General Council Item 13: Women on the Church Council

My last post focused on all of the great things that happened at the General Assembly. As I have had several emails from friends and the post from Dr. Cheryl Johns I want to revisit an issue. Women in the local church, what is their role?

In our denomination we have ladies who serve as pastors of local churches but cannot serve on a church and pastors council. A woman can be the spiritual leader but cannot have a voice in a business meeting that is called the pastor's council? This seems to be an oxymoron of some sort. I just ask someone to explain this...

Also there are ladies who serve on State Youth and Christian Education boards and we have ladies serve on many boards that are under appointment of the International Executive Committee in the Church of God but cannot serve on a local church board? This just seems like an injustice.

We expect the ladies to give financially and support the local church and the International church but have no voice in how that church is administrated? Ladies are training our ministers at Lee University and at the Church of God Theological Seminary but cannot walk hand and hand with the same ministers that they train? Nora Chambers, the first teacher of the Church of God BTS (Bible Training School), could train men and women, teach men and women scripture but could not serve on the pastors council?

We have looked to ladies to raise money to keep the doors opened on our churches for years but they cannot serve on the council? The Willing Women Worker Band, Ladies Aux, and now Women's ministry have sold quilts, hot dogs, chicken plates, peanut brittle, etc but are not worthy to serve on a pastor's council?

Is all of this because we were trained but were trained with a bias? Have we failed to look at the Historical Context of the scriptures that we use to keep our spiritual mothers and daughters behind a veil? Have we said to our ladies you can walk in your prophetic anointing and prophecy as scripture says, "your sons and daughters shall prophecy..." but wear this veil and lets hide behind our traditions and misinterpretations. Dr. Kym Alexander writes a couple of thought provoking pieces on her blog about women and the Church of God. Check it out here, http://www.keahisttheology.blogspot.com/

I am praying and seeking God that He would show me His heart in this. I am reminded of Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. " Any thoughts?