Glenwood Church of Christ | Women in the Church

Women's Study Resources

Dear Glenwood Church Family:

On September 18, 2016, we launched a congregational study on women’s roles in the worship assembly. The Task Force, Bible Study Team, and Prayer Team engaged in much thought, conversation, planning and prayer throughout our congregational discernment process. We conducted an intentional, structured, prayerful, and co-discerning process that focused on the question, "Does Scripture permit increased roles for women in the worship services of the church?" During the study phase of the process, we examined the various positions, biblical texts and interpretations that must be considered in an effort to determine a congregational response to this important and often sensitive subject.

On March 26, 2017, Roger McCown made an announcement on behalf of the Shepherds regarding the conclusion of the women's study. Watch the recording of the announcement and download the survey results handout that was distributed at the end of the service.

VIEW THE ANNOUNCEMENT | DOWNLOAD THE HANDOUT

To our Glenwood family, thank you for engaging this study with a prayerful, listening, and loving presence. Our continued prayer is that we will love one another, encourage each other, and learn how to seek God’s will for us as a community of His people.

The following resources were made available to our members in their personal studies of this topic. They represent a variety of perspectives, and we hope they will provide more clarity as to why Christ-followers often approach this subject differently from one another.

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TIMELINE FOR OUR STUDY

PRESENTATIONS

September 18: "God Is Faithful," Glenwood Shepherds—a one-day combined adult class in the Worship Center (Watch the presentation.)

October 9: "What's a Woman to Do? A Dialogue on the Public Roles of Women in the Church," Jeff Childers, via video presentation—a combined adult class in the Worship Center (Watch the presentation.)

November 4–6: "How to Study Women’s Roles in the Church," Ken Cukrowski—a weekend seminar (Watch the presentations: Session 1, Session 2, Session 3, Session 4 | Download the handouts: Handouts 1–4, Handouts 5–7)

January 8: "Various Views of Women's Roles in the Church," John Mark Hicks—a combined adult class in the Worship Center (Listen to the presentation | Download the study guide)

January 15: "Women in the Old Testament," Mark Hamilton—a combined adult class in the Worship Center (Watch the presentation | Download the study guide)

January 22: "Jesus and Women in the Gospels," John York—a combined adult class in the Worship Center (Watch the presentation | Download the study guide)

January 29: "The Role of Women in the Letters of Paul," James Thompson—a combined adult class in the Worship Center (Watch the presentation | Download the study guide)

LISTENING GROUPS

Listening Groups were hosted by the Shepherds as an opportunities for members to voice questions and concerns they had about the process.

Sunday, October 9, 2:30 p.m., Chapel
Sunday, November 13, 2:30 p.m., Chapel

DISCUSSION GROUPS

Discussion Groups were held on Sunday afternoons at 1:30 p.m. and Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. after each guest speaker in January. Discussion Groups were large group discussions of the specific material presented the speakers. Each speakers provided a study guide with discussion questions.

FOCUS GROUPS

Focus Groups were small group discussions of 10–12 people led by two shepherds per group. Multiple Focus Groups met during each of the four sessions. Focus Groups were designed so that we could listen to each other, share what we had learned throughout the process, and let the Shepherds hear from the members.

Sunday, February 5, 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, February 8, 6:30 p.m. (Childcare provided)
Sunday, February 12, 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, February 15, 6:30 p.m. (Childcare provided)

40 DAYS OF PRAYER

The Prayer Team invited the congregation to participate in 40 Days of Prayer beginning February 5. A prayer calendar was made available with suggested topics for each day. (Download the 40 Days of Prayer calendar.)

FROM THE ELDERS

As part of the ongoing communication from the elders to the congregation, these documents were created to answer some of the questions being asked regarding Glenwood’s study of the role of women in the assembly. These responses expressed the general sense of the elders and were intended to help those interested learn more about these issues and to encourage input from the congregation.

MARCH: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

APRIL: FORMATION OF TASK FORCE

MAY: TASK FORCE IS AT WORK

JUNE: JOURNEY OF FAITH

JULY: TASK FORCE IS AT WORK

JULY: UPDATE FROM THE TASK FORCE

AUGUST: TIMELINE FOR OUR STUDY

SEPTEMBER: TIMELINE FOR OUR STUDY

OCTOBER: OUR STUDY HAS BEGUN

NOVEMBER: FAQs—LISTENING GROUP ONE

DECEMBER: WOMEN'S STUDY TIMELINE

JANUARY: JANUARY SCHEDULE

FEBRUARY: 40 DAYS OF PRAYER

MARCH: CONCLUDING OUR STUDY

BIBLICAL TEXTS

Biblical Texts Often Cited in the Study of Women's Roles

This list is not exhaustive, yet should assist one's personal study of the topic.

OLD TESTAMENT

The Creation/Fall Narrative

Genesis 1–3 (especially 1:26–27; 2:18–24; 3:16)

Women Prophets

Exodus 15:20 (see 4:13–16; 7:1–2; cf. Micah 6:4)
Judges 4:4
Isaiah 8:3
II Kings 22:8–20
II Chronicles 34:14–28
Joel 2:28–29

Women Musicians

Exodus 15:20–21
Judges 5
I Samuel 2:1–10; 18:6–7; 21:11; 29:5
II Samuel 1:24
II Chronicles 35:25
Jeremiah 9:17–22
Lamentations 1:4
Ezekiel 32:16
Ezra 2:65
Nehemiah 7:67

NEW TESTAMENT

Women Prophets

Luke 2:36
Acts 2:17–18 (Joel 2:28–29)
Acts 21:9
I Corinthians 11:5

Women Disciples

Luke 8:1–3; 10:38–42
John 4:1–42

Women as the First Gospel Proclaimers

Matthew 28:1–10
Mark 16:1–11
Luke 24:1–10

Men and Women as One in Christ

Galatians 3:28

Women Deacons

Romans 16:1–2 (cf. I Timothy 3:11: "wives of deacons" or "female deacons"?)

Women Teachers

Acts 18:24–28

Household Codes

Ephesians 5:21–6:9
Colossians 3:12–4:6
I Peter 2:11–3:22

Women Praying and Prophesying

I Corinthians 11:2–16

Paul's Instructions to the Corinthian Church

I Corinthians 14:26–40

Paul's Instructions to Timothy

I Timothy 2:8–15

Description of Terms

Patriarchal (extreme): Men are required to rule over women in personal life, home, marriage, religious institutions, and society.

Patriarchal (moderate)*: Subordination of women to men is considered voluntary rather than required. Leadership, not rulership, is the preferred terminology. There are strong similarities between moderate patriarchy and hierarchical complementarian.

Complementarian (hierarchical)*: This term stresses the complementary "difference" or "distinction" between genders and affirms male hierarchy. The complementary "role" of women is to be in subjection to, under the final authority of, and led by men in the home and in the church.

Complementarian (non-hierarchical)**: There are complementary "differences" between the genders, yet without an emphasis on male hierarchy (chain of command). This term avoids seeing the genders as identical, interchangeable, or basically the same.

Egalitarian**: This term stresses the "biblical equality" between genders without referring to an essential sameness or interchangeability of male and female. It suggests that the Bible does not teach a stereotyped gender "role" in which women are subordinate to men.

Feminist (moderate)**: In moderate feminism there is equal worth, justice, privilege, standing, opportunity for service, and leadership of women in all spheres of life: home, marriage, church, and social structures. However, this view maintains significant gender distinctions.

Feminist (extreme): In extreme feminism, gender distinctions are blurred and female hierarchy is often assumed.

* There are strong similarities between moderate patriarchalism and hierarchical complementarianism.

** There are similarities between non-hierarchical complementarianism and egalitarianism, and perhaps moderate feminism as well.