Does CBMW Support Women in Ministry?

In a recent interview with Christianity Today, Dennis Hollinger, new President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, answered questions about important issues facing seminaries including his views on the gender debate. The questions and answers are as follows:

Q: Another controversial issue is gender roles. How do you anticipate managing the ever-present complementarian/egalitarian debate at Gordon-Conwell?

A: I haven't been there yet to get all the nuances. I can simply tell you that one of the criteria that they had for president was a person who would be supportive of men and women in their preparation for ministry. That doesn't mean that everyone at Gordon-Conwell is, but it was significant enough institutionally that that was one of the criteria established in terms of presidential characteristics.

Q: Is that a longstanding rule for Gordon-Conwell?

A: I don't know. I do know that A.J. Gordon himself had a fairly strong support of women in ministry going back more than 100 years.

I agree with his belief that women and men should be supported in their preparation for ministry. However, I suspect that I would disagree, too. Often complementarians are defined as hindering women in ministry—even so far as expressly forbidding it. This is only true if the definition of ministry is limited to the pastorate and eldership, which are biblically reserved for men. We could agree with that because we want to affirm what the Bible says. But also because we believe the Bible, we at CBMW encourage a much broader avenue for women in ministry.

Within the perfect design of our Creator there is a world of possibility for ministry and service to God's Kingdom. When we narrowly define ministry then we miss out on the beauty of all that God has created us, as women, to do. Just because God puts parameters on our pursuits does not mean that the entire endeavor is impossible. We want women to be educated because we want them to see God. Our ministries are not about our rights. Ministry is about leading people to encounter the living God and get a vision of him that is beyond themselves. When ministry is defined only by the pastorate it unnecessarily narrows the range of ministry. Elevating the teaching of men to a higher level than the teaching of women and children gives the impression that somehow teaching men is more important than teaching women and children, which is unbiblical.

I have the privilege of serving on staff here full time where I am consistently encouraged in preparation for ministry. My local church and fellow co-workers consistently encourage and support my academic and job pursuits. Though I am not aspiring to the pastorate, I do desire to help women love studying God's Word. And I have never once experienced any discouragement in that pursuit from my fellow complementarians.

But my experience is not sufficient in defining the terms. God does not condemn women in ministry. He encourages it. Titus 2:3-5 says, "Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled."

We want to be as clear as possible in our definition of terms. Complementarianism opens the door for many ministry opportunities for women. Our prayer for Dr. Hollinger is that he would encourage the men and women at his seminary to know their Bibles, and we pray that for all evangelical seminaries. And at Gorden-Conwell we hope that many women will be trained for biblically faithful ministries to the glory of God.