Women Preachers by Julie Jasinski
Sis. Jasinski, tell us a little about yourself, your background and your ministry.
I’m a general licensed UPC minister, author of nine books, pastor’s wife of a daughter work in Lowell, MA, mom of an IBC college student, speaker, WNOP prayer director of MA/RI district, and have traveled to 15 countries. My books have opened opportunities for me to share with churches around the world. I’ve had the Holy Ghost for 35 years and preached my first revival in 1993. I love the Lord with passion and endeavor to further His Kingdom.
The Apostolic movement has a rich history of women preachers. Tell us about some of the more notable ones.
There are many modern day lady preachers: Janet Trout, Gwyn Oakes, Cindy Miller, Sarah Jackson, Brenda Bowley, Jean Holland, Janice Alvear, Deborah Burris, Diane Pulse, Pat Cook, Sharon Crossno, Carol Clemans, Ruth Harvey, Elsye Sonnier, Lynda Allison Doty, Flo Shaw and many more. My book covers some of these ladies’ stories and how they got started in ministry.
Why do we not see more women going into the pulpit ministry? Do women preachers still face struggles being accepted?
The greatest struggle for women not going into the pulpit ministry is fear. Fear of not being sure that it’s God calling them. Fear of what others may think. Fear of not being accepted by the ministering brethren. Fear of what her pastor will think. Fear of the commitment. Fear of failure. Fear of not being good enough…the list goes on but once the woman overcomes fear and its many facets she will generally proceed to the next level. We have a group of women preachers that meet together in “lady minister” conferences that are designed to encourage and strengthen one another in the ministry.
Yes, women still struggle with being accepted because of the bias that still exists in the ministry; however, it’s changing because of a clearer understanding of what the scriptures really teach.
Can a woman maintain her femininity and still be effective in the pulpit?
Absolutely. The goal of my book, Step Up—For Lady Preachers ONLY, is to teach young women to be feminine and be effective in the pulpit, which only comes from the anointing. The biggest gripe amongst our brethren is not the fact that a woman can or can’t preach but when she does get up there to preach, she is offensively masculine. She doesn’t need to feel she has to compete with the men or to be like them in order to be accepted. She must be careful to be a godly woman. She must be conscientious about her dress and aware of her body movements at all times. This subject is covered in detail in the book.
How do you respond to Paul’s teaching about women being silent in the church? (1 Cor. 14:34-35)
In the society of Paul’s day, women had little or no standing whatsoever. Paul was addressing a group of women at a certain time in a certain church. He did not say that every woman everywhere in every church should never make a sound. If Paul did not want women to preach the Gospel he would have plainly said it and would have never commended those women laboring together with him. The Greek word for silence is sigao, meaning “to be silent, keep still, stop speaking or become silent;” in other words, “to hush” as if one is disturbing the peace. The Word of God, however, admonishes His people, both men and women, to sing, rejoice, clap, praise the Lord in a dance and shout to the Lord with a voice of triumph and make a joyful noise unto the Lord ALL the earth.
This was commanded in both Old and New Testaments. It is common knowledge that women take a very active role in singing, shouting, dancing, tongues and interpretation of tongues. They teach Sunday school, direct choirs, play instruments, testify and exhort the Word; this all involves the use of their voice. Paul taught, as we will note in 1 Cor. 11:5, that women were encouraged to speak, pray and even prophesy in church meetings with the proper covering but things were to be decent and in order. This involvement was unheard of in Paul’s day when women were devalued by their culture.
How do you respond that women should not teach men or have authority over them? (1 Tim 2:12)
The KJV Bible states, “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” This verse instructs that a (married) woman may not teach nor usurp authority over “the” man (her man). The Greek word for man is aner, referring to “a husband” or “of a betrothed or future husband.”
Some people like to say this scripture means every woman is to submit to every man; however, this is not true. For example, I’m married and I can only submit to my authority which is my husband. I’m not under authority to every man (brother) in the church. If a brother in the church wants me to wash his car or do his laundry, do I have to obey? Does an unmarried woman in the church submit to any brother’s whims? I think not. If the sister is part of a ministry, she must follow her leadership. If she is put in charge of a ministry and brothers are involved, she leads them and has authority. Paul clarifies this chain of command in the next verse stating that Adam was created first, then Eve. This is referring to the home (government) that a husband and wife share.
Can a woman pastor a church and not exercise authority over men?
Yes, Paul makes reference to women in ministerial positions. These women were pastors, deacons and ministers, and he certainly wouldn’t have wanted them to keep silent. He commended them for their leadership in the church. These women were: Phoebe, Junia, Prisca (Priscilla), Julia, Nereus, Rufus’ mother, Chloe, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Euodia and Syntyche which were fellow-workers with Paul. In Christ (or God’s government) there is neither male nor female but in the home she is to submit to her husband.
If God calls a woman to pastor a church she must obey the Lord. She can carry out every pastoral function as her male counterpart. There is a difference between “usurping authority” (which the scripture stated) and exercising authority. A woman, as well as a man, should never usurp any authority. The lady pastor needs to esteem each of her male constituents and treat them with the utmost respect yet lead her sheepfold into the likeness of Christ.
Tell us about the book you wrote. What was your motivation to write it? What topics does it cover?
This book was written with two people in mind. First, it was for the woman who feels a call into the pulpit ministry but doesn’t know where to turn for advice. Second, for the pastor who has a woman in his church who feels called to the ministry but isn’t sure how to approach the subject. Most books on ministerial ethics are written for men and from a man’s perspective which its principles can be applied by all. However, there are certain behaviors and attitudes that relate to women that can be destructive to her ministry if not addressed.
The book is full of practical helps to encourage women facing ministerial challenges of this present age. Topics include: her call, submission, character, relationships, home, finances, preaching ethics, sermon preparation, authority, accountability, evangelism tips, pastoral pointers, how to be an effective associate pastor, and finally, getting started in ministry.
How to purchase, cost, etc.
E-mail me requesting a book at: Pwrxtrem2@aol.com. The cost is $15 + $3 shipping. You can send me payment through PayPal or mail a check to: 31 No. Pepperell Rd., Hollis, NJ 03049 or Facebook me.
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