Let Her Lead is a writing project designed to encourage and champion the full participation of women in the life and leadership of the Church.
It’s time for the Church, especially its men, to take up this banner.
In this series, I share my journey, explaining how and why I’ve come to this position. Thanks for reading.
Read every post in the series.
- How I Changed My Mind on Women’s Roles in MinistryWe must not only permit but encourage and champion the full participation of women in the life and leadership of the Church.
- Interlude: Why I’m Writing About Women NowIf the Church keeps putting “women” in their “place,” we lose. Every single time. Why? Because Jesus never did. And that is where this all starts.
- Defining Terms in the Gender ConversationThere are primarily two words we often hear in the gender conversation that need defining. They are: complementarianism and egalitarianism.
- How Being a Complementarian Pastor Changed EverythingMy complementarian foundation began to crumble, ironically, while I was a complementarian pastor.
- The Gift of Strong WomenStrong women aren’t a problem to be managed or eliminated. They are a gift to the church, especially its men.
- Finally Seeing the Blind SpotsAny system designed to keep one group in power and another in submission doesn’t reflect the spirit of Christ.
- Genesis 1: Male and Female He Created ThemGenesis shows us that men and women, as God’s kings and priests, are equal in status, function, and authority.
- Genesis 2: Coworkers in the GardenGenesis 2 doesn’t lead us to strict gender roles but to the mutuality of man and woman in the Garden.
- Interlude: Answering Questions on Creation & GenderIsn’t there such a thing as “biblical” manhood and womanhood? And other important questions.
- Genesis 3: The Birth of PatriarchyThe Fall did not bring a harmful kind of hierarchy, but the first hierarchy the world had ever known.
- Women Who Flipped the Patriarchal ScriptGod worked through several exceptional women in the Old Testament to subvert cultural gender expectations.
- Jesus and Women (Part 1)Jesus’ radical departure from Jewish gender norms must influence how we see women in ministry today.
- Jesus and Women (Part 2)Three specific interactions with women help us see how Jesus breaks social norms to elevate, empower, and restore women back to the original status they had in the Garden.
- The Difference of PentecostBecause the Spirit now dwells with God’s people, both men and women represent God and speak authoritatively for him.
- How Paul Helped Elevate the Status of WomenWe need to give the Apostle Paul more credit for putting women on an even playing field with men in early Christianity.
- Prominent Women in the Life and Ministry of PaulIf we start with Paul’s endorsement of women in leadership, we’ll be in a better place to understand his controversial texts on women.
- Interlude: When is a Teaching Cultural or Transcultural?Application isn’t as simple as the Bible apps make it out to be.
- Why 1 Timothy 2:11-15 Isn’t a Universal Restriction on Women in the Church7 Reasons in the Text and 5 Big Picture Questions We Need to Ask
- The Context of 1 Timothy 2The cultural context of Ephesus can help us better understand what Paul is prohibiting and why.
- 1 Timothy 2:11-15: Dealing with Deception in the ChurchPaul’s infamous restriction of women wasn’t meant to be a universal command for all time, but his way of dealing with a unique problem in the church at Ephesus.
- How Should We Apply 1 Timothy 2:11-15 Today?Learning with a humble posture, not restricting women, should be the goal for applying 1 Timothy 2:11-15.
- 1 Timothy 3:1-7: For Men Only?Why the overseer and elder qualification lists do not prevent women from church leadership.
- 1 Corinthians 11:2-16: Hairstyles, Head Coverings, and…Authority?Paul’s cares about how men and women distinguish themselves during worship, not who leads it.
- 1 Corinthians 14:34-35: Should Women Be Silent in Church?Two alternative ways of seeing this strange passage show that Paul didn’t intend to keep women from speaking.
- What About Marriage?A closer look at Ephesians 5 reveals that Paul cares more about marital unity than a husband’s leadership.
- Interlude: The Women of ChristmasHistory tells us men should announce the good news of God’s kingdom. But God doesn’t play by those rules.
- Final ThoughtsThe official end to the series that will (probably) never end.
JAMES PRUCH 