Women in Ministry: The Main Complementarianism Failure

Most recent

Sep 21

Help train up women in your church! https://teachequip.com/clearly

What if complementarianism became known for what it celebrates, not just what it restricts? Jimmy and Kelly Needham explore how complementarian churches can move beyond defining what women can and cannot do and instead create a culture where women are valued, equipped, affirmed, and actively involved in ministry. We unpack four practical ways pastors and church leaders can help women thrive: investigate how the women in their church are doing, identify women who are already faithfully serving, invest in their growth through training and resources, and involve them in the work and life of the church. We also discuss practical guardrails for healthy relationships between men and women, the importance of pastoral initiative, and how women can respond with grace, prayer, and long-suffering when their church leadership has room to grow.

What We Learned

Complementarianism teaches that men and women are different and complementary, with those differences being important, intentional, and valuable.
Pastors and church leaders can investigate the spiritual health of the women in their church by regularly asking trusted women about discipleship, biblical knowledge, outside influences, and common struggles.
Leaders should identify women who are faithfully serving, showing an appetite for deeper theology, discipling others, and consistently contributing to the life of the church.
Identifying a woman’s gifting should be followed by affirming it; having a godly male leader recognize and call attention to a woman’s ministry gifting can be deeply formative.
Churches can invest in women through conferences, books, courses, resources, cohorts, and other opportunities for theological and ministry development.
Leaders can involve women by seeking their perspective in areas such as marriage counseling, sermon preparation, church initiatives, and other aspects of church life.
Healthy involvement includes appropriate relational guardrails, such as giving affirmation publicly or including a woman’s husband when communicating privately.
Women who feel unsupported by church leadership are encouraged to extend forgiveness and grace, pray for their pastors, fight bitterness, and patiently seek health and change within their church.

Definitions

Complementarianism – men and women have sameness in worth, but difference in roles. Egalitarianism – men and women have sameness in worth, sameness in roles.