Update 1/25/2020 This post was updated to reflect the current status of the resources named. In this post, we provide a list of 40+ blogs that regularly advocate for the egalitarian viewpoint. Some are new voices while others have a long history of advocacy. The groundswell of online support for the equality of men […]
I Didn’t Choose to Become an Egalitarian
I’m a southern girl, the middle child, one of three daughters in my family of five. My daddy gloried in raising up three, strong-willed women. He taught us early on to assert ourselves, with frequent reminders to never let anyone walk all over us, to stand up for ourselves because we mattered. He believed we could do anything we set our minds to, challenging us and giving his all as he raced us around the go-cart track, pushing us to play our best during family basketball games, never taking it easy because we were girls.
I admired my dad and longed for his approval, and there was never a moment from my childhood, adolescence, or adulthood when I didn’t receive it. When meeting others, he introduced my sisters and me with the pride of an Olympian, placing his arm around our shoulders and smiling down on us, his three gold medals.
Was it then I became an Egalitarian? Did my dad’s ability to see beyond my gender to my soul shape my views on my place in the world?
5 Ways to Avoid Undermining Your Theology of Gender
I was a complementarian for more than 20 years. I believed that women should not serve as church elders or senior pastors, that the primary vocation of Christian wives was to submit to the leadership of their husbands, and that husbands should lay claim to that leadership. Because I came to faith when I was 19 years old and immediately joined a complementarian church, I thought this was the only approach to gender roles that took the Bible’s authority seriously.
I now believe that Galatians 3:28 applies to more than just our legal status before God; rather, this passage (and others like it) provides the church with a redemptive vision for community life.
More Things We Wish Male Egalitarian Pastors Would Do
There was some great conversation yesterday in the Comments Section of Meredith’s post: “5 Things I Wish All Male Egalitarian Pastors Would Do“. We thought it would be helpful to keep the conversation going today and see what new ideas we could capture. Here are some things readers suggested adding to the list: Ask women, […]
5 Things I Wish Male Egalitarian Pastors Would Do
Dear Male Egalitarian Pastors,
I have something I need to tell you, and it’s a bit tough to say. Before I do, I want you to know how much I appreciate you. You are allies and friends, important voices in the ongoing conversation about gender equality in the church…