Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Jesus Creed

Home
Evangelical
When She Preaches (Tara Beth Leach)

When She Preaches (Tara Beth Leach)

Last updated on: October 30, 2015 at 12:09 am by Scot McKnight

When She Preaches (Tara Beth Leach) 2015-10-27T15:33:33-05:00 Scot McKnight

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

By Tara Beth Leach, posted originally at Missio Alliance.

Growing up, I sat at the feet of countless remarkable male preachers. Besides Beth Moore, I don’t recall ever hearing a woman preach until my sophomore or junior year of college. I witnessed countless men stand behind pulpits, open their Bibles, and preach the Word of God in awe-inspiring ways. I am thankful for these men, because at the feet of them, my faith was formed and challenged. But I often wonder what it would have been like for me to listen to a woman preacher before I myself preached for the first time. I imagine I would have been deeply encouraged and wildly inspired.

When women don’t preach, the church suffers. It is as Carolyn Custis James says in her book, Half the Church,

When half the church holds back – whether by choice or because we have no choice – everybody loses and our mission suffers setbacks. Tragically, we are squandering the opportunity to display to an embattled world a gospel that causes both men and women to flourish and unites us in a Blessed Alliance that only the presence of Jesus can explain.[1]

Because, when a woman preaches, something profound begins to happen in the pews, the ground begins to shift, barriers are torn down, and the once silenced mouths are opened1.[2]

When She Preaches, Women In The Congregation Begin To Imagine Gifts Outside Of The Traditional/Patriarchal Roles

When she preaches, the women in the pews can begin to undo the narrative that tells them they are inferior to men. Many women sitting in the pews on Sunday morning aren’t sure what to do with scriptures that tell them to “keep quiet in the church” and are even told that scriptures like this should be applied to all women in every context. However, when she preaches, other women in the pews are pushed to think critically about those tough passages; they are pushed to consider their own gifts; they are forced to ponder a false narrative that they have embraced for far too long – that they are somehow less capable or less gifted in the Kingdom of God. When she preaches, women see a super-natural talent embodied in another woman, empowered by the Spirit, and propelled to edify all of the people of God.2 And it is then that women in the congregation begin to ask: can I preach, too? Maybe they will unearth the talents that have been buried for far too long; maybe they will spread their wings and fly; maybe they, too, will use their gifts in new and inspiring ways.

When She Preaches, We Get A Glimpse Of The Women As Told In The Story Of God

When she preaches, we get a glimpse of leaders in the early church such as Phoebe, a financial sponsor for Paul’s missions and a deacon; Priscilla, the gifted preacher; Mary, the first to proclaim the risen Lord to the world; Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Junia, the bright and respected Apostle. And then there are women such as Deborah, the fearless leader; Huldah, the prophetess who helped reignite Israel’s faith; Miriam, the gifted musician for the people of God, and Esther, the brave queen who seized the moment and boldly approached the King.[3] When she preaches, she is not alone, just as Scot McKnight writes on the Apostle Junia,

Junia, my friends, is not alone. Many women today are active in ministry and are continuing with confidence and power the storied history of women in the Bible and the silenced history of women in the church. They are not silenced as they once were, and so we look around and sing to the women among us who are embodying the gifts God has given to them.[4]

These women were called by God, gifted by the empowering presence of the Spirit, and used to encourage the people of God in big and bold ways. So when she preaches, she carries the legacy that these women started in the very beginning of God’s story. She stands among the priesthood of all believers and the Christological proclamation in Galatians 3:28.

When She Preaches, We Get A Glimpse Into The Eschatological Kingdom Of God

On the day of Pentecost, when the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit fell upon all of God’s people, Peter – filled with this Spirit – boldly stood before the masses and declared:

In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18)

The Holy Spirit inspires men and women alike with no distinction in God’s new end-time Kingdom. When she preaches, the people of God are living into the eschatological vision proclaimed by the Apostle Peter. Empowered by the Spirit, women are living the life of the future here and now just by using their gifts to edify the church1 (1 Cor. 12:4-11; Rom. 12:4-8; Eph. 4:11-13).

When She Preaches, The Women In The Congregation Begin To See That They, Too, Are Invited To The Table

Just yesterday I received a handwritten letter in the mail from a young twenty-something who is wildly in love with Jesus and is wildly in love with her local church, but is also wildly confused. She writes in her letter,

I’m really wrestling with God’s view of women, and what role my life is. It’s really hard for me as a new believer to be able to intellectually and Biblically understand why women are treated they are in American churches. It’s hard to piece apart what is Biblical and what is sinful patriarchy warping scripture to keep women in their place…. Are we just a subplot in a men’s game? Did God really create me for a greater purpose that isn’t just what man I belong to?

Sadly, this young woman is not alone in her discouragement or confusion. She doesn’t see a narrative or a church that invites her to the table. She is one of the brightest young people I have ever met; she graduated from an Ivy League school at only 20 years old. She is spunky; she is talented; she is gifted. When I watch her, it’s hard for me not to imagine all the ways her gifts could be used to edify the church. I could see her as a teacher or as a writer or as a theologian or as a seminary professor or as a pastor or as a preacher. But sadly, she doesn’t see a seat at the table for her.[5] Do you see, my friends? When a woman preaches, young women – much like the one who wrote this letter – begin to imagine what it would be like to sit at the table, and their imagining turns into an empowering and then to an edifying.

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, when women preach, something profound begins to happen in the pews, the ground begins to shift, barriers are torn down, and the once silenced mouths are opened. Other women are given the confidence that they are not only able but also called to use their gifts within the Body of Christ. Who will you welcome to your pulpit today?[6]

What would you add? Join the conversation on the comment section, and let’s also start a conversation on Twitter! Tweet #WhenShePreaches and add the positive things that happens when a woman preaches. For example: “#WhenShePreaches I am inspired!”

[1] Carolyn Custis James, Half the Church: Recapturing God’s Global Vision for Women (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015), 19.

[2] See a powerful post on Sarah Bessey’s blog, “Why Not Have a Woman Preach” right here.

[3] See a helpful post on women in the early church by Ed Cyzewski on Rachel Held Evans blog right here.

[4] Scot McKnight, Junia Is Not Alone (Englewood, CO: Patheos Press, 2011), eBook location 228.

[5] Also read a beautiful and honest post by Kayla Blair on the Junia Project Blog, “Made in the Image of a God Doesn’t Look Like Me” right here.

Also: Scot McKnight has an interesting series on John Stackhouse’s new book, Partners in Christ: A Conservative Case for Egalitarianism. You can read it right here. I read his last book, Finally Feminist and loved it. I am eager to read his new book.

[6] Interested in learning more on women in ministry? I recommend the following excellent reads: Scot McKnight, Junia Is Not Alone (Englewood, CO: Patheos Press, 2011); John G. Stackhouse and Jr, Finally Feminist: a Pragmatic Christian Understanding of Gender (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005); William J. Webb, Slaves, Women and Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001); Scot McKnight, The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010).; Dr. Jackie Roese, Lime Green (Dallas, TX: HIS Publishing Group, 2015). I also recommend Jory Micah’s Blog, Breaking the Glass Steeple.

Women and Ministry

Previous Post

October 29, 2015

Faculty Opening at Northern Seminary

Next Post

October 30, 2015 Why I Am Not a Catholic: By David G. Moore

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who is the "chosen lady" addressed in a New Testament letter?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Phoebe Lydia Unspecified church Mary