Last Sunday morning, a few of our elders at church asked my husband if they could visit our small group to share some of their ideas about the future. Our small group is comprised mostly of couples with younger/school age children. We were all shocked when they told us that on the following Sunday they would be announcing that they were removing any gender restrictions in our church life together. It truly was a WOW moment!
In our church's history, restrictions have been placed on women's participation in the church. The issue of women's roles has been tiptoed around and brushed under the rug because it is such a controversial topic. My husband and I have known elderships who studied the issue but then when the going got tough abandoned the study. What we have seen from our current church elders recently has been very different from our past experiences. This group of men along with their wives and the church staff have studied and prayed about this subject for 2-3 years now. Their goal was not only to discern the truth, but also to apply it.
This morning, they presented the news to the congregation and held a "question and answer" meeting this afternoon. It was a rough meeting and there will probably be much additional discussion over the next couple of months. Despite the high emotions displayed today our elders truly encouraged me. They did what no other eldership I've seen was willing to do - lead their flock down the path that will bring them closer to Jesus despite the divergence from tradition and possibility of backlash. It was a WOW moment to witness the courage that stemmed from a deep desire to do God's will. It strengthens my desire to glorify God, imitate Christ, and make Him known. I pray for blessings on our elders and on our church.
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