Deborah became a judge.... one example in the OT of a woman given the authority normally held by men. But there are plenty of examples where God elevated women into powerful influence.... but their role retained the consistency of submission to authority. However there are no examples in either the OT or the NT of women holding the position of pastor/priest. I agree with Ann, and believe the scriptures others use to justify a woman as pastor are taken out of context.... which should prove they are being wrongly applied... the more so when you can find no other collaborating evidence in the scriptures to back up their unscriptural interpretation.
That being said: A woman can speak to the church when under the authority of her husband and the pastor(man) of the church.... or so I believe. If there is any other reason for a woman to fill the pulpit, as in the position and authority of pastor....... then it is because the men have failed to hold their authority and responsibility in answering the call to Christian service. If there were such a situation where this seemed the only answer.... it should be considered as an extreme emergency of last resort and an occasion for mourning (if for no other reason that no man is found who will shepherd the flock), and then only a temporary covering while a qualified man is searched out to fill the position.
i would stick with my position that a pastor should be a man because the Bible is clear, and hold to my position if in a Bible study or course in school. But among friends, once I made my position clear, I'd refuse to continue the debate after making it clear that I heard their points but wasn't able to accept their conclusion and would not let this issue become a condition of our friendship and hope they valued our friendship to agree to drop it. Indeed, there are other positions more important to the faith and agreement in felloswship with other believers.
Once people position themselves its unlikely that they will be persuaded differently. If you can find out why they believe what they believe..... the authority behind their position... you may be able to work with them either by using that same authority which in this case is the Bible... or finding out what authority, if any, which is acceptable to both. In some cases, you may have to impune one authority... such as the ideas presented by an author, or politician, or scientist, or scripture taken out of context, by establishing a better authority.... scripture in context, the lies or contradictions in a legislators vote, the discrepancies of interpretation and the influences of philosophical pov or economic interest in scientist with contrasting information expressed by peers. If either one is inflexible in looking at all the evidence..... then it matters not whether his position is right or wrong.... he is myopic and will not be persuaded nor teachable. While it is most efficient to come to whatever is true, first, the reality is that it can be just as important when engaging with others, to know other sides so that one knows why (that is the flaws or errors) which one discards as false.
