Denominational Views of Women
There are dozens of denominations within the Christian faith. Although they all accept the Bible as the word of God, the differences come into play in how the Word is interpreted. Traditions vary; roles of believers change focus; views of women and their roles in the church also differ. Today I am asking for your help. I am asking you to answer some questions about women in your denomination. From your answers, I will compile a list so that women who are searching for a church can see the differences that come into play and understand what is expected of them. From this, we can also begin to understand each other a little better. My personal walk with Jesus is not the same as your personal walk, and church views influence each woman’s experience.
Please take some time to respond to the following questions by either leaving your answers in the comments section or sending an e-mail to Aprilfreelance@aol.com. Thank you for your input!
- Are women in your denomination allowed to become ministers?
- Are women expected to be housewives, or are they allowed to work outside the home? If allowed to work outside the home, is it still discouraged or are you encouraged in your career?
- Are women allowed to teach classes if men are also in the class? Are women allowed to lead Bible studies?
- Are women allowed to lead groups or the congregation in prayer?
- What restrictions, if any, are placed on women’s appearance? Are they allowed to wear make-up? Cut their hair? Wear pants or shorts? What length skirts are they expected to wear?
- At what age are women allowed to date? Is it decided by the church or the parents?
- What is the reaction to unwed mothers, or to teen mothers? Are they offered full support by the congregation?
- What is the current view of women based on The Fall? Are women viewed as the source of evil? Are they believed to still lead men astray?
- What, if anything, are women taught about their sexual relationships with their husbands? Is it viewed only as a duty, a responsibility, or a joyful experience?
- Are the contributions of women to the denomination’s history taught frequently, or are the wo
- What other restrictions, encouragements, expectations, or interpretations play a significant role in the denominational view of women?
christian, religion, women, church, christian women, faith
August 16th, 2007 at 10:41 am
I’m Lutheran, and here’s the answers as best as I can answer them:
1. Are women in your denomination allowed to become ministers? Yes. In fact, my current pastor is a woman.
2. Are women expected to be housewives, or are they allowed to work outside the home? If allowed to work outside the home, is it still discouraged or are you encouraged in your career? I think this has to do a lot with where I grew up rather than as a church issues. The views are very traditional within my church community, but we all support one another with bettering our lives, so yes, women are encouraged to be the best they can be.
3. Are women allowed to teach classes if men are also in the class? Are women allowed to lead Bible studies? Yes. It’s encouraged in our church for everyone to get involved!
4. Are women allowed to lead groups or the congregation in prayer? Yes, although in the church where I belong, it is still often the men who do this.
5. What restrictions, if any, are placed on women’s appearance? Are they allowed to wear make-up? Cut their hair? Wear pants or shorts? What length skirts are they expected to wear? None, but at church women are expected to wear appropriate clothing so as to be covered. Many of the older men in our congregation actually prefer skirts or dresses for women, but it’s not a big issue to wear pants.
6. At what age are women allowed to date? Is it decided by the church or the parents? That’s a choice left to the parents.
7. What is the reaction to unwed mothers, or to teen mothers? Are they offered full support by the congregation? We’re a very welcoming community. If you’re in need, we will support you in your call for help.
8. What is the current view of women based on The Fall? Are women viewed as the source of evil? Are they believed to still lead men astray? I’m not sure about the “official” stance on this from the Lutheran church as a whole.
9. What, if anything, are women taught about their sexual relationships with their husbands? Is it viewed only as a duty, a responsibility, or a joyful experience? There are premarital classes that congregation members are encouraged to take, but not required. I’m not sure sex is really discussed much. It’s not that it should only be a “duty”…it’s just a private matter.
10. Are the contributions of women to the denomination’s history taught frequently? We often get sermons on Ruth, Mary, and other women in the Bible. This may have to do with the fact that our pastor is a woman. Once a year, we also celebrate Rachel’s Day, a day that raises awareness of women/children’s issues.
11. What other restrictions, encouragements, expectations, or interpretations play a significant role in the denominational view of women? I think that the views of the church are still somewhat traditional, but the Lutheran church is also recognizing that the world is changing. Although the women in our church still take roles on the committees that do the spring cleaning, run children’s programs, etc, they are taking more and more traditionally male leadership roles as well.