I've just received word that the Church of God General Council (ordained bishops) once again has voted not to allow women to serve on the Church and Pastor's Council at the local level. I'm not Calvinist, but maybe it was the Providence of God that kept me from being at the Assembly this year. I don't think I could have handled another defeat like this very gracefully.
I have several comments to make:
1. If men in this church would get as worked up about the injustice of this issue as they do about the financial situation of the church maybe we would see some change.
2. I don't know how much longer we can expect to keep qualified women as members, much less ministers in this Church.
3. This is not a liberal-conservative issue, as it is often framed. There are MANY theologically conservative denominations which allow for this kind of local church leadership (Pentecostal Holiness Church, Nazarene, Foursquare Gospel, etc.)
4. This kind of injustice and prejudice and oppression is sin.
