In a strict, letter of the law extension of New Testament doctrine, a mother sharing a motherly message on Mother’s Day, in front of men, is a watershed moment. As a sexual abuse survivor herself, she is challenging the male power structures in the Southern Baptist denomination, of which she is a longstanding member, that have allowed abuse to spread like a cancer.Īnd second-in a single tweet earlier this year, Moore said that she would be speaking at her church on Mother’s Day. With the Biblical account so clear on women ministering to women and Moore’s primary audience being her own gender, what specifically has she done to make her the topic of an all-male gripe session?įirst-in recent years, Moore has become an essential voice on the topic of misogyny and sexual abuse in the church.
What Did Moore Do to Attract This Negative Scrutiny? But Moore writes books and Bibles studies for women, records devotionals for women, and headlines massive conferences around the world-for women. On rare occasions she has spoken to mixed crowds on a Sunday morning, fifteen times in forty years, she says. Rather, over the years some men have grown to appreciate the insights and observations of her teaching. Her ministry grew and she moved to larger venues. She started by teaching small groups of women in her church. I’ve been in an arena with over 10,000 women who sat under the teaching of Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, and Kay Arthur. I assume that this was an oversight because Scripture is so certain on this issue, but it should be stated clearly that women are called by God to minister to women.Īnd it should be noted that the ministry of Beth Moore, and many other female ministers like her, shepherd women. He made no allowance for older women shepherding younger women with their pastoral gifts. MacArthur made no allowance for women preaching to other women. Paul addresses this charge in Titus 2:4, encouraging older women to teach younger women, to raise them up in the faith.
I’m not sure what line MacArthur uses to distinguish preaching from teaching, but his unequivocal and universal statement is easily dismantled showing the need for more discussion. It’s about a woman’s gifts, a woman’s voice, and a woman’s place.Įxamining this exchange reveals some uncomfortable truths about church culture.įirst, let’s establish that women inarguably should be allowed to preach, teach, and pastor other women.Ĭheered on by his fellow ministers, MacArthur said, “There is no case that can be made biblically for a woman preacher. The MacArthur/Moore controversy centers on whether a woman should preach, but really, it is about something much deeper: The topic of women in ministry has been written on extensively. This isn’t the first time MacArthur has ruffled feathers in an exchange that resembles a bar room drinking game more than an enlightened theological conversation between ministers. One way or the other, I esteem you as my sibling in Christ.” Whether or not I serve Jesus is not up to you. Moore responded saying, “Here’s the beautiful thing about it & I mean this with absolute respect.
#Beth moore bible study on paul tv
He sat on a panel of all-male ministers who openly mocked Moore-saying that she is narcissistic, and that she is hawking the Gospel like a TV jewelry peddler.
Facebook and Twitter feeds are lit up with the controversy over Evangelical Minister John MacArthur’s comments that Beth Moore should stop preaching and “go home.” A divisive topic in Christian ministry has come to the forefront this past week.
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