Driving home yesterday I was thinking about what to write today. My heart was singing along and I wasn’t upset, or angry as some people like to point out – I was just thinking what a beautiful world God had given us.
The red traffic light got me and I eased to a stop. And there I saw it, and my heart felt full of sadness, and I felt so helpless. A huge billboard advertising the Big Baptist Church down the street. The church where I had written the pastor at Christmas and asked to speak with him. The SBC church that I know subscribes to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
Luring in unsuspecting women to their church where the message of the Bible is not Jesus and his love for all, but that a woman must act out the part of mankind while her husband acts out the part of Jesus.
The Apostle Paul did not say that. But that is what they believe.
Because you see, when I got home, I had an email from a trusted and valued friend who told me so. “ I really think that God intended for every man to be the spiritual leader of his family. He is to provide an example of Christ to his wife and children that would cause them to see and want Christ in their life. When a man does that, his wife will be more than happy to allow him to lead the family.”
Should I call my husband “the vicar of Christ?”*
This past week someone told me – again – that I should be gracious and humble.
Sorry, folks. If that is what you are looking for, you won’t find it here. My intent is to rile you up, encourage you, support you as you speak out, and get through to our church leaders that they have misused the Scriptures to bear out their preferred belief.
*a vicar is of “earthly representative of God or Christ
bWe Baptist Women for Equality's Blog 
“Sorry, folks. If that is what you are looking for, you won’t find it here”. Glad I am not finding that here or else I would be looking somewhere else. 🙂
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Good to hear from you! Thanks.
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He is to provide an example of Christ to his wife and children that would cause them to see and want Christ in their life.
???
We can’t be Christ, but we are to live a life as Christ would want us to. When you see people in general doing that? You can almost see the sunshine coming out of them, and goodness that isn’t reserved for gender only status. That sunshine is what ‘leads’ people to want what you have, and it is not to be used as some perk. The Holy Spirit leads us, and opens the path that is reserved just for us.
When people focus to much on ‘leading’ or ‘following’ the way you see it spoken about alot of the time? They seem to wish to have this benefit that man speaks of when it truly needs to be the path that the Holy Spirit is leading us to.
If you were meant to be ‘followed’ God will not be overridden. Its sad when people focus to much on roles and not allow God to take the wheel.
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This “man must be spiritual leader” crap is a burden for both the man and the woman. When would the SBC’ers be freed from this man made spiritual prison they build for everyone?
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AND the people in the Presbyterian Church in America and I think some flavors of Lutheran and some traditionally Black denominations and any number of nondenominational churches! I know this blog is from a Baptist (specifically SBC, as there are flavors of Baptist that are egalitarian) perspective, and somewhat targeted that way, but are we seeking a broader audience for the book?
The funny thing about the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, is that at least they’re putting it all out there for folks to see. The websites of some of these other groups? Don’t. They don’t put out there “men are in charge” for all to know that it’s one of their foundational beliefs, but once you’ve been going to the church (the length of time it takes to figure it out varies due to differences in practice) for a time, you pick up on not only the fact they believe that men were created to lead and women to follow, but it is for them a *central* belief. As in, if you don’t believe it, you may as well leave that church. And find another one–if you can find a church with such odd beliefs as the equality of men and women (I’ve personally heard that one!)/if you’re *really* a Christian at all.
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Yes, this is for everybody. Many people within the denominations that do accept women don’t know why they do, and other’s don’t. We hope this book will clarify why women are equal. Absolutely for everybody. We welcome many different writers. You are right also about the deception of other denominations. Remember, it was another denomination that I was sitting in their mega church and heard “you women all know that your husband has authority over you ” and also it was a member of that denomination that told me I was a Jezebel. And this is a denomination that has as it founding papers the fact that women can preach.
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Michelle, U R absolutely right. I also heard worse on egalitarian position: it is straight from Satan, from hell, etc. It is the worst thing that ever happened, and they are not Christians, etc. I heard many times: U don’t like the church, why don’t U leave? go find a church that believe what U believe. Also: so a church does not ordain women, they should not work for such churches to begin with.
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I posted this in FB today, in Chinese tho’. 2 Cor 5:10 ” For we must all appear B4 the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive what is due them for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” TNIV
In spite of what the patriarchalists emphatically insist on, a husband is not spiritually responsible for his wife and kids.
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Good for you!
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Shirley –
I did explain the intent behind my words. 🙂
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Yes, you did. I appreciate you very much! Thanks for the Smiley! (or was it consternation?) God bless.
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“ I really think that God intended for every man to be the spiritual leader of his family. He is to provide an example of Christ to his wife and children that would cause them to see and want Christ in their life. When a man does that, his wife will be more than happy to allow him to lead the family.”
there are many problems with this thinking it is hard to know where to start.
1. It is not Biblical. It is a gross misrepresentation and one that ironically mocks Christ as it sets husbands up as little christs. Blasphemous!
2. My dad died when I was young so who should have been the spiritual leader of our family when no male organs are present? (sorry to be crude but that is basically what they are claiming. A spirituality based on flesh)
3. The Holy Spirit is not given to married women?
4. the Husband is the same depraved sinner saved by the same grace, if he is saved. He is not gven more “anointing” than any other adult female believer because of sex organs.
5. I pray this friend of yours is not waiting around for her husband in order to study the Word. I know many women from my former days who did this. Her sanctification is based NOT on her husband but on Her PERSONAL relationship with Christ.
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The friend is a man. A minister and former pastor, still active in church leadership. This is what people are being taught and led to believe in church.
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Well put, Lydia. Your explanation bears repeating a million times to people like the one who wrote the paragraph you quoted.
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