Presbyterians move for male elders opens questions about women’s ministry

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A proposal to limit the office of elder in the Presbyterian Church in NSW to men only will be presented to their Assembly (church parliament next year). There are a shrinking number of female elders in the state, with about four church appointing them. Given that the church is theologically conservative the change is likely to pass. But there is an intriguing discussion to be had. Not so much about whether elders should be male or female, that’s a well-worn theological debate this article won’t canvas. But about how women can take part in decision-making and ministry in the Presbyterian church. For this reason, the Presbyterians have not been rushing the change.

“Our concern is that if we say “no” to women in eldership without at the same time saying “yes” to all of the ways in which women and men complement each other in the life and mission of the church, we will only have done half the job,” Murray Smith, a member of the Elders and Deacons Committee which is promoting the change said in an interview with the PCNSW Women’s ministry committee. Presbyterians are urged to make submissions on the issues raised, by the end of this month.

As the Presbyterian church is named for elders (from the Greek presbyteros) they are uniquely important in this denomination comprising both ministers leading churches, and people who also take part in governing the local church and sit on key committees.

The NSW Presbyterians have a shrinking number of female elders, who would remain, but not be replaced under the proposed changes.

A paper called Healthy Complementarianism has been published to lead the discussion. The bulk of the paper covers the theology of complementarianism with a discussion of possible actions churches and committees could take to support women’s ministry.

For example, the paper says “Ministers, elders, and sessions” (committees of elders) should “. Affirm and teach, by word and example, that God created all people in his image with equal dignity, worth, and value:.’ And to build “a healthy complementarianism” by “ministers and elders seek[ing] to build personal relationships with congregation members—both women and men.’

A list of things that might happen in local churches includes “Invit[ing] others, both women and men, to participate in speaking roles in gathered worship: Since the minister is responsible for public worship (Code 4.30–31), it particularly falls to him to consider how other people might fruitfully contribute to gathered worship. 

Suggestions for the wider church community in the paper include “Renew the formal pathway for women to be engaged in paid ministry positions” while observing not many walk this path. Another key observation in the paper notes  “If GANSW/ACT adopts male only eldership, these courts [church parliaments] will soon be exclusively male. The Assembly, therefore, might consider how to engage women in the discussions and decisions of Assembly and of presbyeries [pregions] and sessions [church committees of elders], and to better communuicate about these to women as well as men across PCNSW/ACT congregations.“

The call for submissions focuses on advising the NSW Presbyterian Assembly (church parliament) on which of the ideas in the paper they would like to enact. However, the paper is clear on how to change the church code (rules) to bring about male elders there are no worked-out solutions for the ideas to support women. 

One highlight of the Healthy Complementarianism paper is a strong rejection of culturally imposed stereotypes. “The Bible’s teaching on men and women provides no justification for the rigid application of prescriptive gender stereotypes. While the Bible certainly affirms and celebrates the complementary difference between men and women, it also allows for a range of faithful expressions of masculinity and femininity across different cultures and individuals. This is particularly important to remember in relation to the wives of ministers and elders. The Bible gives no job description for an “elder’s wife.” The wives of ministers and elders certainly play a significant role in church life. There is, however, no biblical prescription for how such women are to serve.”

Asked by The Other Cheek why practical worked examples of what other similar churches have done a member of the Elders and Deacons Committee said that the committee was small, only voluntary and had limited time.

There is definitely an effort on in local complementarian circles to be the best complementarians they can be. For instance, Moore College’s Priscilla and Aquila Centre’s (P&A) 2023 conference will be called “Lazy complementarianism.” It has the tagline: “A fresh look at leadership, relationships and church family life.”

It fits with the theme of a recently published book Embracing Complementarianism by Jane Tooher, director of Moore College’s Priscilla and Aquila Centre and Graham Beynon from Oak Hill, a London college with a similar theological stance. Michael Bird from Ridley Melbourne has observed “I see this book as a deliberate attempt by Aussie complementarians to disassociate themselves from the Grudem/Piper brand of complementarianism”

The book moves away from the ‘nostalgia’ for 1950s families that pervades the older brands of complementarianism. This meshes with Healthy Complementarianism’s rejection of rigid stereotypes.

The tagline for the P&A conference certainly implies there is a fresh look to be had at complementarianism.

As it turns out Embracing Complementarianism is a book with heaps of practical suggestions. It would be worth the Presbyterians treating it as a submission to their inquiry. We’ll examine some of them

An event that also shows a way forward is scheduled in February “P&A 2023 research conference: Household in the Bible and church history”, which besides having an interesting topic has the tagline “Growing an academic learning community of women” with most of the presenters having doctorates. Having academic jobs for women is a path forward – and three of the panellists have academic roles and the fourth is a well-known author. Fostering a community of women with research degrees is backed both by P&A, and another organisation Anglican Deaconess Ministries (ADM) which runs Mary Andrews College.

P&A also offers scholarships for women writers, and ADM offers fellowships.

In Embracing Complementarianism joint author Graham Beynon has some suggestions on ensuring women’s input into male committees. “At my church, we have a male eldership, and we’re convinced that’s right. But I’ve known the experience of the elders discussing something, deciding on a plan of action, and then going home and chatting with their wives. The next day an email is sent saying, “I was talking to my wife and wonder if we need to reconsider…” Lots of people I know in ministry have had that experience. 

“There are several possible explanations. It could be that the elders are being a bit passive and abdicating responsibility, bowing to whatever their wife thinks is best rather than stepping up and leading. It could be that discussion with anyone outside the group of elders would have brought a different perspective. But it could also be that some of the wives have a different perspective because they are women, and that should be welcomed and encouraged. In which case, I’d much prefer to seek input from women before we make decisions so that we are fully informed when we have that discussion. I also don’t want the contributions of women to be restricted to those who happen to be married to the elders (helpful as they are). 

“So, at our church we are exploring ways of have some sounding-board-type groups with a mix of people in them. For example, we currently run our elders’ agenda past our staff team—which includes women—so that they can ask questions or make comments ahead of our discussion. That has made the elders more aware of issues or questions that we would not have otherwise considered, resulting in a much more rounded discussion as elders.”

Beynon also seeks female input into preaching.

“One thing I have done with regard to preaching is to have a sermon “preview” group. I send out a draft of my sermon script to a variety of people, who read through it and feed back thoughts and comments. At various times there have been women in that group who have provided a perspective I had missed, either on the passage itself or on the way I was expressing things. I remain responsible for what I decide to say, but their perspectives have enriched and balanced the final sermons in really helpful ways.”

Jane Tooher adds another idea, which while accepting only men preaching gives women a voice in church.

“At churches I have been part of in the past, we’ve had occasional slots as part of the service, in which someone shares for 5-7 minutes on an aspect connected to the sermon. These slots don’t take the place of the preacher doing application, but are a further way in which the church family can see how God’s word applies to us. These have included testimonies (about initial conversion and also about living as a Christian), book reviews, presentations on church history, doctrine and ministry skills, and interviews.” 

The Authors of Embracing Complementarianism are keen to have women employed by churches with equal pay. They recognise that smaller churches may need to begin with part-time women or even volunteers. 

“A woman’s life situation and circumstances typically change more than a man’s, with marriage and motherhood most often bringing about those changes. Rather than this working against having women on church staff teams, these changes can open up different possibilities and can help churches think outside the box and employ more women on their staff teams.”

A Healthy Complementarianism explicitly recognises the need to make sure a male eldership does not inhibit action against abuse.

“If the Assembly adopts male-only eldership, it seems wise also to develop a clear plan for each session to identify and appoint a mature Christian woman, or a team of mature women, to provide a safe point of contact for vulnerable women and children, and to serve as the Breaking the Silence representative in each congregation. “

But this is a “should” or a “could.” Making it mandatory for a local church to have such a position would seem a simple step for the Presbyterian Assembly to take.