Why You Should Have an Opinion on Women in Ministry

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Sep 14

Should we have strong convictions about secondary issues like women in ministry—or should we simply agree to disagree and move on? We believe Scripture calls us to something more thoughtful: to study the Bible carefully, form settled convictions before God, and remain unified with Christians who may land differently. We walk through how to develop biblical convictions responsibly by assessing where our current beliefs came from, studying the whole of Scripture both personally and in community, learning from church history, and testing our conclusions against the wisdom of the broader church. We then apply that process to complementarianism, exploring why we believe Scripture presents men and women as equal in dignity and worth while giving them distinct roles in the home and church. We also talk honestly about how women’s gifts can be undervalued in the church, why experience alone shouldn’t determine our theology, and how we can hold convictions firmly while still loving and partnering with believers who disagree.

What We Learned

Romans 14 calls Christians to be fully convinced in their own minds about secondary issues rather than simply avoiding convictions.
Forming a conviction begins with assessing what we currently believe, where those beliefs came from, and whether they were inherited, studied, or shaped by past experiences.
We should study what the whole Bible says about an issue, rather than building our position primarily from what other people say about Scripture.
Biblical study should happen both personally and corporately, involving other believers and the local church rather than treating ourselves as “Lone Ranger Christians.”
Church history can help test our interpretations, expose novel views, and show how Christians throughout history have understood Scripture.
We believe the biblical pattern points toward complementarianism: men and women have equal dignity and worth while God gives them distinct roles in the home and local church.
Women are essential partners in ministry and that complementarianism is not a statement about women’s ability, giftedness, or value.
We can hold firmly to our convictions while still loving, affirming, and working alongside Christians who disagree with us on secondary issues.