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Yeah, I think there seems to be a variant sense across the board. I have some of my dearest friends… would not have women pastors. They would have women teaching, and communicating, and leading. But, wouldn't license women in ministry.
At City Church, we have licensed ministers that are women. There's a merit of scriptures and things and cultural context and stuff that we've unpacked. But obviously looking to the life and ministry of Jesus is kind of the ultimate standard, in terms of His recognition of women. Their support of Him, and then of course in the New Testament narrative, I find biblical precedent.
Some of it is tough to say. I think we have to be really, really careful when the Scripture is... I would say, "When the Scripture can be taken to either direction, I think the point is that we trust the Holy Spirit and that we are diligent in our research."
I have a board of elders, I have pastors that I counsel with, scholars from different walks of life. For me flippantly, to lead a community of thousands of people into something that I prefer I think is very dangerous.
Who am I at 34 years old to say, "This is what, absolutely it means." I'm very careful to get a multitude of counsel to go about it carefully, delicately.
But, ultimately whether it's women in ministry, other kind of peripheral issues within the church. I think the ultimate has to be let's keep the main thing, the main thing.
I love dialogues, but I'm not interested even with some of my dear friends, like I don't really want to debate this, I totally respect as you see it. It seems to me that you respect how we see it. The point is, let's make Jesus a big deal, and let's see people transform by the Gospel.
We do our best as City Church and many of my friends, who feel the same. Like, "Hey, let's connect on Jesus, keep the main thing, the main thing. And then let our communities in some cases have unique expressions."
Originally published Tuesday, 23 June 2020.
