Today as I was searching across the blogosphere, I came across some posts and comments about the situation.
Ben Whitherington blogs about it along with some comments. He though makes the mistake of referring to the Baptist Church in question as being Southern Baptist, it turns out that it is American Baptist. But he does say this: "In the letter of explanation thereafter the pastor cites 1 Tim. 2.8-15, which of course says nothing whatsoever about Sunday school since such a church activity did not exist in the first century A.D. The Bible says nothing about anyone teaching Sunday school. It does certainly refer to Priscilla and her husband teaching Aquila in Acts 18. It does certainly refer to women praying and prophecying, a form of preaching, in the Corinthian worship service in 1 Cor. 11."
It makes me wonder if this church is American Baptist how then is that women can't teach because American Baptist have generally been the most open of the Baptist.
At Think Christian.com it is the comments that are the most interesting about this situation. Although Think Christian does give a link to a resource page biblically supporting women in all levels of ministry. Monday Morning Insight has a post on it, but again there is a good healthy discussion going on there. Mostly it seems they don't like how it was handled. They offer for discussion this question though: Does this not seem just a little cold to send an elderly lady a letter telling her she’d been dismissed from her Sunday School class? Oh my.
Also you can read Pastor LaBouf' response to the hullabaloo at the church's website: In his letter he makes reference to Christian Courtesy, but sending a letter to someone telling them they are no longer to teach Sunday School doesn't sound like Christian Courtesy to me. Vintage Faith blogged about it from the emerging church point of view. I don't think that emerging faith has decided what it is going to do with women leadership yet. And by the comments, it looks to me they are more leaning to the right.
1 comment:
The ABC has its struggles over the same issues plaguing many other denominations. In my area, a church with an open and receptive climate for GLBT people has been threatened with expulsion by the local association. Another local church is ready to leave with them rather than vote against them.
That pastor's most recent posted sermon concludes that poverty is caused by laziness, by the way. Nice thinking. He uses Matthew 25:24-26 as a text, but he seems to forget what comes later in the chapter...
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