There are three models for leadership in the church (basically). They consist of the following:

Hierarchical (traditional)                Complementarian (moderate)      Egalitarian (liberal)

Men are the leaders in church;         Men & women are partners            Men & women are equal;
Women not permitted to take          in all areas of ministry and             share in every ministry role
roles over men – women                     in leadership except the role           Gender is not relevant to distinguish
cannot teach or be Elders or             of an Elder.                                             roles.
Deacons; they do not participate
in those key leadership roles.

The Egalitarian model argues the following as some of the support that there should be no distinctions between men and women: 

1) Lydia – First Women Elder: Undoubtedly Lydia was the “elder” in her house church because it was her, other women, and her family. There is an assumption that there were no immediate men to step into that role and this models that women can fulfill this role. This gives us a precedent that woman can and should be Elders since Paul always set up Elders in every church that he established (Titus 1:5).

2) Biblically No Distinction: Colossians 3:11 indicates that there is no distinction between men and woman and other groups of people when we are in Christ Jesus. These verses say that God has now eliminated  distinctions based on gender, race, social economic backgrounds and to make distinctions is prejudicial and biblically wrong. Woman can be pastors, elders or any other role in the church.  Consequently, many churches have women who are elders and pastors in the church.

3) Culture: our culture is different (and usually argued more advanced) than the first century. Maintaining these archaic cultural paradigms is beneath the nature of equality of our cultural advancements. It would be offensive in our culture to discriminate against women in roles that they can do as well and at times better than men.

I will share how I process much of this next week…. hang in there.