Can Women Serve Communion?

[IveyLeaguer]

Christmas Eve I attended an 11 o'clock candlelight communion service at a United Methodist Church nearby. It was a nice, quiet, service with traditional music. After the sermon, several assistant pastors prepared the communion. Then, one asked the "servers" to come forward. Four or five women came forward and then proceeded to serve communion (with the two male pastors).

I'm clear about women serving as pastors but have never researched other roles for women. Is this scriptural?

Had I known this would occur I would have either: 1) not attended or 2)researched the question first.

 

[StraightAndNarrow]

test

 

[standingfirminChrist]

Women served in the Bible, so I do not think there is any thing wrong with them serving communion.

Serving communion is not taking an authoritative role as pastorship, so I would let them serve.

 

[Deacon]

Women as servants, how bizarre.

I’m the head usher at church and pick the ushers for offering and the servers for communion.

I see no biblical reason why women could not perform as an usher or a server of communion.
I prefer men primarily because:

1) Traditionally that has been how it has always been done.

2) There are many tasks that untrained young Christian women traditionally take and few that untrained Christian men traditionally take.
I use the position of usher to ease young men into the practice of serving (it’s relatively painless).

3) Serving communion is a great time to allow the deacons to gather and be in front of the congregation. Most of the time they perform their service “behind the scenes” and can easily be unnoticed by many in the membership.
In any case, the pastor presides over each of the servants during the Lord's supper.

I break free of these constraints on Fathers Day each year and pick women ushers just for a kick so our congregation doesn’t get too stiff and uppity.

Rob

 

[mioque]

Well I work for a rather conservative independant baptist church.
More conservative than my behaviour on this board probably let's on.
I choose the bread and wine, I buy the bread and wine, I do all of the preparing for the communion service, but actually handing it out is a big no no.
So for this sunday I have bought the Champagne and will buy the rolls, but handing out the glasses will be done by the pastors.

 

[IveyLeaguer]

mioque:
Well I work for a rather conservative independant baptist church.
More conservative than my behaviour on this board probably let's on.
I choose the bread and wine, I buy the bread and wine, I do all of the preparing for the communion service, but actually handing it out is a big no no.
So for this sunday I have bought the Champagne and will buy the rolls, but handing out the glasses will be done by the pastors.

Deacon - FWIW, the men were ushers and you received communion from the women who repeated an audible blessing I couldn't make out.

 

[Ben W]

In our church, women actually pass around the collection bag for the offering!

 

[Aaron]

Let's leave the administration of the worship service to men. There is absolutely no benefit in confusing these roles.

 

[ronthedisciple]

Yes, they can.