Expert: Dr Wesley B Ley Rose - 1/25/2011

Question
I am Harchel Castor a Mass Communication student of Far Eastern University in the Philippines.

I have a Investigative Journalism subject and it is our final requirement to ask a professional about our topic status of women in the church.

To wit are the questions:
1.What are the basic roles of women in our Church?
2.Are they allowed to do some priestly duties in the church? If yes, what are those? If not, why?
3.When did women actively participate in the Church?
4.What does the bible say about women?
5.Is it written in the bible that women are prohibited to act like a priest?
6.There is a proposal of ordaining women as priests; do you think it is possible?
7.What is your stand on the issue?
8.Why is it that most of the higher officials in the Church are men? Are there any reasons about this?
9.What does Church say about women?
10.In the lack of priest, is it possible that women can take-charge with the task of the priest.

I hope you will answer my questions, Sir.

Thank you so much!

God bless you!"

Answer
Dearest in Christ,
I shall try to answer all of your questions in this writing.
First, in the Old Testament women are not given any place of honor within the Hebrew world. There were no provisions for women in the"assembly" but were responsible for teaching the children about God and their extensive history.  There were other duties and responsibilities, but not none that even came close to those of the men.

During the days just before John the Baptist and Jesus were born, the role of the woman began to change.  No longer were they silent in all matters of the faith and hierarchy in the Temple.  Indeed both women Elizabeth and Mary were venerated and accepted as part of the change that was coming through the messiah.  

In the earliest days of the church, including the days when men and women followed Jesus as their Master and messiah.  From this sprang churches founded by women and many accompanied the Apostles on missionary journeys. Paul write of them in many of his epistles.  So, indeed women truly became a part of the church as witnesses, leaders, and missionaries.  When the church began to expand, it was through these home churches that the foundations of the Church were established.  They became essential for missionaries and for the ever growing number of Christian converts.  

Some of this change was due to the Hellenization influence on the church, especially after the death of the Apostles.  Many churches were founded and grew in stature through and by the contributions of women as priests, and other esteemed positions. Greek women were largely independent and almost always treated as equals.  Spartan women, for example, fought with the men as part of the elite fighting force that conquered much of the world at that time.  These types of customs and beliefs were a learning experience for some of the Jewish-Christians in these Gentile churches, but were eventually accepted and even embraced.  

Women, then, had a great deal of influence and participation in the church starting in the first century, but mostly in the gentile churches that sprang up across the continent.  

Women have been ordained as minister for centuries and here in this country are many women in charge of their own church. There are also women Priests and Evangelists. In other words, women are equal to men in the church.

In some churches, especially those who subscribe to the theology of the Catholic Church, there is a type of caste system or hierarchy. But women are only allowed to teach and do other administrative chores.  Within those type churches, only a handful of women become priests. But these occur in the more "modern" or liberal churches.  Just as there are differing views in the protestant denomination, so too are there divisions withing the Catholic Churches and those denominations that closely resemble the catholic Faith.

Overall, though, women are truly equal with men in church affairs.  It is my opinion then, that women can indeed take over a church as the priest or head of the church.  I don' think God would permit it if it was wrong. This is demonstrated from examples in the earliest churches and within the growth of the church at an explosive rate in the first, second, and third centuries.  

There are some mentions of restrictions for women in the New testament, but only in the tradition of the Jews, especially the mentality that persisted in the new Christian "sect" by some of the disciples and church members.  This feeling and attitude was a hold over from the life they had under the law.  So, then, it was an old attitude and belief brought to the new church by it;s early converts (primarily Jews) and those chosen as leaders.  It was difficult to make the complete transition to Christian life and theology.  It just took some time for folks to adjust and accept the new doctrine.  But it did change and women became very active in all parts of the church at it's humblest beginnings.

If you have further questions please let me know and I will give them every effort.  I'm so very honored that you asked me these questions.  Thank you.

Through Christ and from my whole heart,
"Dr Ley"