Women pastors and preachers are still rare in the Christian church. The issue of women pastors and church leaders is a hot button in the Christian church. Many denominations and other church leaderships deny the existence of Christian women pastors throughout the history of the church.
Approximately 10% of the clergy is comprised of women. Yet, women church attendees outnumber men at least by 50% and as much as 70% in mid-week church attendance.
What is the definition of the word “pastor”?
A pastor is the spiritual leader of a group of people. This person furthers the work of God by helping people with their relationship with Jesus Christ. A pastor can help in a specialty area in their group- such as working with people of a specific age group or overseeing the overall ministry. The pastor follows the requirements of the church or ministry such as quality of character and level of education. The pastor can be full-time, part-time, or a volunteer.
The Holy Spirit gives spiritual hunger
The Holy Spirit gives you spiritual hunger for the kingdom of God. Christian women do not permit being silenced by gender prejudice in the Christian church. Knowledge of the scriptures is imperative so that no person can silence your anointing, gift, and talents given to you by the Holy Spirit.
The book and article referenced on this page give information on how to have confidence that you, Christian women, may minister and permit the Holy Spirit to flow through you. The article below gives many scriptures of both women and men ministering to His people.
Christian men know that there is more than enough Christian ministry work for all the body of Christ. This is not about having dominance or power over you. Every Christian needs to flow in the Holy Spirit to bring the kingdom of God to earth.
Not one scripture forbids women pastors or preachers
There is not one scripture in the Bible that forbids women from preaching. On the contrary, many verses encourage both men and women to preach the Gospel.
1. The Bible teaches that God is not a respecter of persons, and He will use all who will yield to Him, regardless of race, age or sex. Galatians 3:28 “…neither male nor female…for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Acts 10:34 ″… God is no respecter of persons.”
2. Moses said in Numbers 11:29, “Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His spirit upon them!” The crying need of the hour is for more laborers. It is a trick of the enemy to try to down-rate thousands of our faithful laborers just because they were born females.
3. The Great Commission, Mark 16:15, “Preach the Gospel,” is to all believers, and all the Church of Jesus Christ. The command to “Preach the Gospel” is to both male and female.
It is an undeniable fact that God calls and anoints thousands of women to preach the Gospel
Full Gospel organizations have hundreds of licensed and ordained women pastors who are preaching, teaching, evangelizing, pastoring, and doing mission work with signs following their ministry. God uses them for the salvation of the lost, deliverance from sin, gifts of the Spirit, and infilling of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible says, “Touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm.” And may we be reminded of the scripture in Act 5:39,” If it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”
When someone says, “God does not call women to preach,” it is like saying that God does not baptize with the Holy Spirit today. We know better because we have witnessed and experienced it with our own ears and eyes. I would be afraid to condemn women preachers, lest I would be found to be fighting against God and to be committing the vile of sin attributing the works of the Holy Spirit to the devil.
Women preachers are a fulfillment of Bible prophecy and another sign of Christ’s soon return to earth (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17-18)
1. The Bible declares that women will prophesy: 1Cor 11:5, “For every woman that prayeth or prophesieth…”
Both the Hebrew (Nebrah), and Greek (Proph) used of prophetess means “female preacher.” (See Young’s Concordance, Pg. 780.)
The word “Prophet” means a public expounder.
The word “Prophecy” means to speak forth or flow forth. The Bible says in 1Cor 14:3, “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto MEN to edification, and exhortation and comfort.”
The dictionary says prophecy is “to speak under divine inspiration…to preach.”
Therefore, we learn from the original translation, from the Bible interpretation, and the dictionary, that to prophesy means more than to tell the future, but it is to speak publicly about the past, present, or future. It is to preach under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The Old and New Testament prophets and prophetesses were preachers of God’s Word.
Even if the words prophet and preacher could be separated, how could any prophecy bring exhortation, comfort, and edification to the church, if she were forbidden to speak in church and was to keep silent?
Would God inspire and anoint someone to do something wrong and sinful???
Please note that there is a difference between a prophet, and the gift of prophecy, which will not be addressed here.
God called and used women preachers in the Old Testament
a. DEBORAH–Judges 4:4-5 Deborah was a Judge for both civil and criminal cases. The Children of Israel came to her for judgment. She was the chief ruler of Israel for 40 years, giving orders to the general and all the army. She did the work of an evangelist, prophetess, Judge, and preacher. God gave her authority over the mighty (Judges 5:13).
b. MIRIAM – Exodus 15:20; Numbers 12:1; Micah 8:4
Miriam was a prophetess and a song leader in Israel.
c. HULDAH- 2 Kings 22:14 Five men went to Sister Hulah and communed with her. She spoke to a congregation of men concerning the book of the Law. A female preached to a man’s congregation, and her message was taken to the nation and produced a revival.
d. MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ’S MOTHER – Isaiah 8:3 She was a prophetess.
God called and used women pastors and preachers in the New Testament.
a. The first message of the resurrection of Christ was spoken by women to a group of men.
b. Anna- Luke 2:36-38 She must have prophesied in the church because she did not depart from the temple.
c. Phillip had 4 daughters who prophesied. Act 21:9
d. Priscilla assisted Paul in his revival meeting and even taught Apollos in the way of the Lord more perfectly.
e. Phebe- Romans 16:12-2 Paul commended Phoebe to the church at Rome and requested that they assist her in her business. She was one of Paul’s assistants in the work of the Lord and delivered the Book of Romans to the people from the hand of Paul.
There is no sound reason why women pastors and preachers should be stopped from fulfilling their destiny
There is a desperate need in the church for more workers. Laborers are few, and God will use all who will go for Him. Some say God will not use a woman to preach, because “The woman was deceived,” but remember Roman 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world.” It seems to indicate that Adam was just as guilty as Eve in the fall of man. If anyone should be kept from preaching because of sin, it would be Adam. But God does not forbid anyone from preaching, because of Adam’s or Eve’s sin.
1 Cor 14:34-35 does not say anything about women preachers. If Paul intended this verse as a rule to bar all women from speaking in the church, then they cannot teach Sunday School, testify, pray, prophesy, sing, or even get saved, and this would contradict the rest of the Bible. (Acts 2:4; Acts 2:16-18).
Paul was dealing with a particular problem in the church
Women were not educated as the men were in that day; therefore, the women would talk back and forth to their husbands in church and ask questions concerning the sermon. Paul said, “If they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home; for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. “ If they want to talk things over let them wait until they get home. This rule is still good for the church today, where people are talking, they confuse the church service.
If a woman cannot speak in church, then she cannot speak in a prayer meeting, youth group, etc., for who can deny that Sunday School and prayer meeting, and youth work are parts of church? Christ’s Church is not a building, but the gathering of two or three in His name, whether at a street meeting, in a tent, a home, church building, classroom, or anywhere else.
The Bible often speaks of “man” to refer to both men and women
The Bible often speaks of “man” when it refers to both men and women inclusively. The word “mankind” also includes both men and women. For an example of this word usage, see 1 Cor. 13:1, “Though I speak with the tongues of MEN and angels…” This word “MEN” includes women as well, for we do not have one language for men and another for women.
To condemn women pastors, preachers, and church workers is a serious offense because God has stamped His approval on them by His Spirit over and over again, and who is a man to fight against the Spirit of God?
To condemn women pastors, preachers, and women church workers is in a sense to claim they are doing wrong and committing sin… and all those who support them and listen to them are having a part in that sin.
For anyone to do this, he must condemn approximately 99% of all Spirit-filled believers and the vast majority of all Christianity.
“Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons…” (Acts 10:34)
This article was taken from Trumpet Wind email list: TrumpetWindList@Trumpet Wind.org by Pastor Keith A Smith.