Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By R.A. Mathews

They came from far and wide — a sea of men. None was rich but each had dressed immaculately in a dark suit with polished shoes.

The president of their organization, a man devoted to God and deeply respected, had implored them not to miss this meeting. Every vote was needed.

The group represented perhaps 25 to 30 American Baptist churches, all southern, sitting beneath the Mason-Dixon line. It was called an association of churches.

That Sunday afternoon, their pastors, deacons, and laymen solemnly entered a big, beautiful church. They had been called forth to face a crisis there; one that must be dealt with swiftly and firmly.

What crisis? Me.

I had just graduated from seminary. The next step was to seek ordination from the association of churches to which my church belonged. Except Baptists in the South opposed ordaining women. It had happened here and there in individual churches, but approval by an association would have been rare, if at all.

1. Presbyterians and United Methodists may need a refresher on this topic. Paul wrote:
2. “But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet” (1 Timothy 2:12).
3. “… women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak… If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church (1 Corinthians 14:34-35).

Doesn’t sound good for women, does it?

That afternoon, the chairman of the Board of Trustees at my church stopped me before I entered our sanctuary to address the association.

“We’ll ordain you anyway,” he said. “If it wasn’t for the women of this church, we wouldn’t have a church.”

Wait. Ordaining like that is a bit tricky among Baptists. A church risks being thrown out of the association.

One woman arrived that afternoon. A Baptist minister ordained in the Pacific Northwest.

“I had to be here,” she said. “I knew what they would do to you.”

I stepped into the sanctuary and spoke for perhaps 20 minutes, directing them to two more passages from Paul: “Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters… ” (Ephesians 6:5, Colossians 3:2).

The Bible had been used to uphold slavery for 18 centuries. What could have been more abhorrent to Christ?

The men deliberated in secret. The president of the association finally stood.

“I asked you to come and vote against her.”

What he said next was unexpected.

“I remain opposed to women in the ministry,” he continued. “But I am for this woman.”

It must have taken great courage to stand down after working to secure all these votes against me. But this man of God had lifted his head as I spoke. He had heard from the Holy Spirit.

Each pastor, deacon, and layman then cast his ballot in secret. When the votes were counted, I was approved for ordination by one vote!

Why have such a process unless you’re going to respect it? My ordination came fair and square.

Decades have passed since that day. Women remain unwanted as ministers, openly discriminated against, told they’re inferior to men.

If you follow my column each week, you’ll know that the Lord is my greatest love. I believe in the Bible. I believe every single word is there for a reason.

It’s just that few read it.

They prefer what I call the McDonald’s Drive-Thru School of Theology. “Give me a verse and I’m good to go.”

Paul recanted what he wrote about slaves and women: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

Galatians is perhaps Paul’s most well-developed theological writing. He’s old: “See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!” (Galatians 6:11)

Paul knows the apostles haven’t understood Jesus perfectly—they’ve fought. In fact, Paul writes about getting into Peter’s face at Galatians 2:11-13. I’m not kidding!

Paul had reasons to recant.  Deborah (Judges 4) and Huldah (2 Chronicles 34:14-33) were two women who had authority over the entire nation of Israel. The examples go on and on.

Most importantly, Jesus never treated a woman as inferior. Listen to me, what person did God choose to look first into the eyes of our risen Lord? Who was chosen to hear Him speak first? Mary Magdalene.

Don’t you wish it had been you?

To those who think women are inferior in the eyes of God: Don’t you wish it had been you that Sunday morning?

The Rev. Mathews (J.D., M.Div., B.A.) is the author of the Reaching to God series which you can see at RAMathews.com. Contact her at Hello@RAMathews.com. All Scripture was taken from the NASB.

Copyright © 2022, 2025 R.A. Mathews. All rights reserved.