Ask the Pastor: Son Disagrees with Having Women Pastors
by the Rev. Walter Snyder
Religion Columnist

Q: My wife and I have had great difficulty dealing with her son (my stepson) on the issue of
women pastors. He doesn't believe they belong in the church. He attends a First Baptist church
and we attend a Methodist church, which has a woman pastor. He has recited a number of
Scriptures against women pastors. We would prefer him to attend our church along with his
other siblings. But when he does attend under protest, he does so by not praying nor singing,
rather he stares out toward the window. How do we handle this?

A: With the majority of Christendom, Lutherans never admitted women "pastors" until modernist
and postmodernist thinking began to invade some parts of the church in the past generation.
Orthodox Lutheranism still is firmly convinced for a number of reasons that women, although they
might otherwise be eminently qualified, lack one thing: They are not men.

You cited a number of Scriptures in your question, and they deal with several aspects of the issue.
Specifically, 1 Cor. 14:33--38 tells not only the Corinthian church, but also others, what should be done. Before insisting that women "keep silence," that is, not teach or preach, Paul says this is
true "in *all* the churches of the saints." That this is not his invention is clear from verse 36:
"What! Did the word of God originate with you, or are you the only ones it has reached?"

Many who urge the ordination of women do so based upon Galatians 3:28, which would pit Paul
against Paul. He writes, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is
neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." But this verse doesn't teach that all
differences are erased. Racial, sexual, and physical distinctions remain, yet all Christians have
equality in salvation: All are equally sinful and equally saved by the work of God through Jesus
Christ. In Christ, God does not overturn all the previous distinctions, including those of Creation.
Dr. Al Barry, president of The Lutheran Church---Missouri Synod, says, "We believe that God has
gifted men and women with different responsibilities and duties.... So also in the church, God has
gifted men and women with different, though complementary, opportunities and responsibilities for
service."

The example, as well as the direct words of Scripture, points to a male pastorate: Christ's first
pastors, the apostles, were all men. If he had decided that women also should fill that position,
why did he not say or do something at the time? Would that have been any more "radical" than
anything else he did? The early Church followed Christ's example and placed only men as pastors.

Relating also to the maleness of the pastor is the idea of pastor as "icon" (image) of Christ.
The male-female imagery of Christ and Church as Bridegroom and Bride is shown also the example of
pastor and congregation.

None of this deals with what has become a battle over superiority and equality. Anyone who thinks
that pastors are somehow "superior" to the laity doesn't realize that these "under-shepherds" are
servants or slaves. They are called to be the "foot-washers." They are the ones who are on duty, day
in and day out, to give, not to rule. While Scripture calls a faithful flock to support, honor, and
obey a faithful pastor (1 Tim. 5:17--18; 1 Thess. 5:12--13; Heb. 13:17), even this obedience is not
slavish. Hebrews says it is because "they keep watch over you as men who must give an account." They
surrender themselves to Christ and his Church in order to feed his sheep and shepherd them safely
home to heaven and the Church surrenders to them as they lead according to Christ's Word.

I don't even begin to go through the examples from the Old Testament. Nor do I quote the early
Christian Church, which generally associated a female pastorate with sects and heresies.

Still, there is also the matter of your stepson's keeping the Commandment, "Honor your father and
your mother." His attitude and behavior do not necessarily do the best job of this. While he may not
want to participate in a service he believes to be contrary to Scripture, the staring "out toward
the window" shows open disrespect to the parents God gave him.

In good conscience I could not urge him to change his mind about women "pastors." Yet I do urge
him that when he attends with you, he act as respectfully as possible. Perhaps you can work
together. Can he continue to worship at a church that doesn't make him so uncomfortable? And can he,
when at your church, not make you and his mother so uncomfortable with him?

To Ask the Pastor, please write Ask the Pastor, PO Box 12, Emma, MO, 65327 or send email to
askthepastor@aol.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of the
book "What Do Lutherans Believe."