Women in Ministry
The role of women in ministry is an issue that
the Christian church has grappled with since its early days, although the New
Testament church appeared to incorporate both men and women in its worship
seamlessly. The earliest house churches were headed by women like Lydia,
and women taught and instructed men (Priscilla is praised by Paul as Appollos'
excellent teacher).
Cahaba Valley church has gone through its own journey in determining where women belong in ministry. (For more on the history of this journey, click here.) When you visit our congregation at any of our worship gatherings, you may very well see and hear women taking part in leading our worship.
The process by which we arrived at the decision and the current practice of our congregation was not easy, and it has required faith and patience from all concerned. However, the gifts that various women have brought in the leadership of public worship, as well as many areas of ministry in our congregation, are unmistakable to us now.
The prayers, insight, wisdom and music brought into our worship have enriched us all and have built up the faith of many people, including, very importantly, women who have often suffered from being degraded and rejected in other areas of their lives.
The ministries and gifts of different women in our congregation have led to an increase in love, service, compassion, commitment, dedication and faith in all of us. We recognize this as the work of God, and this is the reason why our practice has changed from the tradition in which we grew up.
During 1988 and 1989, we conducted several studies of individual questions and Scriptures, and we summarized them in a document that we have shared with those who have asked us about the entire process. The document is available online on our website by clicking here.