A Few Disclaimers Before I begin
* I am Calvinist and I hold to a complementarian view of the scriptures in regards to the role of men and women in the life of the church and home.
*I am a pastor in the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada Churches, which supports the ordination of women in ministry and promotes the Egalitarian view of the scriptures.
*There is a wide spectrum of views within both Egalitarianism and Complementarianism. Complementarianism is always at risk of being hijacked by people who cling to a Patriartical view of scriptures ( Men are superior to women), just as Egalitarianism is at risk of being hijacked by people who cling to an unbiblical type of feminism (gender can be interchangeable).
* The Gospel Coalition promotes complementarianism and has Southern Baptist Pastors apart of its Council, but pastors and churches of the Southern Baptist Convention are leery of the TGC because of its endorsement of women teachers (Beth Moore, Jen Wilkins), Social Justice, Ministry to the LGBTQ Community, and Critical Race Theory.
* TGC Council Members, Russell Moore and JD Greear, hold key roles in the SBC, Greear is the President of the SBC and Moore is the President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. However, many churches and pastors feel like the Conservative Resurgence is eroding under their leadership and making a shift towards liberalism.
* Beth Moore is a complementarian who is trying to find her place in the SBC and is speaking out against the aggression that she has encountered from some men in the SBC. Greear and Moore are getting backlash from the SBC for supporting her.
* Churches are leaving the SBC because they feel the TGC is having a liberal influence on the SBC. Ironically my denomination (CABC) doesn't endorse the TGC because some of the leadership would view the TGC as being Hyper-Conservative.
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While many Conservative Christians are thankful for MacArthur's words to Beth Moore, I was very disheartened by his words. Some may think that since I am I complementarian that I would support the comments of a fellow complementarian, but I don't. MacArthur and I may agree theologically and even Biblically to an extent, but I do not agree with how he practices his theological conviction. I thought what he said was unloving, shameful, arrogant, and it was an attempt to rob Beth Moore of her dignity and the sense of call that she has from God for being a Bible teacher. No matter what your theological views are as a Christian, you don't have the right to belittle and shame another Christian for having different convictions from you. Sadly, both Complementarians and Egalitarians are guilty of treating each other like this, and even people within their own theological camp. MacArthur's and Johnson's mocking tone was a blatant disregard for Jesus' words that the world should know that we are his disciples, by our love for each other. Instead of MacArthur helping Moore find her place in ministry within the body of Christ, he tells her there is no place for her.
As a complementarian, I believe women and men are created in God's image and have equal dignity and worth, yet have been given specific roles by God for the flourishing of human life both in the Church and home. Yes, I believe in Biblical headship, not the patriarchal headship that happens after Genesis 3, but the headship that is model in Ephesians 5, one of sacrificial love and giving. As a husband, I am to love my wife like Christ loved the Church and be willing to even lay down my life for her, literally.
Yes, I believe the role of Pastor and Elder is meant for men, not because we are superior, smarter, or stronger, but because God has called men to reflect the leadership of Christ to the Church. We are to be the undershepherds of Christ; loving and caring for the sheep that Christ has put in our care. As a pastor, I am to have love, care, and respect for the women in my church. I am to encourage them, defend them, walk alongside them, and help them find ways to use their gifts within the life of the church, so that both them and the church can flourish. What this looks likes, will vary from church to church, but women's leadership needs to go beyond children's ministry, women's missionary society, and the social committee and extend itself to the overall life of the Church. Chauvinism asks, "how can we use the women in the church", but complementarianism asks, "how can we bless the women in our church and help them flourish for the sake of the Kingdom."
Just as Egalitarians can be guilty of dismissing key scriptures to build their case for women in ministry, Complementarians can be equally guilty of filling in the gaps left by scripture to build their case for male headship in the home and male-only eldership within the Church. As a result, you can be left with a complementarianism that is cold, rigid, and more concern with what women can't do in the church, instead of what they can do. For me, the issue has never been can women lead in the church, but instead where are they to lead in the church and are we providing enough opportunities for women who have leadership giftings?
Sadly, there has been a huge disconnect between the theology of complementarianism and its practice. I think we have spent too much time ironing out all the points to our theology, that we have neglected to provide healthy and grace-filled applications of the doctrine in the home and in the life of the church. As a result, it has failed to address the chauvinistic/ Patriarachial cultures that still exist within the homes and churches who wave the flag of Complementarianism.
The good news is that many churches are beginning to address this issue and making the necessary changes to their practice, so it matches up with what they believe. These churches are asking tough questions like what does complementarianism look like when the wife works and the husband stays home with the kids? How can we provide women with areas of visible leadership, beyond the role of pastor and elder, so they can use their God-given leadership and teaching gifts? Can a woman teach from the platform, if she is under the authority of male leadership? Can women take on other pastoral roles within the life of the church? The reality is that the practice of complementarianism needs to be shaped by the context and the needs of the church and home.
The Village Church in Dallas, Texas is an SBC church that has undergone this process. Pastor Matt Chandler, along with Jen Wilkins who is the Director of Classes and Curriculum for the church, and the Eldership saw the need to address the chasm they saw that existed between their theology and practice. They spent two years writing, thinking, and reading alongside the church about this issue. The result was a 79-page exegetical paper that helped them refine and bring clarity to their practices so that it matched up with what they saw in the scriptures and so that their practices would naturally flow out of their theology.
Now onto the matter of Beth Moore. I don't think Beth Moore needs to go home because the complementarianism that I ascribe to makes room for Beth Moore to effectively teach the Bible so that she can bring glory to God and that souls may be won. Beth Moore, in no way, sees herself as a pastor and has no desire to become part of the clergy. She desires to use her gifts to teach and preach the Bible whenever God gives her the opportunity. She willingly works under the leadership of men and is comfortable working alongside them. She has grown up in the SBC, loves her SBC, and wants the best for her SBC. She considers herself to be a "soft complementarian" and supports the SBC stance on the pastorate being reserved for qualified men.
She has been a Bible teacher for years, so why is she a problem now? It seems to be twofold? First, she has spoken out over the last few years about the sexual abuse that has been uncovered in churches that are apart of the SBC. Secondly, people are outraged at her and the SBC churches that had her come and speak on a Sunday morning. It has to be clear that it is a group of SBC pastors and churches that are causing the backlash and not the entirety of the SBC. Many SBC Pastors have come to the aid of Beth Moore, included the ERLC President Russell Moore and SBC President JD Greear. They have been accused of leading the SBC astray and have been labelled as Apostates for some of the changes they are trying to bring into the SBC. Remember, these guys are complementarians, who are council members of the TGC, and they are supporting and endorsing the teaching ministry of Beth Moore. They clearly believe women have an important role to play in the life and ministry of the church. They don't think she should go home. I agree with what Russell Moore said at the SBC Annual Meeting in June, that "an SBC that doesn't have a place for Beth Moore, doesn't have a place for a lot of us."
Complementarianism and the CBAC
As I bring my blog to a close, I want to address my CBAC family. I know that our family is made up of many pastors and churches who have differences of opinions on the topic of women in ministry. Remember this isn't a gospel issue, but a secondary issue that doesn't have to divide us. Unfortunately, it has. There is enough blame to go around on both sides. Complementarians are guilty of calling Egalitarians liberals and accusing them of having a low view of scripture. While Egalitarians are guilty of grouping Complementarianism with Chauvinism and Patriaraticalism, this seemed to be the case when I was studying at ADC.
I fear that when controversy like the MacArthur/ Moore arises, it is seen by both camps, as an opportunity to attack the opposition and defend their position. So far that seems to be the case on social media these past few days, with people of our denomination changing their profile picture to include the caption "Not Going Home. I support women clergy." I would remind us though, that the issue at hand this past weekend, was not a clerical issue, but whether or not women should preach and teach at all in the church.
Please believe me CBAC family when I say this, John MacArthur is not the poster boy for Complementarianism. He does not speak for all of us. To those in our convention who appreciated John MacArthur's comments, please remember that we are not liberalists for disagreeing with him. His behaviour and actions were unacceptable, regardless of his position on this matter. No one deserves to be talked about like this.
My desire for the CBAC family is not that we all become complementarians nor is it that we all become Egalitarians. There are always going to be those of us who aren't convinced the pastorate is just reserved for men, just as there are always going to be those of us who will believe that the pastorate is reserved for men. The question is, are we willing to put those differences aside and unite around the gospel? If the answer is no, then I want to remind you that our convention was built on those who set aside their differences to unite around the matters of first importance. If a bunch of Calvinists and Arminians can put aside their differences to unite around the gospel and the mission of the church, why can't a bunch of Complementarians and Egalitarians do the same? Think of all that we have in common. We both believe that men and women are equal in dignity and worth, we both oppose chauvinism, we value the gifts of women, we believe sexuality and gender matters. There is so much that we could accomplish together and so many cultural issues that we could address together.
To the women clergy of our denomination, just because we may disagree theologically, don't believe for a second I don't value you, care about you, encourage you and want the best for you. Women have played a huge part in my spiritual journey over the years. I want to give a shout out to Rev. Kristen Price and all that she does with children and youth. It was a privilege to work for you and serve with you in Fundy, NB. I want to thank Rev. Cheryl Ann for being a spiritual mother and for helping me address the issues that I needed to address in my life, I still have a long way to go.
I leave us with an important question. Is there a place for complementarians in the CBAC? A CBAC that doesn't have a place for Complementarians, doesn't have a place for a lot of us.
I pray that we would come together for the sake of our King.
To God be the glory.
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