Women Missionaries?

It's amazing to me how many Fundamentalists and Baptist ministers are quick to preach the Bible and quote verses about women not being able to pastor or preach, but yet they then allow women missionaries in their pulpits and even support them to go to the field. Am I the only one that thinks this is a blatant contradiction?

The verses they use to prove women are not allowed to be ordainded ministers are the following:

1 Cor 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
1 Cor 14:35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

1 Tim 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
1 Tim 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

The first verses in Corinthians speak in context of women "prophecying" or "PREACHING" in the pulpit, and of course this is not permited in the Bible. (See also 1 Tim. 3:2 and Titus 1:6 which speak of pastors being MEN who are married to one wife, and not women).

The verses in Timothy speak of a woman usurping authority over a man, and "TEACHING" them. This is something that God forbids, for the context shows us that women are more easily deceived (they are led by their emotions), then men (who usually don't let their emotions sway them as they make decisions based on facts).

Very few modern Fundamentalists allow women positions of authority in the church, such as that of Pastor or Deacon, so that they might PREACH to the congregation, nor do they allow women to TEACH men. But in these last days of apostasy, I've seen a surge in the Fundamentalist movement of "Women Missionaries," who are allowed by these very same preachers the same priviledges of regular male missionaries. And I can't help but wonder, "How can this be?"

This leads us to the question, "What is a Missionary?" Well, I guess that's all how you define the word. Some say it only means, "One sent." That is to say, it's someone who is sent to a foreign field to preach the Gospel. That's a good definition, and I've even preached that myself a couple of times. But that's not really a Biblical definition of the word. According to the Bible, a Missionary is an office of the church, and is someone who is ordained by the laying on of hands, and who is sent out to start churches, just like the Apostle Paul. Simply put, a missionary, is to PREACH THE GOSPEL, and start churches, and then TEACH men to take over those churches so he can travel to other places with the Gospel.

Where does this leave women? And where does this leave the modern teaching of "women missionaries?" Can a women PREACH in a church? NOPE! Then how can she be sent from a local church to a foreign field to start local churches???

And, biblically, are women allowed to usurp authority over men and teach them? NOPE! Then how can any Pastor who knows his Bible send a women as a missionary when she's not allowed to TEACH men, which is what a Missionary is supposed to do???

Well, the classic answer is, "Well, we are only sending her off to work with children!" Or, "We are only sending her to go help another missionary that's already there." Or, "We are sending her just to go work in an orphanage."

My question then becomes, "Why do you need to call her a Missionary then? Why can't you say she's going to HELP?"

And ever better asked is, "Why don't you pray for God to send along a husband for her so that she and he can go together???" Doesn't the Bible say that two are better than one?

I went to Honduras as a single missionary, and I sure needed a wife. While on deputation, I ran accross a single woman who called herself a "missionary" to the Ukraine. I asked here, "Why are you doing this?" She replied, "I believe God's called me to the Ukraine." I then responded, "Why don't you just pray and ask God to give you a husband who's going there as a Missionary? Why are you trying to go there by yourself when you can't do what a Missionary is supposed to do?"

She got mad and stormed off without answering. But I thought I had a good question. She can't PREACH in a pulpit, so she can't start a church there, and she can't TEACH men, so what is she going for, and why should churches steal support from a man who can fulfill the qualifications of a missionary to give it to a women. Sounds a little like Women's Lib to me!

Where did this whole movement of "Women Missionaries" get started? Why if you study a little, you'll see it's more of a Southern Baptist thing then an Independent Baptist thing. You have your Lottie Moon's, and your Mary Slessors, etc. But did they do right?

I remember being engaged to a young lady years ago whose mother was all for Women Missionaries. She even taught Sunday School, and told young ladies, "Maybe someday you can be a woman missionary and be just like Mary Slessor or Lottie Moon, and serve the Lord."

It turns out later this same women was a FEMINIST, and was also teaching feminism to the young ladies, telling them, It's your life and your body, so you can do what you want!

The Biblical role of a woman being under the authority of her husband, and being his HELP, meet for his needs was played down, while young girls heads were filled with ideas of doing what men are supposed to do. It didn't take long for me to figure out "AS IS THE MOTHER, SO IS THE DAUGHTER," and my fiancee and I had to break up, as she didn't want to be under the authority of a man.

I give this illustration, as I see the whole "Women Missionary" movement as not only hypocritical, but it's also anti-biblical, as it gives women the feminist idea that she doesn't need a man and she can go and do whatever she wants to by herself for God.

Any Pastor who helps pass on such an idea ought to be ashamed of himself! And I've met some even within the Independent Baptist movement. I've even been spoken against by several Pastors for my stand against "Women Missionaries," and I've lost support over the issue. But I just don't believe it's right to say women can't PREACH and TEACH to men in America, but they can do it in another country. There is something very wrong and hypocritical about that kind of teaching.

So what do you think? Care to comment? Careful, you just might be showing your FEMINIST attitude if you support such a thing.

For more about "women missionaries" why not read my article about it, found at:

http://www.rrb3.com/mypub/articles/women_missionaries.htm

Note: It's imparative that I add in closing that I'm not against women doing personal one on one evagelism with lost people. Women need to preach the Gospel to lost souls just as much as men do. But the Bible is against women preaching in Pulpits, and teaching Men.