LAKEPOINTE CHURCH

WOMEN IN MINISTRY

In the beginning, God created us, male and female, in His own image (Genesis 1:27). While there is no difference between a man and woman in dignity or value (Galatians 3:27-29), there is according to Scripture a difference in their roles in both the home (Ephesians 5:21-27) and in the church.

ELDERS AND OVERSEERS

Paul states clearly that only men should serve as elders/overseers. In both 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6, Paul includes in the list of requirements that elders must be “a man of one woman.” In those same passages, he also referred to “fathers” when he lists as one of the requirements that an elder/overseer must manage his own household well. It should also be noted that when Jesus Himself selected the first leaders of the church, He limited those selections to those of a male gender. While some of the limitations on roles in the early church may have been church-specific or cultural, we believe this particular directive is indeed supracultural and normative for all times and circumstances.

WOMEN AND OTHER ROLES IN THE CHURCH

We affirm that there seems to be no differentiation of gender in the distribution of gifts and talents other than those which may uniquely equip one to serve as an apostle and/or an elder/overseer. We further affirm the variety of essential and vital roles in which women have participated as recorded in Scripture, i.e., a judge, military leader, worship leader, prophet, deacons, teachers, house church hosts, and prayer champions. Lakepointe Church encourages all women to exercise their God-given gifts fully in serving Christ in and through our fellowship here and around the world.

WOMEN AND TEACHING IN THE CHURCH

While it is clear that Paul in the Epistles seems to be discouraging the circumstances where women would be teaching men in the churches he was addressing in the first century, we believe it was primarily due to the appearance it would give that these women would be seen as exercising spiritual authority over those men they would be teaching. We believe that those restrictions were mandated by the specific circumstances of the particular churches being addressed at that time.

Since all teachers, both male and female in all settings—including worship services and small groups—teach under the authority of the elders of Lakepointe Church, we believe no further gender restriction is necessitated. We believe some of God’s most gifted teachers are women, and both men and women can benefit from their insights and study.

However, we would encourage men to teach adult men or adult mixed-gender groups in small groups in most situations. Just as we believe in most circumstances that a female teacher could better relate to an all-female group.

We also believe that it is important that the men of our church not abdicate their responsibility to use their own God-given gifts of teaching and thereby contribute to a feminized perception of the church that is only for women and children.

Approved by Elders – March 18, 2013
Amended by Elders – February 2, 2015