Called by God; Opposed by Man: My Journey into Ministry

Over the past eight months, I have formally been discerning God’s will in my life—where in ministry He wants me. Prior to that, I dabbled with thoughts of ministry, but didn’t feel like I was worthy of being called to ministry. However, I think I should start at the beginning; because that is where my calling to ministry really starts—like all things in this world, it starts with my “Genesis” or Bereshit—my beginning. Psalm 139:14 states that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I can’t imagine a God would create something “fearfully and wonderfully” for it to be wasted.

I have always known that God has a special calling on my life. My parents referred to me as their miracle. When I was younger I didn’t fully understand why they called me a “miracle”. At age 20, I found out that my mom had a Cervical Conization to test for cervical cancer. She explained to me “Rachel, I had a pregnancy test prior to the surgery and it came back negative, so I had the surgery.” Upon returning to the doctor 3 weeks later, my mom would find out that she was indeed pregnant with me and had been the entire time of the surgery. Around 15 weeks, mom would go to Baptist Hospital to have a sonogram and amniocentesis to make sure I was okay—or “normal” as my mom likes to say. 

I was raised in the Southern Baptist tradition. I loved the church and have remained close to many of the families of my youth group. However, due to some hurtful events, my family and I chose to leave the church. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I chose to return to church, I attended Monticello Baptist Church, and enjoyed the church and the people, but felt I didn’t fit in because everyone was a part of a family that attended the church and I was just “Rachel…” In college, I was involved with a Messianic Jewish congregation in Asheville, NC. After college, I moved back home and stopped attending church. With a lot of depression and issues from my youth, I started attending counseling—which did little to help me—instead it continued to frustrate me and aggravate me to the point that I realized it wasn’t helping so I stopped attending counseling sessions. It was around this time, I took up Irish/Scottish fiddle, which did more for my mood than anything.

At 30, I decided to complete my Bachelor’s Degree, and earned a degree in Psychology from Liberty University. Knowing I would need to have a Master’s to become a counselor, I started praying and asking God where I was supposed to go from that point. I felt God impressing me to return to Liberty to attend their Theological Seminary—and to earn a Master of Divinity in Military Chaplaincy. While in seminary, I befriended the Chief Chaplain of the US Navy, RADM Margaret Kibben; RADM Kibben would encourage me to check into all the Chaplain services and find out which branch was best suited for me and the life I wanted to live. I chose the US Navy, and when I went to have my physical completed it was found out I have a hip that is out of place—and I can’t run. Broken, I emailed RADM Kibben, who encouraged me to continue seeking where God would have me serve. I finished my Master’s choosing to go for the lesser degree of a MAR: Biblical Studies. 

In 2015, I was asked to leave a church I loved due to some lies that someone was telling about me after I had followed all the directives and demands that the church put on me to keep me. Heart-broken, I left the church. I would sit in my house at times and just yell at God—I figured if He was the creator, then He was big enough for me to rage at Him and rage I did.

Later in 2015, I was asked by my friend MG to come visit her church. I told her in no uncertain terms would I ever step foot back in a church—and the following week I was there. In 2016, our new Pastor was appointed to us; and during some Sunday school hours I would just sit and chat with him, and we’d talk about the Bible and what certain things meant in the Hebrew and Greek. He would ask me one Sunday “Rachel, do you not think you are called to ministry?” I hadn’t seriously thought about ministry in years, however, I did tell him I did feel the call to ministry, but I didn’t know what that felt like. 

Eventually after a series of events, I would take the plunge and request a visit with him and then my district superintendent and finally I would attend a discernment weekend retreat where I would be psychologically tested and put in a candidacy mentoring group that would be intentional about our calling to ministry. On April 9, 2018, I would meet with my district committee on ordained ministry and would be deferred for a year to complete some further sessions and assessments that the church wanted me to complete. 

I share all of this to say that I never thought that I would be where I am today. I find it really hard to believe that people have a problem with women being ministers. Most of the hurtful things that I have endured have been from women who seek to suppress my ministry and the calling that God has on my life. 

So the question remains, if a woman is called to be a Pastor by God; should “Man” oppose it? 

• Genesis 1 teaches us that male and female participate equally in the image of God. "So God created man [humankind] in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them" (Gen 1:27). But Rachel, what about the whole HELP MATE thing? 

• Genesis 2 reinforces Genesis 1. In Gen 2 woman is the climax, the crowning work of creation. She is created from a rib from Adam's side, to show that she is "to stand by his side as an equal" (Gen 2:21- 22; PP 46). She is man's 'ēzer k'negdô ("helpmeet for him," Gen 2:18 KJV), which in the original does not denote a subordinate helper or assistant. Elsewhere in Scripture it is most often God Himself who is called 'ēzer ("helper") (Exod 18:4; Deut 33:7, 26; Ps 33:20; 70:5; 115:9, 10, 11). The phrase 'ēzer k'negdô in Gen 2 means no less than an equal counterpart, a "partner" (Gen 2:18, 22 NEB). 

• In the Old Testament we see numerous women in leadership roles over men, thus confirming Genesis 1. Witness Deborah (Judges 4 and 5), one of the judges over the people of Israel-- women and men. Witness the leadership role of Miriam (Exod 15:20-21), Huldah (2 Kgs 22:13-14; 2 Chr 34:22-28), Esther, and others (e.g., Exod 38:8; 1 Sam 2:22; 2 Kings 8:1-6; Ps 68:11; Jer 31:22).

• Paul's list of qualifications for elders framed in the masculine gender ("husband of one wife"--literally, "a one-wife husband"--[1 Tim 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9]) does not exclude women from serving as elders any more than the masculine gender throughout the Ten Commandments (Exod 20; see esp. vs. 17) exempts women from obedience. Rather, these passages are again upholding the Edenic ideal--the principle of monogamy (Gen 2:24). God does not speak directly to the question of the ordination of women in the NT, just as He does not deal directly with the abolition of slavery, with vegetarianism, abstinence from alcohol, and many other issues based on principles set forth "from the beginning." But He has given clear Biblical principles to guide our decision-making.

Many who read this blog, will be angry that I would suggest that Paul’s list is just framed masculine from the language that He used; that is fine. I am not the only one who thinks this way. Ben Witherington—a seminary professor also believes that women should and can be ordained. I know many are thinking—this is abject feminism; truthfully if that is your opinion you are certainly entitled to it. However, I encourage you to really study the writings and what I have shared here tonight. Grab a Hebrew/Greek Lexicon and take a moment and see what the Bible is really saying. It may not change your mind—that is fine; but it may give you a new appreciation for our Lord and savior.