Women's Ministry in the Local Church: A Complementarian Approach

I wish this book could have stuck a little more closely to what the New Testament teaches about the church and was not weighed down by its covenant theology. I am stopped early in the book by the author equating the church with Israel, using Old Testament examples and applying them to the church. (See page 49 for an early example.)I wish somehow that I could have struck the word "covenant" from the authors' vocabulary, because it recurs gratuitously again and again. For example, on pages 62-64, I counted the word covenant used as a noun or adjective 21 times! And that is just the beginning. In planning a Bible study, the authors tell us to ask women to identify characteristics of the covenant in a passage, and when planning events, to consider what characteristics of the covenant are driving the planning (p. 65).Alleged scriptural exegesis/ illustrations are sometimes quite fanciful. We are told that two different Hebrew words translated "pillar" illustrate two kinds of women in the church (p. 137). The authors then choose Lot's wife as an example of "women who are easily led astray by their self-indulgent passions. The root is authority." Really? Authority, or unbelief? As they continue the extended illustration of the pillars, the authors extend the analogy to the temple pillars and inform us that "David [in Psalm 144] was thinking of women who have been shaped and smoothed to serve God's purpose in the home and church." This interpretation could only have come from the authors' imagination.A final illustration of covenantal interpretation: Genesis 15:18 is quoted on page 154, "On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, 'To your offspring I give this land." The authors do not take this literally (so there is no promise of land for Israel), but tell us instead that "The promise was fulfilled in Jesus who dwelt among us and is the way home." If you lean toward dispensationalism, your stomach will be churning at this point.I don't mean to say that there is nothing of value in this book. The authors have helpful suggestions for starting a women's ministry and they obviously accept the biblical teaching of the role of women in the church. While I feel I can only give this book a 2-star ratiing, there is another book by Susan Hunt ("Spiritual Mothering") which would receive much higher marks.

I was truly saddened to read the distortions these folks used to justify placing women in the role of "helper." These women are required to always report to a man who was appointed by some other man. It reminds of the group of men who were testifying before Congress on abortion. There was not one female in that group. By the way, I am not "for" abortion.This book is wonderful if you agree with these ideas. There should be some kind of alert so people will know these folks think women are to subject to men who often are not even interested in issues concerning women. I noticed from their bios, that they seem to wonderful people, who have devoted their energy and skills to the Lord. The book has a fair amount of Scripture which gives a foundation. Give it a read, maybe you will find it helpful.

Highly recommend! If you want to know why churches are struggling with women's roles, this is perhaps the very best place to start. In most churches, one of two errors occur: either women's ministry is completely ignored, in which case the younger women usurp power over older women and make demands to fulfill male roles in the church -- or the church uses women interchangeably with men and without any distinctive discipleship geared specifically to women.This book presents the clear, biblical and most valuable foundations of a Titus 2, covenantal, Biblical approach to minstry for and by women.

I first heard this phrase at a PCA conference on women's ministry, and was instructed by Susan Hunt in one of her classes. This book has confirmed and expanded on what I learned there. My view of our participation in the role of the church, locally and generationally has been expanded. Learning of our design as our God has ordained has been life changing for me. I recommend this book to every woman who wishes to understand her purpose, value and need of who she is, where she is.

A very nice overview from a Reformed perspective. It's nice to find the shortcomings of the Reformed tradition tackled head on without throwing out it's theological underpinnings. This book answers the question of what women _can_ do to serve in the local church rather than just arguing against egalitarianism.

In a world where even conservative churches seem to be compromising with the world on gender issues, this book was a refreshing and much needed analysis of why churches need a women's ministry and what the goals of a Biblical women's ministry should be. It comes from a robustly complementarian approach that sees women as having a distinct and vital role in the church.

An excellent resource for beginning or sustaining a women's ministry in the local church. A clear explanation for why one is needed in the church and how to think scripturally as we work with women's ministries the church. I always appreciate a book written where the word of God is the final authority for why we do things, and where ministries begin and are under the local church. I highly recommend this book.

I bought this simply because I wanted to research women's ministry in the local church and I have really benefitted from it. When I read this book I get excited about it! As a pastor I want to strengthen and enable the women in our church to serve Christ and carry out the Great Commission. This book was helpful in laying out a basic rationale for that.

Gender confusion happens in churches. A church has its existing position. As long as no one challenges it, it is left untouched. A church may or may not know the justification of its position; it is no way for members to know because the subject is often left in a convenient state of ambiguity, a grey area that you believe what you want to believe. This is a way not to split the church. My church stands on the middle ground. I do not know how it has arrived at that position historically, and if it was swayed by cultural factors or biblical reasoning.Biblical womanhood is such a sensitive subject that I have come across a pastor who took the passage out of the sermon series as we went through book by book and said that he would deal with the passage off the pulpit behind closed doors to the church members. From my church experience in the UK, women’s ministry has not been a tradition. Even if there is a “women’s worker”, she never functions as described in the book. In all my three decades at church, we have women’s bible study groups but womanhood is never discussed or studied in depth. Because the church did not teach it, I was ill-equipped for Christian womanhood. When I wanted to know, I found there was no one to ask at church (there wasn’t even a “women’s worker” at the time). I started searching by myself. It was pretty inefficient because I fumbled along without guidance. Now I have passed my prime, and younger women at church are asking the same questions as I did, not so much on womanhood itself but on Christian parenting and being Christian wives. Something has never changed. I have been a co-leader of a women’s bible study group but for just under two years. Under my watch, I have been involved in decisions of three studies. What we have been studying is gender-neutral as it has always been when I was just a group member.My personal view on Christian womanhood is more conservative than my church. I pick up this book expecting it to be soul-searching for women’s role in the local church. But this book is not. It is a blueprint for organising women’s ministry in the local church, which is not what I was looking for. It is a book for discussion at church decision making and planning level, and not for personal use as such. Even so, I have finished reading it, so I would not say it is completely irrelevant. It does offer some food for thought and vision. It is interesting for me to compare what other churches are doing with women’s ministry with what is going on at my own church. Basically the biblical stance is that male and female are created equal but distinct. However what I don’t like about this book is that its vision on women’s ministry and programme builds on only the gender distinction, and neglects equality. While it criticizes the egalitarian bias, their presentation, I feel, tips the balance to the other end in order to counter the former. Is this a fair representation on the subject? For me, it doesn’t help me find my bearing in the Bible either. In addition, I have been running gender-neutral teaching programme but with a strong focus on Christ thus far in my leader’s role. This teaching is also invaluable to Christian life. Male and female have more common ground than differences, and the expression of our differences in the complementarian approach has to build on the common ground we all stand. This does not come through in this book. Therefore I disagree with the book when it seems to narrowly equate women’s discipleship with Christian womanhood, while I think discipleship is to teach Christ and our womanhood will fall into this wider context of our salvation and sanctification. As Christ glories in us, we in Him.This book comes from the Marketplace. Book Depository is the supplier. It is not speedy in delivery but it came and I was not in a hurry. They kept you posted.

Very helpful, theologically rich but also intensely practical.It will continue to serve as a reference book in the future.

I needed to know more about complimentarianism and the church. This account is very comprehensive.

Great book. Buying for a friend.

Excellent teaching!I love everything Susan Hunt writes and Ligon Duncan provides much wisdom.