-
Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
Should women vote in business meetings
- Thread starter Salty
- Start date
- Status
Paul was ain on that as well. The woman is to discuss issues with her husband. He is to bring it to the church, if need be.
They must not have had any widows or single ladies in Paul's churches.
Why? Its not what Paul said.
I just choose to interpret the Bible literally so long as context does not dictate another interpretation.
From the Pastoral Epistles, we know they had widows. Though, an inference could be made they were in the household of one of their offspring. But, different cultures have different domestic practices. IOW, the situation in Pauline churches is not the same as mine in 2017. Then, as a Baptist, I hold to the Independence and Autonomy of the Local Church.
Are you sure that ALL IFB's allow women to vote?
Most do, some don't. Keep in mind the Baptist distinctive:
The Independence and Autonomy of the Local Church.
The local church is autonimous from convention. Paul's epistles were not dictated by culture.
I visited a church once - where the business meetings were closed to adult males only. Visitors and female members were NOT allowed to sit in on the business meeting.
I'm not going to argue the point. That's the meaning of Autonomy. The practice of one local church is not binding on another.
I've been a Historic Northern Regular Baptist all my Christian life. So, speaking of conventions is moot.
I've been a Historic Northern Regular Baptist all my Christian life. So, speaking of conventions is moot.
The first church I pastored did not allow the women to vote when I first came there. We made a study of the subject, and came to the conclusion they should. I wrote the following, at some point afterward. I still agree with what I wrote then.
SHOULD WOMEN VOTE?
Yes. From the Bible examples of congregational decisions, it appears that the women took part. Acts 1:12-26 records the selection of one to fill Judas’ office. The assembly was made up of about 120 people (v.15), which included women (v.14). They, the 120, appointed two men, and they, the 120, gave forth their lots and chose Matthias. Therefore, this selection process included the women.
Acts 6:1-7 tells of the election of the first seven deacons. The seven were chosen by “they” -- which refers to the multitude of the disciples (vs.1,2,5), and this included widows (who are always women).
In the council meeting of Acts chapter 15, the final decision was made by the whole church (v.22), which included women as well as men. We concur from these three examples that the women should participate in the process.
Notice that in all three instances that, although the women did vote, the men were the ones who discussed the business, made the suggestions, and provided the leadership.
Spurgeon telling about how his church's women once overruled the deacons and called a pastor of their choosing:
books.google.com/books?pg=PA308
"...he was earnestly opposed. The deacons, with the exception of Mr. Thomas Crosby, schoolmaster, and son-in-law of Keach, were resolved that this young man, who was no other than John Gill, from Kettering, should not become the Pastor. He found, however, warm and numerous supporters, and when the question came to a vote, his admirers claimed the majority...the other party...raised the question of the women's voting, declaring, what was no doubt true, that apart from the female vote John Gill was in the minority. The end of the difference was that about half the church withdrew from the chapel..."
I was still formulating my opinion, as this position is extreme for me personally. Its just that reading God's Word more and more closely has brought me to the point I am at.
Yes, for now my position is that women should be represented by their father's or husbands in formal voting. Through them they should have a formal voice. I do believe that widows or divorced women should have a vote though.
However, I am open to extreme flexibility on this position depending on what the Word tells us. And I do believe women are allowed to teach men, as happens several times in the New Testament.
The main concern I have is that voting as we do now in Baptist churches Is not what happened in the New Testament. The early church seems to have discussions that left all attending in support of a position, including the women present. I believe that instead of Robert's rules of order, churches should have more open discussions and go with a nearly unanimous decision achieved at through consensus building. I view that as a far superior mechanism for deciding things as a congregation. Here women can have a voice, even if they cannot hold formal office.
I am very sorry ma'am if this sounds like that. Its just I am trying to understand what the Word is telling us to do. I started out a liberal when I first came to Jesus, and I have come a very long way since then.
From what I have been taught, New Testament deacons are those who perform some type of service for others in the church. This can be seen in that Stephen and six others were given food in the early church to distribute to Grecian widows (Acts 6:1-7).
God works through less than ideal situations. The Jews have Israel because of Hitler.
As a matter of historical practice, it shows the female vote is older than the 19th-century women's suffrage movement.
Ok, we began compromising prior to 1920.
- Status