Bring it on

I agree with Tony Jones. It is absolutely time for a schism in the Church over the role of women:

I don’t take this lightly. I very much take Jesus’ prayer for unity in the Fourth Gospel seriously. Our eschatological hope is that the church will be one, and that we will all be united in belief, practice, and love.

But sometimes we need to separate. We need to say hard words to those who are not living the way that Jesus laid out for us. We need to divorce.

The time has come for a schism regarding the issue of women in the church. Those of us who know that women should be accorded full participation in every aspect of church life need to visibly and forcefully separate ourselves from those who do not. Their subjugation of women is anti-Christian, and it should be tolerated no longer.

That means:

  •     If you attend a church that does not let women preach or hold positions of ecclesial authority, you need to leave that church.
  •     If you work for a ministry that does not affirm women in ecclesial leadership, you need to leave that ministry.
  •     If you write for a publishing house that also prints books by “complementarians,” you need to take your books to another publishing house.
  •     If you speak at conferences, you need to withdraw from all events that do not affirm women as speakers, teachers, and leaders.

That is, we who believe in the full equality of women need to break fellowship with those who do not. The time for dialogue and debate has passed. The Spirit has spoken, and we have listened. It’s time to move forward with full force.

The schism has been declared. Very well. And likewise, Christians who actually follow the Word of God need to do the same. 

  •     If you have members that insist women preach or
    hold positions of ecclesial authority, you need to expel them from that church.
  •     If you run a ministry that does not affirm women in ecclesiastical leadership and you have employees or volunteers who do, you need to expel them from that ministry.
  •    
    If you run a publishing house that prints books by
    “non-complementarians,” you need to drop those authors.
  •     If you speak at conferences, you need to speak against the affirmation of women as speakers, teachers, and leaders.

As for me, I stopped attending all churches that feature female preachers or teachers or pastors or priests years ago. Based on the declining numbers of equalitarian church congregations around the world, I’m far from the only one.

The Spirit to which Tony Jones is listening to is not the Holy Spirit. It is the sweetly whispering voice of the Prince of This World.

THERE IS NO EQUALITY. EQUALITY DOES NOT EXIST IN ANY REAL, MATERIAL, LEGAL, OR SPIRITUAL SENSE.