Monday, September 15, 2008

A Woman Preacher is a "Grave Moral Concern"

After 18 months of study, the Irving Bible Church, near Dallas, decided to allow one of their female staff pastors, Jackie Roese, to preach to the men as well as the women.

Read about it here.

This created a bit of a brouhaha. The most disturbing thing I read in the article was that a woman preaching is a "grave moral concern." The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood says so.

A grave moral concern?

Lord, have mercy.

The CBMW folks just get more and more outrageous. We can only hope that someday they are going to overstep reason so far that they totally discredit themselves even among their conservative following, Campus Crusade for Christ and Focus on the Family included.

And when is Wayne Grudem going to be seen as something other than a mainstream Evangelical? Why is there such quiet about his view that the Son is eternally subordinate to the Father? I see this popping up in sermons all over the place. Since when is the Trinity about who gets to be boss? I'm not calling Grudem a heretic, but doesn't it seem like it would not be such a big step from this "eternal subordination" teaching to be right back at Arianism?

It seems particularly so to me because CBMW appears to have started teaching that particular point at least in part so as to say that the Trinity is an example of marriage--the female is eternally subordinate to the male, but not inferior. Oh dear me, not inferior. Of course not. (Tongue firmly in cheek.) Here is an article which says that "eternal subordination" has long been the teaching of the church and is nothing new. I beg to differ--but that is a post for another time perhaps. I never heard anything about hierarchy in the eternal Godhead till CBMW arrived. How about others of you?

The whole thing makes me queasy.

I wonder how the sermon went?

16 comments:

Alex said...

There must have been an amazing amount of pressure for that woman to preach an A+ sermon! Good grief.

Ruth said...

How exactly is a woman preaching in church about morals?????? Good gravy!

Dorcas (aka SingingOwl) said...

Alex, I thought of that too, poor woman! I hope the Holy Spirit was so evident, and her preaching was so moving and profound that anyone who wanted to criticize her would just be struck dumb!

Ha!

I know, Ruth. Moral?? I mean, I think it is disgusting. I have no words.

Sally said...

... no words here either....

Rev R Marszalek said...

I find it very hard to be quiet about Grudem at the same time though I feel guilty about maligning him, which I try not to do but saddened by how much his arguments hold sway over some Christians.
love Rachel at Re vis.e Re form

Dorcas (aka SingingOwl) said...

I don't want to maligh him. I know he is my brother in Christ. I want to speak truth, however. I surfed your wonderful blog, and I know you do too. I'm linking to you straightaway! Blessings!

Iris Godfrey said...

Thank you for this post. I am encouraged by it and at the same time saddened. I am encouraged because a gifted and qualified servant is being allowed to use their gifts to magnify our Lord. I am saddened that so many who believe themselves to be "Biblical Christians" believe that the Scriptures actually teach what they believe about the placement of women. It does leave me in a miracle state - "speechless."

Rev R Marszalek said...

Thank you so much Singing owl - I'm linking to you on my blogroll too.
May Christ strengthen and empower you in your work.
love Rachel at Re vis.e Re form

Rev R Marszalek said...

A big 'wow' back to you singing owl - you said you loved my poem at http://hrht-revisingreform.blogspot.com/2008/09/meditations.html

But yor poem about the stairs and the shadow man is fantastic - (http://pastoretteponderings.blogspot.com/search/label/Poetry)you captured something in words for me that I hadn't known how to articulate.
God bless
Rachel at Re vis.e Re form

Perhaps you could give everyone pathways for these web addresses.

Anonymous said...

Well Good Job on the church itself for listing their findings. Is it perfect... no, but hey I can live with that for now.

Dorcas (aka SingingOwl) said...

Yeah! They came a long way, didn't they? God bless them, and Pastor Roese.

DannyG said...

This guy would probably have a problem with me attending "Beth Moore" studies at my church. I am the lone "goat" amongst the sheep, but it is the only class in the last 4 years which fits my time schedule.

Mavis said...

You find the most amazing stuff! Scary too I know given the influence of these folks. It may have taken months and months of study but good on those elders to be open to new things. May Godde lead them far ...

Dr. Deanna DossShrodes said...

Thank you for this blog post. I had no idea about this concerning Wayne Grudem. Very informative.

Enjoy your blog a lot!

Iris said...

He's preaching that the Son is subordinate to the Father?!?!? um, I thought that heresy was put to rest in the fourth century.

Dorcas (aka SingingOwl) said...

Yeab. :-(