Women Missionaries
This may be one of the most controversial topics one can take on. It is not controversial because it is defendable Biblically, but because we have created new doctrine in order to provide for feminism in the local church. Before we delve into why it is wrong we must first establish what a missionary is. Once we do then the issue of women missionaries takes care of itself. I will leave the full issue of feminism in the church for another post. First we must realize that we do not have the word “missionary” in the Bible although we accept that Paul as well as others took what we now call missionary journeys. We can also accept the fact that Paul while being an apostle was a missionary.
We find in Acts 13:1 the beginning of Paul’s first missionary journey. In verse 5 of the same chapter we are told just what these missionaries did “And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister”. This leads to the first issue. If a missionary is a preacher is a woman to preach to men? We will solely rely on the Bible for the answer. 1Ti 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. Now does this mean she cannot witness? Of course she can, but keeping in mind her testimony and avoiding any improper appearance in regards to being alone with that man as we are to avoid any appearance of evil, but back to preaching .The Bible was quite clear so we see already that in the context of the first missionaries a woman could not be one in the truest sense of the word. Now without pulling up every passage we know that Paul also planted churches. Now to plant a church one must start it serving as a pastor and eventually Paul would pass the work on to another man. So let us look at the qualifications of the missionary/pastor.
I Tim. 3 says:
Vs. 1 “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work”. The first key is that he is a “he”.
Vs. 2 “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife,” Here is our next tip off or rather confirmation as “he” is a husband. “vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;” again this brings us back to I Tim. 2:12 in regards to a woman teacher.
Vss. 3-4 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; Here is another key “one that ruleth his own house”. As is the case the best commentary on the Bible is the Bible and we read regarding ruling the house that it requires that it be the man. Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. This should be clear enough.
Vss. 5-7 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. The previous verse should be self explanatory as it refers to “his” house.
This is proof positive that the missionary can only be a man as he is to preach as well as pastor. For the sake of brevity these examples should suffice in establishing that a missionary is basically a pastor who is planting a church. Whether this is in a home or foreign field is of no consequence as all the world is a mission field.
Having established the definition of the missionary as well as his responsibility why is it then that we try to justify having women missionaries? Obviously as we mentioned already one reason is feminism in the church. Feminism has stomped into the church and has demanded equality in the church when in fact it is not an issue of equality, but of God’s order and that cannot be altered, at least not if one wishes to remain Biblical. We can see good and well that there is no such thing as a woman missionary in the literal sense. But what of women missionaries in history? These women were obviously out of God’s will as they clearly violated Scripture. Just because it is being done or even if it has shown fruit does not make it right.
In our fundamental circles we are seeing women in missions evolve into “teams” where the husband and wife are co-missionaries. I have heard of women that go to the mission field and put their children in Christian School so they can tend to “their” ministry when in fact they are forsaking “their” ministry which is “their family”. Being a keeper at home doesn’t change because your husband was called to the ministry. There are endless numbers of missionaries fighting daily to raise support to fulfill a Biblical ministry when mission’s money is already consumed by women who are establishing un-Biblical works. We have young ladies going off to Bible Colleges to train for their mission ministries in order to be able to teach the women and children. Needless to say this is also something that I disagree with in the local church as well. So why then did Paul teach the men, women, and children? He did not have a lady teacher to teach the ladies. He did not have to give special classes for special classes of people. So why do we? Obviously because we have created a new doctrine in order to accommodate the desires of people rather than the will of God.
In our self induced condemnation of following the footsteps of the ecumenical movement we should only be a few years away from women pastors. Who knows perhaps we will digress to homosexual pastors as well at this rate and based on the pattern we are following. Am I being a chauvinist? No actually a Biblicist. If this article offends then I would suggest searching the Scriptures and justify what you do based solely on God’s Word as well as Biblically correct examples found in the same Bible.
So what is the bottom line? A woman cannot be a missionary in the truest sense of the word. We need to get back to basics and forsake ministries modeled after the ecumenical movement. We can choose to be progressive to the world and fulfill our lusts or choose to obey God and receive His blessing. What then do we do with all these women in the ministry? Send them back to the home where they were made to minister. Let them minister as only they can to the family. Their mission field is “their” family.
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Should older widows be missionaries? I get this question a lot, and I just want to know what you think.
Thank you.
Carmen,
Very good question. What I think does not matter, but what God says does. But one’s marital status does not undo God’s order. There already exists a ministry for the older women in the church.
Titus 2:3-5
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Quite honestly a widow indeed is to be ministered to by the church if they were in obedience to God’s Word.
A missionary is still a pastor only he is located in another area geographically. So the answer is no that a woman whether young or old can be a missionary. They have a God given ministry in helping the younger women. On a side note Titus 2:3-5 stresses for them to teach the younger to be “keepers at home” not keepers of the home.