As a couple, Dalene and I have been seeking to understand how we can have a more effective partnership in ministry. After studying many of the biblical texts related to genders in ministry we also searched the internet for what some Christian leaders are saying. Quite frankly, we were shocked at the amount of teaching out there by well-known pastors that is against women in general and women in ministry in particular. As I think of all the vitriolic and negativity toward women that is coming out of many pulpits these days, I must say that I feel kind of sorry for these guys. I mean after all, to preach that women shouldn't teach or lead in the church, it would have to be quite a shock to get to heaven and find women occupying some of the most privileged positions of authority.
How can I know this? Well, to be honest I don't know anything about heaven with certainty. However I do know that Jesus said the last would be first and the least would be the greatest in His kingdom. Those who would like to relegate the fairer sex away from the podium and off the platform might need to stop and ask themselves not only if this is in fact biblical, but also if their stance might just serve to insure a reversing of roles in the hereafter. We also know that we are promised to rule and reign with Him in eternity. Another hint of the redistribution of power and privilege among those who will govern in eternity is the truth that whoever is faithful with little will be given much. I figure that all the wonderful women of God who have been tossed the crumbs from the smorgasbord table of ministry opportunities like manning the nursery and serving on the church decoration committee, and yet who have been very faithful and gracious in the duties often begrudged them, probably have a good deal of recompense coming their way.
I have no statistics, but offer a few observations. Most of the incredibly strong women I know who have tragically lost their life-mates to disease or accidents don't tend to remarry within a year of their loss. Too bad I can't say the same about the majority of the men in the same position. And as a missionary I have observed that most of the short-term team members and single workers who make it to the field are women. There seems to be a dearth of young men who feel and hear the call enough to leave their car payments and video games in order to obey the great commission. But it's the ladies who seem to be most willing to pay the price. And I won't even go into the subject of morality and comment on the disparity in numbers between which gender dominates the category of failures in ministry due to sexual indiscretions. Yes, my fellow brethren, its the ladies who in my book score the highest in the faithfulness department.
I think there will be a lot of surprising and downright ironic discoveries in heaven. One of the biggies just might be this: those men who looked down on women in ministry leadership in this life could spend eternity looking up to them in the much longer life to come.
