Does the Mission Church have women Elders (pastors)?

No. We believe that both men and women were created by God as image-bearers of Him. This means that we are all seen as equal in value in God’s eyes. Man is not greater than woman, nor woman greater than man.

But God designed men and women for gender-specific roles in the home and in the church. In the home, the woman is commanded to help, respect, and submit to her husband, and the man is commanded to provide for, protect, and shepherd his wife. In this way, both men and women fulfill distinct yet equally important roles that “complement” one another.

In the church, women are encouraged to serve in many different ways according to how they have been gifted by God, while the role of Elder (pastor) is specific to men.

The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 2:12,

“I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.”

And again in 1 Corinthians 14:33-34

“As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says.”

Today, many movements in American culture seek to deny that God has created men and women to be different. At the Mission Church we firmly reject this cultural perspective, and believe that God alone determines the gender of each person, and that men and women embracing their God-given sexual identity and respective gender roles is critical for human flourishing.

We also know that there are some Christian churches who would affirm what we believe about the differences between men and women, and the gender-specific ordering of the household, yet disagree with us on the matter of women Elders or pastors. Even while we maintain our position (with conviction), we are eager to extend love and goodwill to those fellow believers, and joyfully celebrate the bond of unity in the Gospel whenever possible.