Are Women Allowed To Be Ministers?

by lucifer 13 Replies latest jw friends

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  lucifer

  I was out last night with my friend that I went to church with a couple weeks ago (he's Presbyterian) and I asked him if he had been to church lately and he told me that him and his family went to the main church in town instead of his little one in the country. Then he told me that his aunt and cousins got up and left the service because it was a woman minister?? So I asked if they were allowed to have women ministers and he said no that it is against the bible ..."the bible clearly says that women are not to have authority in chuch/congregations..."

  well I do not remember learning this ( although that doesn't mean much lol) so I said "prove it..where does it say that in the bible?" but he didn't know so that's why I am asking you fellows, he uses the King James version (he told me the reason I never read it was because I had a different bible) so if anyone knows where it says this or if he's just full of bullsh** I would love to know

  Thanks Luci
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  Super_Becka

  I don't know much about the Bible, but there seems to be lots in there about women "staying in their place" and being quiet and letting men run things, I just don't know the quotes. The Catholic Church, for one, doesn't allow female priests, either, and I'm sure there's lots of other churches that won't ordain women.

  I'm Anglican, and we have lots of female ministers. The minister in my home parish is a lovely Scottish lady from Edinburgh who prefers to go by her first name - we call her "Reverend Linda". The Anglican Church has been ordaining women for something like 40 years, no problem (and now, the Anglican Church is even ordaining openly-gay ministers and allows same-sex marriage, we're a pretty progressive bunch, I guess).

  I'm sure there's lots of people here who can reference Scriptural passages about women and subservience and how they're not allowed to hold any position in a congregation, etc., I've seen those references on this board before.

  -Becka :)
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  blondie

  It depends as to how you define minister.

  JW women can preach from door to door, study the WT publications (Bible?) with people (including men), answer from the audience during question/answer sessions at WTS meetings.

  If you mean preach from the podium to an audience, no. If you mean conduct a study session with baptized JWs present, no (only with a headcovering and if no qualified, baptized JW is present). If you mean perform a wedding ceremony or a funeral discourse, no.

  Are you interested in a Bible interpretationn or the WTS organizational policy?
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  prophecor

  
  

  ‘“And in the last days,” God says, “I shall pour out some of my spirit upon every sort of flesh, and YOUR sons and YOUR daughters will prophesy and YOUR young men will see visions and YOUR old men will dream dreams; 18 and even upon my men slaves and upon my women slaves I will pour out some of my spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
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  lucifer

  thanks Blondie, I'm interested in the bible answer, as for minister I guess what I mean is the same as priest or elder or pastor, allowed to preach from the podium, I don't understand that if their religion teaches that women should not be ministers why they would have one?
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  lucifer

  thanks prophecor...what scripture is that?
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  Legolas

  Here is an interesting thread Skyman had started.....

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/108007/1.ashx
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  lucifer

  interesting link, I can't wait to tell my friend now
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  stillajwexelder

  no , not in most peoples sense of the word like a priest or viacr or padre but in JW land they are allowed to spend all their lives in the ministry - as MINISTERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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  prophecor

  thanks prophecor...what scripture is that?

  Acts 2:17,18