Women should not man (pun intended) a pulpit

My wife and I began the journey of finding a church in Tennessee that we could call our home church. So far, we have visited three. This photo depicts a beautiful church we visited last week. For historical purposes, I photographed and share it here. It was founded in 1829, and laying in her cemetery are some of its members, including Confederate soldiers. That’s a lot of history for sure.

Their congregants would be easy to love. But it was clear that egalitarianism and/or gender confusion was present. Though she did not preach or teach, a woman manned (pun intended) their pulpit to call the church to order, call the order of service, lead worship, and then close their service.

Though I said nothing at the church. I put my foot in my mouth at the next church we visited. A fellow asked me what churches I have visited. When I shared the aforementioned experience with him, he replied, “That’s his mother” (while pointing at another congregant) 🤭. That’s when I realized how small our town really is.

Fact check.

The pulpit is not an ornament or a mere piece of furniture. The pulpit exhibits and demonstrates a theological authority (Neh. 8:4). And that authority and pulpit are exclusively reserved for men only, and so women are not to man a pulpit (1 Tim. 2:12). Though it is not politically correct to say this, it is Biblically correct.