Can a Woman be a Pastor?

 What if a woman is called to ministry? 

 By Brandi Beck Smith 

 As promised, not really promised but as mentioned, here are my thoughts on the Southern Baptist Convention vote on women serving as Pastors. 

 

As some of you may know, I am a woman called to the ministry. I was called to the ministry as a teenage girl, long before I met my husband who is a pastor and evangelist.

 

I was sitting in my car in the church parking lot of Briarwood Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist Church in Watkinsville, Georgia, and I was reading my Bible in Jeremiah chapter one when I heard the Lord‘s call to me personally to speak for him and to give my life in full-time ministry, whatever that may look like. 

 

I read Jeremiah 1:4-9 which says,

 

“The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

 

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

    before you were born I set you apart;

    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

 

I was young when the Lord called me to Ministry. I was only a teenage girl. I had been through the Girls in Action (GAs) program at my Southern Baptist Church. I went to Camp Pinnacle as a little girl and can still sing you the song, “Here we stand like birds in the wilderness, waiting to be fed…let’s eat!” as we waited in the long line to enter the dining hall. I got my first dose of home sickness at Camp Pinnacle. I also learned for the first time at that camp that I might be somewhat allergic to a certain kind of bug spray they sprayed us with as we prepared to hike the mountain. 

 

The Lord started to provide open doors for me in the Ministry as a young teenage girl which included leading disciple now weekends with SWAT ministries when I was in high school. God opened the door for me to be a speaker at SuperWow one summer. Over 20 years later some of my sons have attended SuperWow with our churches youth group (Ty Ty FBC). 

 

I remember when I was a teenager with that fresh call from the Lord to speak for him, I had to wrestle out what that would mean as a woman. Back then, some of the only women’s speakers were Anne Graham Lotz, Joyce Meyer, and Beth Moore. I had completed almost all of Beth Moore‘s intensive workbook Bible studies. Her Bible studies helped me to grow in the Lord, and they never pushed me to seek a platform as a Pastor of a church. However, today’s women influencers seem to only want a platform. God help them to see the importance of a secret ministry, which may be cleaning toilets and picking up trash where nobody sees how they are serving.

 

I have read a lot of Joyce Meyer’s books and they have helped me greatly with battles of depression, anxiety, and emotional abuse. I have listened to a lot of Joyce Meyers speaking and she never calls herself a pastor. 

 

I was reading a book by Anne Graham Lotz when I was wrestling with the question, “How do I speak for God as a woman in a Southern Baptist Church?”

 

In her book, she shared the story in the Bible of the woman at the well where Jesus met her and ministered to her.

 

“Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.” (John 4:27-29 NIV)

 

Notice that because of the woman’s testimony, people came toward Jesus, not toward her. 

 

“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” (John 4:39, NIV)

 

The woman at the well simply shared her testimony about her encounter with Jesus and it drew people to him. 

 

Sometimes we think a call to ministry means we have to be in charge of some organization or the pastor of a church, but it could actually mean to share your testimony with the lost and dying world. Sometimes that act is harder to do than anything else.

 

I remember cutting grass for my parents praying, “Lord what does it mean to be a woman called to the Ministry to speak for you? Show me what the Bible says about what that looks like.” I never felt called to be a pastor of a church.

 

Over the past 27 years that has looked like a lot of different things for me. Sometimes it has looked like a very difficult one-on-one conversation, confronting someone in their sin. Other times, it has looked like mentoring younger girls in my home when I was nursing babies. It has looked like planting two churches with my husband and starting a Christian school. It has looked like doing all the behind-the-scenes work for my husband who is a pastor. It has looked like writing and publishing seven books and Bible studies and speaking at different ladies events. It has looked like starting a blog when the Lord put that on my heart, even though I wasn’t faithful to write consistently, it is a pretty long blog that goes years and years back. It has looked like starting private Facebook groups for women only and doing video teachings about the Bible and posts of encouragement. I created a group like that when we were in West Virginia and we currently have a group like this of over 200 ladies from our current church. My goal with these private groups of women is to connect with them and encourage them and teach them whatever it is the Lord might be teaching me. 

 

Over the past 27 years as a woman called to ministry it has looked like being the women’s ministry leader at my church or the ministry assistant or keeping the nursery (especially at those church plants) or teaching children’s church or kids classes or filling in whenever someone is out sick or does not show up. It has looked like directing numerous Christmas plays, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This summer it looked like directing VBS. It has looked like teaching numerous small group Bible studies to women and girls in my home.

 

The point I’m trying to make is that there are 1,000 ways a woman can serve God in the ministry, but there’s just one thing the Bible tells a woman she cannot do and that is to be the pastor of a church. 

 

It reminds me of the Bible story where God told Adam and Eve you can eat of anything in this garden, but just don’t touch that one tree. And what did Eve want? Eve wanted the one thing God told her she could not have. The devil deceived Eve and she ate of that fruit and then her husband followed her even though her husband knew it wasn’t right.

 

“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

 

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 3:1-13)

 

“Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.” (1 Timothy 2:8-14 NIV)

 

To be fair, a drunk pastor or a divorced and remarried pastor or a double tongued Deacon, or a slandering Deacon‘s wife…they all need to be held accountable as well as women pastors. I think this is why some ladies who live holier lives than some men holding the office of a pastor get irritated when they are told they cannot minister as a pastor. The Bible makes it pretty clear. 

 

Here are some Scriptures that some find contradictory. 

 

Let’s dig into  Psalm 68:11.

 

“The Lord gives the word;

    the women who announce the news are a great host:” (Ps. 68:11 ESV)

 

“The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” (Ps. 68:11 KJV)

 

“Historically, this refers to ancient traditions where choirs of women would sing victory songs and dance to celebrate a triumphant army returning from battle, much like Miriam did in the book of Exodus.” (https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/8005/who-are-the-%D7%9E%D6%B0%D7%91%D6%B7%D7%A9%D6%BC%D7%82%D6%B0%D7%A8%D6%97%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%AA-in-psalm-6811)

 

“In Psalm 68:11, your phonetic phrase "ham me bas erot" corresponds exactly to the Hebrew word הַמְבַשְּׂר֗וֹת (transliterated as ha-mevaserot or ham-me-bas-se-rot). [1, 2, 3, 4]

This specific word translates to "the women who proclaim the good tidings"or "the female heralds of victory." [1, 2]

 

Breakdown of the Word

• Ha (הַ): The definite article meaning "the."

• Mevaserot (מְבַשְּׂרוֹת): This is the plural, feminine form of the root verb basar(בָּשַׂר), which means "to bear good news" or "to publish tidings." Because it uses a feminine suffix (-ot), it specifically means female messengers.

(https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/8005/who-are-the-%D7%9E%D6%B0%D7%91%D6%B7%D7%A9%D6%BC%D7%82%D6%B0%D7%A8%D6%97%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%AA-in-psalm-6811)

 

The Hebrew word refers to a company of female bearers of good tidings or messengers to announce good news. “Go and tell it on the mountain” is not just for males. Women are to go and share the gospel as well. 

 

Women can publish books, sing and proclaim Gods goodness 1,000 different ways, just not as a Pastor. 

 

But what about the prophetess?

 

Neviah, the Hebrew word for prophetess, designates a woman who receives and communicates messages from God. 

 

This is different than the office of a Pastor.

 

“And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:36-38 ESV)

 

Who is first in line to fast and pray and never leave the church?  After her husband died, she did not remarry. The Bible makes it clear that if we have a husband and children, we are to spend much of our time loving our husband and loving our children and taking care of our home. 

 

“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae” (Roman 16:1, ESV)

 

Some translations use the word deacon or deaconess instead of servant. Of course women are some of the greatest servants in a church body and this is commendable. 

 

“I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.” (Philippians 4:2-3 NIV)

 

The apostle Paul says the two women above “contended at his side in the cause of the gospel.”

 

I seek to do that weekly as I serve alongside my Pastor in the ministry that I am called to as a woman. 

 

Ladies, share the gospel, share your testimony, share a word the Lord gave you to tell someone, pray in faith, sing, shout, dance, “teach younger ladies to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” (Titus 2:4, KJV)

 

Did you catch that last part?

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