Can women be a pastor at a baptist church and if not why?

This is long, but more than answers your question.


Baptist Women in Ministry
by Lydia Huffman Hoyle

The history of Baptist women in ministry is not a simple story of progress in one direction. It is a story of starts and stops.

Among the earliest accounts of Baptists, we find stories of women who founded and served congregations. Some even preached. From the beginning, however, Baptist women in ministry did not enjoy universal support. Although some, but not all, early English Baptists (known as General Baptists) allowed women to preach, the women apparently did not serve as elders or pastors of churches. They testified and preached as deaconesses or simply church members. A second group of Baptists, the Particular Baptists, formed some thirty years after the General Baptists. From the beginning, the Particulars, who were theological Calvinists, supported a male-only ministry. In time, women’s leadership roles decreased across the English churches. The Baptists, in this respect, became more like the Anglican Church from which they had withdrawn.

In the American colonies, Baptists with Particular roots were predominant. Thus, while women outnumbered men in the churches, their leadership was limited to men. A widespread eighteenth-century revival, known as the First Great Awakening, brought changes however. A new group of Baptists called the Separates developed who were very open to the spiritual enthusiasm and emotionalism of the revivals. These Baptists expanded rapidly in the South. Among the Separates, women played prominent roles. Their voices were heard preaching once again. The Separates also included women as deaconesses and eldresses. By the end of the century, when the Separates united with their more traditional Regular Baptist sisters and brothers, women in visual leadership roles disappeared. The Southern Baptist Convention grew from this soil.

In the nineteenth century, women across American Christianity sought ways to be useful in the Kingdom of God. Many served as teachers in the new Sunday School movement. Others led a variety of social and moral reform efforts. Still others formed and led organizations that supported missions. Especially in the post-Civil-War period, large numbers of women sought and received appointment as missionaries. Baptist women were active in all of these roles. Many developed leadership and ministry skills through their involvement in these “acceptable” arenas. Gradually, additional doors opened for some. Near the end of the century, six Free Will Baptist churches and at least one American Baptist church called women to serve as pastors.

The twentieth century witnessed the expansion of opportunities for women in ministry for Southern Baptists. Although some churches had been ordaining women to the diaconate since early in the century, Southern Baptist churches did not begin to ordain women as ministers until 1964. While many, no doubt, feared that churches would be flooded with women seeking ordination, the ordination of Addie Davis at that time initiated only a trickle of similar affirmations. Eventually, by the mid 1970’s, there was a small but steady stream. In many cases, however, the ordinations brought controversy not only to the women but to the churches that ordained them.

Women did, nonetheless, become more involved in paid church ministry. As specialized ministry positions became common in Baptist churches, women stepped forward to become ministers of education, youth, children, music, etc. A few even became pastors.

Every step of the way, Southern Baptist women in ministry struggled to defend their right and responsibility to use their gifts in response to God’s call. Although their churches were happy to crown them as mission “queens,” they were sometimes less ready to rethink traditional interpretations of Pauline prohibitions against women’s speech in church. In 1983, a group called “Women in Ministry” formed to provide support for Baptist women who sensed a call to serve the church. A year later, the Southern Baptist Convention sought to turn back the tide of women in ministry by passing a resolution that restricted women from church work involving “pastoral functions and leadership entailing ordination.” This action was given further authority when similar ideas became a part of the Baptist Faith and Message (2000). In recent decades, churches and associations anxious to make known their allegiance to the fundamentalist philosophy of the denominational leaders have taken stands against women’s ordination and the churches that ordained them.

Today, attitudes toward women in ministry tend to reflect a Baptist church’s identification as “moderate” or “conservative.” Although the doctrine of local church autonomy ensures that all Baptists will never conform to any convention resolution, most Southern Baptist churches today refuse to ordain women or offer them positions of pastoral leadership. Female church staff members, if they exist, are sometimes called “directors” rather than “ministers.” Churches affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship tend to be more open to women in ministry. Even among Cooperative Baptists, however, there are few women pastors.

Outside of the Southern Baptist world, Baptist women in ministry face a varied landscape. The American Baptist Churches, U.S.A. is generally supportive of women in ministry. The large African American Baptist denominations as well as a great majority of the fifty to sixty smaller Baptist denominations, however, include few ordained women.

Throughout history, Baptist women have served God through the church. Some have served with the official acknowledgement of the church. Others have worked within the strict limits of tradition and culture. Baptist church autonomy ensures that these people of the Word will continue to have differing understandings regarding God’s will for women who sense a call to His service.

http://www.baptisthistory.org/contissues/huffman.htm

I could never remember seeing any in Australian Baptist churches, but, when I looked online, I found this article about women pastors in the American Baptist movement. You might find it interesting.

Baptist Women in Ministry
by Lydia Huffman Hoyle


The history of Baptist women in ministry is not a simple story of progress in one direction. It is a story of starts and stops.

Among the earliest accounts of Baptists, we find stories of women who founded and served congregations. Some even preached. From the beginning, however, Baptist women in ministry did not enjoy universal support. Although some, but not all, early English Baptists (known as General Baptists) allowed women to preach, the women apparently did not serve as elders or pastors of churches. They testified and preached as deaconesses or simply church members. A second group of Baptists, the Particular Baptists, formed some thirty years after the General Baptists. From the beginning, the Particulars, who were theological Calvinists, supported a male-only ministry. In time, women’s leadership roles decreased across the English churches. The Baptists, in this respect, became more like the Anglican Church from which they had withdrawn.

In the American colonies, Baptists with Particular roots were predominant. Thus, while women outnumbered men in the churches, their leadership was limited to men. A widespread eighteenth-century revival, known as the First Great Awakening, brought changes however. A new group of Baptists called the Separates developed who were very open to the spiritual enthusiasm and emotionalism of the revivals. These Baptists








expanded rapidly in the South. Among the Separates, women played prominent roles. Their voices were heard preaching once again. The Separates also included women as deaconesses and eldresses. By the end of the century, when the Separates united with their more traditional Regular Baptist sisters and brothers, women in visual leadership roles disappeared. The Southern Baptist Convention grew from this soil.

In the nineteenth century, women across American Christianity sought ways to be useful in the Kingdom of God. Many served as teachers in the new Sunday School movement. Others led a variety of social and moral reform efforts. Still others formed and led organizations that supported missions. Especially in the post-Civil-War period, large numbers of women sought and received appointment as missionaries. Baptist women were active in all of these roles. Many developed leadership and ministry skills through their involvement in these “acceptable” arenas. Gradually, additional doors opened for some. Near the end of the century, six Free Will Baptist churches and at least one American Baptist church called women to serve as pastors.

The twentieth century witnessed the expansion of opportunities for women in ministry for Southern Baptists. Although some churches had been ordaining women to the diaconate since early in the century, Southern Baptist churches did not begin to ordain women as ministers until 1964. While many, no doubt, feared that churches would be flooded with women seeking ordination, the ordination of Addie Davis at that time initiated only a trickle of similar affirmations. Eventually, by the mid 1970’s, there was a small but steady stream. In many cases, however, the ordinations brought controversy not only to the women but to the churches that ordained them.

Women did, nonetheless, become more involved in paid church ministry. As specialized ministry positions became common in Baptist churches, women stepped forward to become ministers of education, youth, children, music, etc. A few even became pastors.







Every step of the way, Southern Baptist women in ministry struggled to defend their right and responsibility to use their gifts in response to God’s call. Although their churches were happy to crown them as mission “queens,” they were sometimes less ready to rethink traditional interpretations of Pauline prohibitions against women’s speech in church. In 1983, a group called “Women in Ministry” formed to provide support for Baptist women who sensed a call to serve the church. A year later, the Southern Baptist Convention sought to turn back the tide of women in ministry by passing a resolution that restricted women from church work involving “pastoral functions and leadership entailing ordination.” This action was given further authority when similar ideas became a part of the Baptist Faith and Message (2000). In recent decades, churches and associations anxious to make known their allegiance to the fundamentalist philosophy of the denominational leaders have taken stands against women’s ordination and the churches that ordained them.

Today, attitudes toward women in ministry tend to reflect a Baptist church’s identification as “moderate” or “conservative.” Although the doctrine of local church autonomy ensures that all Baptists will never conform to any convention resolution, most Southern Baptist churches today refuse to ordain women or offer them positions of pastoral leadership. Female church staff members, if they exist, are sometimes called “directors” rather than “ministers.” Churches affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship tend to be more open to women in ministry. Even among Cooperative Baptists, however, there are few women pastors.

Outside of the Southern Baptist world, Baptist women in ministry face a varied landscape. The American Baptist Churches, U.S.A. is generally supportive of women in ministry. The large African American Baptist denominations as well as a great majority of the fifty to sixty smaller Baptist denominations, however, include few ordained women.







Throughout history, Baptist women have served God through the church. Some have served with the official acknowledgement of the church. Others have worked within the strict limits of tradition and culture. Baptist church autonomy ensures that these people of the Word will continue to have differing understandings regarding God’s will for women who sense a call to His service.

Lydia Huffman Hoyle is associate professor of church history and Baptist heritage at the Campbell University Divinity School.
http://www.baptisthistory.org/contissues/huffman.htm

No Paul plainly states in Corithians the answer to that--

1Corithians 14:34-35 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but [they are commanded] to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

====EDIT=====
THis refers to speaking in tongues in the church....back in Paul's day harlots or Women of the house of Bath ran around speaking strange sayings and unknown tongues therefore the women of the church were not permitted to speak in tongues for the reason that a traveler or someone who did not attend the church could walk by and hear the women talking in tongues and think "oh it's the women of the house of bath let's go in and have a good time" So in order to prevent that image God---through Paul commanded them not to and not to interpret either---the theory is stop a questionable situation before it comes up! My bad and sorry for the crappy answer....feel free to down rate me due to my ignorance when posting this!!

IN MY OPINION:

Yes....

If we can have women ministers on TBN, Daystar & other Christian TV & Radio networks why not...

not a southern baptist church

Women as pastors compromises God's design for His human creation. God, as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit demonstrates his use of a heirarchy for the sake of order and service.
Women, as the second-born in the hierarchy of humans was assigned the role of "helper" by God at creation, with the first-born (male) ordained as leader for humankind.
Women are equal in every aspect of humanity and spirituality, yet assigned a different role of service in the Kingdom building work of the Lord, with an abiblity to serve honorably in every role except Pastor (assuming position as head).
In light of this fact, I often wonder, why women again insist on the one forbidden fruit---It's like Eden re-visited. . .

First Timothy Chapter 3 should answer this question

Just a side note... Where in the bible does God himself say that women are to be silent and not live equally and side by side with their husbands? My husband and I are studying this subject, mostly because we have tried out the Mormon church and found their answers to the question of women in ministry diluted, evading, vague, and "man seasoned". There are "men" in the bible that speak ill of women's higher roles in society, but we are also talking about days in which those men would have been chided by society had they accepted women into those roles... We now live in a society that does not chide women from those roles and has realized the value of each "individual's" talents. Where does God himself say that he created women to be less? What kind of God would that be to create another human being to be "less" of a person than another? Perhaps he allowed the writings in the bible to stay because he knew the world was not ready... that "Man" was not ready because of culture and society at that dark time. We now live in a time when so much more is revealed. Why do so many still hold on to what other men (man is fallible) wrote in the bible in a time when nothing else was expected or even fathomed? I believe that women are very effective teachers and leaders. Where does God say he created "less" of a human being? I don't think God has ever failed the human race, and never created a human being that is worth less than another.

no cause baptist dont believe in a woman being a preacher

To all that recite the scripture: How is it fair to pick and choose what rules of the bible to honor and what others to dismiss, mostly with the notion that they were only so because of the lifestyle in biblical times? Some rules such as death to those who were thieves and adulterers, to men taking several wives and having children with slave women of those wives are not honored by our times today, yet other rules taken from the bible are.

To whomever referred to 2 Timothy, Chapter 3. It says those who shall be elders of the church shall not have children who disobey them, because if they cannot run a family how are they to run the church family? This is not a rule that is followed in most churches either.d

Lets set our opinions aside here and get a greater understanding of what God has to say. Read Gal. 3:28 "in Christ there is neither Male or Female"
Now read Gal. 3:26 "you are all sons of God"
In Gen.1:27 God declares Unity! Male and Female.

And just a note: 1 Pet. 2:5,9 No limitaion

I don't really have an answer to this question but we can all pray about it and set our opinions aside. Allow God the opertunity to lead you to the answers you seek by reading his word.

And just a thought; Didn't Christ die for all sinners thus taking away the curse God gave to Adam and Eve?
If you don't know what I'm talking about, please read Gen. again.

There is a woman at the baptist church in my local area, in Scotland.