Women Pastors?

Women are under-appreciated and under-utilized in the church. Male leadership is not to belittle women, for women are of great value in the church and need to be used more and more according to the gifts given them. There are many gifted women who might very well do a better job at preaching and teaching than many men. However, it isn't gifting that is the issue, but G-d's order and calling. What does the Bible say? We cannot come to G-d's word with a social agenda and make it fit our wants. Instead, we must change and adapt to what it says.
Additionally, in the Old Testament in over 700 mentions of priests, every single one was a male. There is not one instance of a female priest.
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Messiah Y’Shua," (Gal. 3:28).
This verse is often used to support the idea that women can hold the offices of elder and pastor because there is neither male nor female in the Messiah. Unfortunately, those who use this verse this way have failed to read the context. Verse 23 talks about being under the Law "before faith came" and how we are brought closer to Y’Shua and have become sons of G-d by faith. We are no longer under the letter of the Law, but grace and we are "Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise," (v. 29). The point of this passage is that we are all saved by G-d's grace according to the promise of G-d and that it doesn't matter who you are, Jew, Greek, slave, free, male, or female. All are saved the same way, by grace. In that, there is neither male nor female. This verse is not talking about church structure. It is talking about salvation "in the Messiah." It cannot be used to support women as pastors because that isn't what it is talking about. Instead, to find out about church structure and leadership, you need to go to those passages that talk about it: 1 Timothy 2 and Titus 1.
There are women pastors in the world who love their congregations and have stated that they are called by G-d to be pastors. Of course, they had not studyed the Scriptures considering the biblical position, instead, they have usurped the position of men and gone against the norm of Scriptural revelation. Additionally, those who state that they are called by G-d because of the great job they are doing and the gifting they have received are basing their theology upon experience and not Scripture. The issue is simple: arew they submitting to the word of G-d or are they making the word of G-d submit to their desires?
Women did not think about becoming pastors until the war came and the men were no longer allowed into other countrys to preach, but a woman could go as a missonary. So the situation where a woman missionary has converted a group of people, say in the jungle somewhere, and she has established a church and in that church, she is then functioning as a pastor and teacher having authority over men in the body. Liken onto the nurses in the war, they did things doctors had to do, but that did not make them doctors even if they were good at it, and coming back home they were not allowed to play doctor.
Missionary work is not a lone endeavor to be handled by single women, if in some highly unusual set of circumstances there is a woman in a lone situation, it is far more important that the word of G-d be preached and the gospel of salvation go forth to the lost than not. Whether it be male or female, let the gospel be spoken. However, I would say that as soon as there are males mature enough to handle eldership, that she should then establish the proper order of the church as revealed in Scripture and thereby, show her submission to it.
G-d's word clearly tells us that a elder is to be the husband of one wife. A woman cannot qualify for this position by virtue of her being female. Whether anyone likes it or not is irrelevant to the fact that this is what the Bible teaches. We tend to change with societys demands, but the Bible never changes.
Y’Shua was very radical in the way He treated women and involved women in His ministry. In order to appreciate what Y’Shua did, one must understand the culture in which He lived. The Jewish Culture- in the Jewish belief a woman was considered property rather than a person. She either belonged to her father or husband. A male’s morning prayer expressed thanks to G-d that the petitioner was neither a Gentile, a slave, or a woman—such attitudes were the result of heathen influences. While women were somewhat legally inferior under the Law of Moses, practically speaking, wives and mothers in Israel enjoyed the greatest of dignity. Mothers were to be honored (Exodus 20:12) and to rebel against, or show disrespect for, one’s mother was a most serious offense which could be punished by death
(Deut. 21:18; 27:16).
The Greek Culture- the Greeks as a whole held a lower view of women. There were women priestesses in the Greek religions, but these women were most often sacred prostitutes, many of them converting to follow Paul’s teachings. It is clear that Y’Shua disregarded the common practice of the Jews and Greeks and extended His ministry and message to women.
Contrary to custom, Y’Shua allowed women to be deeply involved in His ministry.
The gospels record that there were women who traveled with Him to assist in His work. The gospels do not tell us all of their names, but included in this group of women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph (Lk. 8:1-3 & Matt. 27:55-56). Coupled with these examples of women in ministry indicate women should be involved in all aspects of the church’s life ministering with her husband, never without him, team ministry. I could not find any Scripture were Y’Shua allowed the women to preach to a crowd, they were given to hospitality, financial, musical, prophetic, and helps. As a widow, she is hired by the body to become an intercessor as a means to support instead of taking charity. Prophesying is not preaching, being a prophetess does not mean you are preaching to men. Women may teach (Titus 2:3); they may, in certain ways, even teach men. There is a reciprocal teaching in singing (Colossians 3:16), and privately, in conjunction with her husband, Priscilla was involved in teaching Apollos (Acts 18:26). But a woman may not assume the position of teacher, with the man subordinated to the role of student, without violating a New Testament command.
In the early times, almost all Believers meetings were held in private homes. This is were the women were aloud to act as pastors, if their group was made up of only women and children.
In the matter of salvation, both stand on equal footing before G-d. Paul says concerning those who have obeyed the gospel: “There can be no male and female; for ye all are one in Messiah Y’Shua” (Gal. 3:28).
The New Testament authorizes woman a domain of authority within the home. To rule the house” means as the wife and mother in the home, to manage the household affairs. This is the domain and province of woman, in which no man can compete with her. Its greatness and its importance should ever be held up as woman’s divinely intended sphere, in which all her womanly qualities and gifts find full play and happiest gratification. This does not indicate, of course, that woman’s authority in the home equals the man’s. He is the head of the wife and she is to be willingly in subjection to him (Ephesians 5:22, 23). Yet, he should lovingly allow her the freedom to exercise authority in the management of domestic matters, for G-d has ordained it.
Woman was made as a help meet for man—not the reverse (Genesis 2:18, 20), as we shall presently observe, because of these historical facts, the sphere of woman’s activity has been divinely circumscribed.
G-d had not formed woman out of the head, lest she should become proud; nor out of the eye, lest she should lust; nor out of the ear, lest she should be curious; nor out of the heart, lest she should be jealous; nor out of the hand, lest she should be covetous; nor out of the foot, lest she be a busybody; but out of the rib, which was always covered.
The burden of this presentation to show there is no Scriptural authority for women elders, women preachers, or women worship leaders (1 Tim. 2:8), no woman is authorized to serve as an elder, or anyplace over men. The alleged parallel is simply not valid. In the four major contexts where Paul discusses male-female relationships (1 Corinthians 11:2-16; 14:33b-35; Ephesians 5:22-23; 1 Timothy 2:8-15), the principle of subjection, as well as its application to specific situations, are grounded upon historical facts of Old Testament history, and not upon culture.
The New Testament abounds with examples of godly women who, consistent with their assigned roles, served their Master with dignity and honor. G-d’s women make a vital contribution to the kingdom of the Messiah on earth. Whether they are continuing steadfastly in prayer (Acts 1:14), doing good works and alms deeds (Acts 9:36), showing hospitality (Acts 12:12; 16:14; 1 Timothy 5:10), teaching the word in harmony with divine authority (Acts 18:26; Titus 2:3, 4), being good wives (Proverbs 31:10), rearing godly children (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14, 15), or accomplishing various other commendable tasks, let us “rise up and call them blessed.” And may their name be Legion!
This was a hard one folks. As long as I can remember I have fought for equal rights with men, if women can do the job as good as a man she should get a man’s pay. I have justified things this long, it’s a new day world, but when a friend asked for Scripture to bless women becoming pastors – I could not find any definite one. Culture may change but G-d never does, and whatever reason we may give for Scripture to be written as such – it says ALL Scripture was inspired by G-d.
My studing and researching that I do gives me intimacy with the Father and deeper understanding of the Scriptures, so I do for 2 Tim. 2:15 and if for nothing else for my self.
All this from a woman that has paid the price of going four years to school, top of my class, license and ordain to discover I am limited to women and children is a hard pill to swallow at this time, but I stand corrected.