The Truth in Print Vol. 25 Issue 9, Oct. 2019
A Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website
Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Highland Church of Christ in Abilene, TX Adds
Women Preaching (Part One)
As I work through a recent article
explaining how Highland arrived at having women preachers you younger in our
brotherhood should be able to see why we teach you on the necessity of having
scriptural authority for what we practice in the organization, worship and work
of the local church. And why you have been taught well on apostasies past and
present in order to understand their components. I’m not going to get through
this in one article if for no other reason than to be able to present a clear
pattern of what is happening in the Liberal brotherhood.
The Abilene Reporter News ran an article
titled “Add Highland to the list of Churches of Christ elevating women to
preaching roles” (Loretta Fulton, Special to the Reporter-NewsPublished 12:06
p.m. CT Sept. 15, 2019 | Updated 10:11 a.m. CT Sept. 16, 2019).
The
Account Begins With Some History of Karen Cooke a Student at Abilene Christian
University Seeking a Master of Divinity Degree — Viewed as Breaking Ground as a
Woman in the Pulpit
“Palm
Sunday 2019 is a day that Karen Cooke will look back on the rest of her life as
a turning point.
“She
is in her second year at Abilene Christian University’s Graduate School of Theology,
where she is seeking a master of divinity degree. Cooke has three more
semesters to go, but what she learns during that time isn’t likely to have the
impact she felt in the spring.
“That
was the day she was invited to be guest preacher at The Refuge, a small Church
of Christ congregation that meets in the old Northwest
Church of Christ on North Willis Street.
“I
was the first woman I ever heard preach in church,” Cooke said.
“She
will preach again Sunday at Minter Lane Church of Christ, where she is a
member.”
Next Mentioned is Candace Nicolds Who is Said to be the First Female Heard At Minter Lane
“Cooke’s
voice, however, won’t be that of the first female that church members have
heard from their pulpit. That voice belongs to Candace Nicolds, a former
associate member of Minter Lane Church of Christ, who now is the senior
minister of Brookline Church of Christ in Massachusetts.
“She,
too, remembers the weight of the moment she first preached at Minter Lane.
“I
was honored that they asked me to be the first,” Nicolds said. “It was a little
daunting. It was heavy.”
How it Happened at Minter Lane is Discussed More in Detail at the
Close of the Article Following Highlands Decision. I’ll Put Highland on Hold
for Now; It Goes Like This:
“How
it happened at Minter Lane
“But
just because the doors have been opened doesn’t mean there will be hordes of
women lined up to take advantage of the opportunity.
“ACU’s
Graduate School of Theology often has women students from other denominations
who are earning degrees en route to becoming preachers. But, because of the
historical prohibitions, few of them come from Church of Christ backgrounds.
“Ken
Cukrowski, dean of ACU’s College of Biblical Studies, said in an email he knows
of only about 20 Church of Christ congregations where women are allowed to
preach.
“One
of those is Abilene’s Minter Lane Church of Christ, which opened that door a
couple of years ago. But the tide began to turn much earlier.
“Allen
Teel, an ACU music professor and elder at Minter Lane, provided a copy of a
letter sent to Minter Lane members in November 2017. That letter included a
quote from a 1999-2001 study. The letter noted that in 1999, the elders started
a study of scripture pertaining to women’s roles. The elders at the time
concluded that “the Lord has granted us more freedom than our brotherhood and
congregational attitudes and relationships will allow at present.”
“Fast
forward to November 2017, when a letter was sent to the congregation from the
elders, detailing the outcome of discussions and preparation.
“The
consensus was that the eldership and the pulpit should be open to any godly,
wise leader, regardless of gender," Teel said.
“Since
then, two women have preached at Minter Lane, Nicolds and Amanda Pittman, an
assistant professor in ACU’s College of Biblical Studies. On Sunday, Cooke’s
name will be added to the list.
“The
consensus was that the eldership and the pulpit should be open to any godly,
wise leader, regardless of gender.”
“Allen
Teel, on Minter Lane Church of Christ decision concerning women
“Teel
said the discussion about women preachers actually began in the late 1980s or
early 1990s, and that women were gradually incorporated into the worship
service. Historically, Church of Christ deacons have been men but in the
mid-2000s, Minter Lane changed the name from “deacons” to Ministry Coordination
Team, including women. In 2005, the gender makeup of the team was about half and
half, Teel said, as it is today. The church is small and changes gradually
occur naturally, Teel said.
“Most
things we do tend to be fairly organic,” he said.
“However,
he said, there has been a deliberate effort to open roles in the worship
service to women.
“In
2015, the names of two women were suggested to serve in elder roles, Teel said,
but both declined because they believed the congregation was not prepared.
However, that action reignited the conversation, Teel said.
“In
spring 2017, a resource person was invited to lead a one-day retreat at the
church. That was followed by small group discussions, prayer, and discernment.
Then, in November, the letter was sent to the congregation announcing that the
“eldership and the pulpit should be open to any godly, wise leader, regardless
of gender.” The decision wasn’t without controversy, and the church lost some
members.
“We
still love those folks,” Teel said, “and we miss them.”
“Not
always how it will be
“The
woman who broke ground at Minter Lane was Nicolds, whose experience propelled
her to the senior preaching position at Brookline Church of Christ in
Massachusetts. Nicolds came to Abilene in 2006 from Spokane, Washington, to get
a master’s degree at ACU. But her mother got sick and she had to drop out to
take care of her.
“She
didn’t finish the degree until 2016.
“She
worked part time in charge of communication at Minter Lane and then worked full
time for five years as associate minister, although she didn’t preach. But that
changed in January 2018, when Nicolds became the first woman to preach at the
church.
“She
also preached at the church in May while visiting. That first opportunity in
January 2018 was a stunner. Nicolds grew up in a traditional Church of Christ
congregation in Spokane, which didn’t allow women to preach or do much of
anything in the worship service.
“I
just assumed that’s how it would always be.”
“It
took a call from God to convince her that she was meant to preach and it took
time for her to overcome what she had always known.
“With
the ground broken by Nicolds, other women have been invited to preach at Minter
Lane. On Sunday, Karen Cooke will add her voice. She already has experience
with the Palm Sunday sermon at The Refuge and at a church in Houston over the
summer. She hasn’t decided what her career will be but is certain it will
include preaching.
“That
calling was affirmed when she preached at The Refuge on Palm Sunday. The full
impact of that momentous occasion didn’t hit her until during the communion
service.
“That
was a very emotional moment,” she said. “It’s something I considered a true
blessing.”
Notes:
1.
Go back through and look at the connections in the article to ACU: Cooke a
student, women earning degrees to become preachers, Allen Teel an elder is an
ACU music prof., Amanda Pittman an assistant professor in ACU’s College of
Biblical Studies.
2.
Contrary to what the author understands as “historical prohibitions” for the
reason few women in this context comes from churches of Christ we understand
that I Tim. 2:11-12 in language that can be plainly understood does not permit
women teaching or usurping authority over men in the church (Cf. I Cor. 14:34,
37-38).
3.
Will those in our brotherhood’s unauthorized human institutions that qualify
students as “religious workers” see and understand!
4.
“Time” to get there — from the late 1980s or early 1990s efforts to incorporate
women into their worship service. The elders’ conclusion draw as early as
1999.
a.
Mid 2000s changed name from “deacons” to Ministry Coordination Team, including
women. The qualifications for deacons
are given to men (I Tim. 3:12). Women aren’t husbands of one wife!
b.
Two women’s names suggested to serve as elders in 2015. More error suggested!
The qualifications for elders are given to men (I Tim. 3:1-7). Women aren’t the
husband of one wife!
c.
A letter to the members in Nov. 2017.
d.
Nicholds broke ground at Minter Lane— worked full time as associate minister
but didn’t preach until Jan. 2018. She also preached at the church in May while
visiting. With ground broken others
invited to speak.
5.
There is no call in the gospel for women to do what the New Testament forbids
them to do. You see traditional versus
modern in the human denominations — the likes of which we now see in some so
called churches of Christ. Man-made churches have their own “traditional” and
“modern” services. The church Christ
built has His authorized New Testament pattern for worship. Paul’s unity
statement was women were not permitted to speak but to remain quiet, and if
anyone did not recognize this they were not to be recognized (I Cor. 14:34,
38). Things do matter besides baptism
for the remission of sins. The pattern for the worship and work of the church
excludes women teaching and usurping authority over men.
The Word, my brethren, prevents apostasy:
Act
20:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the
Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He
purchased with His own blood.
Act
20:29 For I know this, that after my departure savage
wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act
20:30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to
draw away the disciples after themselves.
Act
20:31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to
warn everyone night and day with tears.
Act 20:32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to
God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an
inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Valley Church of Christ
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
(928) 782-5058 ~
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services – Classes ~10:00;
Assembly 10:50 am; Evening: 6:00 pm.
Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm
To learn more call, visit or visit our website at:
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com