Hope Bonarcher reflects on womanhood, faith, and the appointment of the Church of England’s first female Archbishop of Canterbury, questioning whether progress always aligns with biblical truth.
I love being a woman. It’s possibly my favourite part of God’s design for me. God’s graced women with beauty, significance, value and strength. Humbly and sacrificially, we birth, raise children and run households, and like Boudicca, Joan of Arc and Queen Elizabeth I, we valiantly lead battles and nations. Whether behind the scenes discreetly or captivating on the world’s stage, women are an integral half of how God created and designed humanity. I wholeheartedly esteem this, yet I don’t think my respect and appreciation for womanhood is diminished because I don’t automatically believe a female Archbishop of Canterbury is a good thing.
Archbishop Sarah and the future of Church leadership
When I saw the news of Sarah Mullally’s confirmation as the first female head of the Church of England (considering both its Protestant and Catholic iterations), second only to the King, contentment was not my feeling. I don’t assume that sharing important aspects of life’s experiences with a person, ensures they will lead positively or familiarly. As Christians, the only harbinger of this, is the measure of how much that person willingly submits to the truth of God’s Word by the power of the Holy Spirit. If a person shares my sex but is unwilling to fully align their self with the infallible Lordship of Jesus Christ, what good can they do for God’s hungry, needy flock, who are prone to confusion and wandering, no matter their gender?
The debate of female headship in the church, especially in modern times, is an old one.
The debate of female headship in the church, especially in modern times, is an old one. Scripture does not lack examples of women with integral gifts and positions. Lydia helped host and fund the ministry of the early church, Phoebe was a deaconess and Priscilla taught alongside her husband, Aquila. The Bible even examples the woman at the well as one of the first evangelists.
What isn’t given in scripture are examples of women in the church as apostles or shepherdesses. To the contrary, the Apostle Paul taught Timothy, he did not allow women to have authority positions over men, supporting this clear statement with reasoning, not from the cultural norms and circumstances of his time, but thousands of years earlier from the Garden of Eden.
‘I would welcome a female archbishop’
“I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly. For God made Adam first, and afterward he made Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived by Satan. The woman was deceived, and sin was the result.” 1 Timothy 2:12-14 NLT
Many people use Deborah’s example as an admirable female leader in scripture.
Many people use Deborah’s example as an admirable female leader in scripture. She was a prophetess God used as an early judge over Israel. It was a distinctly rebellious time for the people of God, Judges 3 gives a sobering example of the back and forth between Israel’s disobedience, God’s deliverance into the hands of their enemies, Israel’s cries for help from the Lord and God raising up righteous leaders and judges to lead them. Deborah herself explains the dishonor it will bring to Israel’s military leader, Barak, to be lead by a woman. This doesn’t discredit Deborah’s role or identity but it demonstrates her position was less than ideal.
Reflections from a female ordinand on Sarah Mullally’s historic appointment
I think the ordination of Sarah Mullally as Archbishop says more about the state of the Church and the nation than it does about women in leadership positions. Women have miriad gifts, callings and capabilities, but at the end of the day, as believers, it’s the faithfulness of our leaders, to the Word of God, his sovereignty and his righteousness that matters, ultimately. The Archbishop considers herself pro-choice, supports the blessing of same sex marriages, and didn’t comment when asked for her stance on Queer Theory and Pride marches for children. These anti-biblical positions on some of the most socially, spiritually, eternally important issues facing the Church would alarm me were they held by a man or a woman. Following the book of Judges in the Bible are I and II Samuel, the stories of Israel’s prophets, priests and kings who go on to establish the kingdom of Israel. Kings weren’t God’s ideal either, but as a wise and generous Father, God understands, wayward children often learn best when they’re given what they ask for.
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