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
Things Christian Women Hear about Women

Things Christian Women Hear about Women

Last updated on: April 26, 2017 at 7:06 am by Scot McKnight

Things Christian Women Hear about Women 2017-04-26T07:06:57-05:00 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.

This post is from Arise, a publication of Christians for Biblical Equality, and in the comment box please write out what you have heard.

For a book on this topic, check out Blue Parakeet.

By Rachel Elizabeth Asproth

On April 19, 2017

Last night, Sarah Bessey (we’re fans!) began a conversation about the strange, sexist, abusive, and toxic things Christian women are told on a regular basis. We’ve been leaning into the conversation and doing our best to keep a record of the profound and heartbreaking stories women and male allies are sharing. We’ve collected some of the most powerful tweets so far in a list, and we’re inviting our audience to follow the ongoing conversation happening on Twitter under #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear.

If you have a relevant story or experience, please join the conversation yourself or share in the comments below.

1. “You can teach the women and children, you just can’t teach the men.” –Charlie Grantham

2. “You are an amazing leader! You’d make an excellent pastor’s wife someday!” –Sarah Bessey

3. “Women are too emotional to be leaders and pastors. It would never work.” –Jesse Harp

4. “Yeah, but who gets to make the final call in your marriage?” –Sarah Bessey

5. “OK, you can teach this, but there has to be a male leader in the room when you do. We’ll send someone.” –Sandy

6. “Women can write theology books but not teach theology.” –Scott Lencke

7. “You will be able to preach, but we will let the congregation know the elders reviewed & okayed the message.”—Scott Lencke

8. “There are only a few women used as leaders in the Bible and it was an exceptional case.” –Scott Lencke

9. “Keep waiting and God will bring your Boaz to you. Ya’ll, Boaz has a horrible sense of direction.” –Joy Beth Smith

10. “She can’t lead worship because no one sings along when women are the lead singers. But backup is fine!” –Jenna DeWitt

11. “Biblical Womanhood can be defined by marriage and motherhood.” –Joy Beth Smith

12. “As a single woman, you need to find a male mentor to submit yourself to because you need a covering.” –Joy Beth Smith

13. If you’re married and choose not to have children, that’s selfish.” –Joy Beth Smith

14. “’We have female directors, they’re basically like pastors’ (except in title or authority).” –Shannon Anderson

15. “I mean you (women) have the ability to give and nurture life! Is that not enough?” –Cyndie Randall

16. “’Stop being so aggressive,’ you should wait to be ‘found.’” –Cici Adams

17. “Girl, don’t buy a house! How is your husband supposed to feel like a man if he doesn’t buy your first one?” –Tia J. Davis

18. “The highest calling of every woman is to be a wife and mother.” –Karen Gonzalez

19. “If the pastor fell into sin and raped you it was you who seduced and tempted him.” –Sierra White

20. “You and your husband are equals, but he makes the final decisions in your marriage.” –Emily Davis Williams

21. “God urged me to pray for your marriage and children this week.” –Miranda Klaver

22. “’The ultimate healing would be if you two were married’– said by the mom of my rapist.” –Tracy

23. “Your clothes can cause boys to sin.” –Amber Wingfield

24. “You speak five languages and have a doctoral degree? Children’s ministry is your calling!” –Sara Eggers

25. “I know women who have heard this ‘Do you think not doing your ‘wifely duties’ enough caused him to cheat?’” –Shaun Jex

26. I don’t see why you’d want to work at a church, even as a secretary. Why can’t you just aspire to stay home? –Beka

27. “You’re too strong honey. You’ve got to let him lead if you want a man.” –JillMarie Richardson

28. “If there is no other option for teaching or leading, then yes, a woman is better than nothing.” –Churchill

29. “Was once told that men r the “CEO” in marriage. Women can give their input, but husbands make final decisions.” –Cici Adams

30. “Dress modestly because men are too weak. Also men are in charge of you because they are spiritually superior.” –Stephanie Long

31. “You can’t be a ‘pastor’ of [insert ministry here], but you can be a ‘director’ of it!” –Emily Lund

32. “If you stay with your abuser, you might bring him to the Lord.” –Sarah Bessey

33. “I fully respect a woman having a career, so long as it’s not leadership in church.” –Kelly

34. “You’re egalitarian? … Umm, are you still a Christian?” –V. Higgins

35. “We can’t meet for Starbucks. It might give the appearance of evil.” –JillMarie Richardson

36. “I affirm your spiritual gift of teaching!… to women and children.” –Derek Caldwell

37. “If [abuse] is not requiring her to sin but simply hurting her, I think she endures being smacked 4 a season.” –Angie Sanderson

38. “You know too much about the Bible. You will be too intimidating for a guy to marry. How will they lead you?” –Bonnie

39. “I’m all for women’s ordination but I don’t want a woman head pastor at my church. Just my preference.” –Karen Gonzalez

40. “(After a fruitful season mentoring a man) ‘Well, that was God using her in spite of her disobedience.’” –Rob Dixon

41. “Me: I noticed your preaching conference has all male headliners
Them: We have a women’s track for First Ladies” –Olivier Armstrong

42. “Going to college is pointless since you can’t have a career once u get married and have kids” –Lindsay

43. “You have tremendous leadership gifts… it’s too bad you weren’t born male.” –Bekah Evans

44. “You are looking at this from a woman’s perspective and I am seeing things from a person’s perspective.” –Abby Norman

45. “We appreciate you volunteering for years, but now that we are going to pay someone we need a man.” –Abby Norman

46. “Your period is punishment for Eve’s sin.” –Amanda Butler

47. “We don’t permit women to preach here, but you can ‘share.’” –Melody Hewko

48. “’Men will look at you and be tempted and sin.’ We say this to 12 year old girls. I was ashamed until my 20s.” –Taylor Schumann

49. “Preached at a huge church once. Intro: ‘Men, we are going to peek over the ladies shoulders & listen in while JH shares with them.’” –Jen Hatmaker

50. You’re a pastor? You mean a women’s pastor?” –Kelly Ladd Bishop

51. “We paid your male colleague more because he negotiated better for his starting salary than you.” –Mimi Haddad

52. “Maybe people will listen to you if you stop sounding so angry.” –Sarahbeth Caplin

53. “Male pastor tears up, others applaud warmth
Female pastor tears up, hears ‘Women are too emotional to lead’” –Dawn

54. “The women’s issue is not a primary issue that concerns the church.” –Mimi Haddad

55. “Now that you’ve had a baby, you’ll probably be less passionate about your ministry calling.” –Dawn

Uncategorized

Previous Post

April 21, 2017

On Funerals

Next Post

April 21, 2017 Free Webinar on Writing

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

What was the most common staple grain in ancient Israel?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Wheat Barley Rice Oats