In my day-to-day interactions, it is rare to find women discussing theology, ecclesiology, the state of the current evangelical church, missions, or really anything vital to the well-being of the church.
Our conversations revolve mainly around two subjects: our children – how we will educate them, what they are eating, if they are sleeping, and our husbands and their jobs. If we are in a close and healthy group, we may intermittently discuss our walk with Christ, spiritual growth, or struggles. But, at least in my experience, those are few – and even in them, true theological discussions are highly uncommon.
As I meditated on this, I began to wonder why women don’t discuss theology and theological questions. Why do we seem happy to only skim the surface of each other’s lives? Why are we not concerned about the state of the church? Why are most women in the complementarian, Reformed community today uninterested in theology?
I began a postgraduate degree in Theology at the same time as a man a few years younger than me at church began his Master of Divinity. He was immediately given teaching and preaching opportunities. He had already been teaching Sunday School and leading small groups for years and, as he taught and led, his gift was recognised. He then received encouragement and support to further his training. This is exactly how the development of spiritual gifts should work in a healthy church environment. That was when it hit me: I was probably wasting my time with theological training. There was no one encouraging me in my theological education. There was not even a way for me to use my gifts or training at my church. This can be a vicious cycle for women and a serious systemic problem. Nothing is expected of us, so we produce nothing.
Rising to the challenge
As humans, we rise to challenges. Men in the church know they are leaders; they have a felt responsibility to their families and to the church. They are ordained as pastors, elders, and deacons. The pastors and elders of a church are constantly scanning the horizon of men in their churches to find new leaders and teachers. I do not believe women should be ordained to the office of pastor or elder, but complementarianism seems to result in an unspoken modus operandi of women having no gifting at all.
Humans grow through expectation, work and effort. Muscle is grown when it is challenged to bear more and more weight. In the same way, we are meant to grow spiritually by our community expecting something from us. Each part of our body has a function, and it is no coincidence that Paul uses this very metaphor as an example in 1 Corinthians 12. Are we truly a body of which no part is expendable (1 Cor. 12:12-31)? Why then is there no expectation for women to use their spiritual gifts? Why do the elders of the church not seek to grow and use these gifts? Why are women not taking the responsibility to learn and develop their own gifts and callings?
In the Gospels, Jesus Christ showed repeatedly that He values, speaks to, and uses women. The most glorious moment in human history – Christ’s resurrection – was entrusted to a woman to share. His precious body was carried and borne by a woman. Women like the prophetess Anna, Mary and Martha, Phoebe, the Greek women of Berea, Priscilla, and countless others were respected workers in the gospel.
As women, we must recognise that we are full members of the body of Christ, and we are in union with Him the same way as men. We are gifted, called, and will be held responsible for our callings before the judgment seat of Christ along with our leaders. We will not be allowed to hide behind our pastors or husbands when we are called to account. We must not hide today either.
