Clouse. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 26-27.
2
Ibid, 32.
3
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