I wonder if the social media feeds of other people are full of rage at the Southern Baptist governing body and their decisions about women in leadership. In many ways, it's not a surprise: they've forbidden women pastors for decades now. The recent decision seems to say that women can't even be church council members or Sunday School teachers or speak in worship at all--no lectors, much less assisting ministers.
Obviously, I disagree with these decisions. I am lucky to have other denominations, including my own, the ELCA, the more inclusive expression of Lutheranism in the U.S. I am not Southern Baptist and neither are most of the people filling my feed with rage. Living in a "free" society and believing in free will does mean that people get to make their own decisions, no matter how much I think they are on a wrong path.
I do wonder who will do all the work, if women aren't allowed to do even volunteer work, even the work traditionally done by women, like teaching of all kinds. Are there really all these men, waiting in the wings who have been chomping at the bit to do the work?
It's hard for me to believe that they do. Of course, I've been in congregations that are tiny, where everyone who is breathing has been put to work, churches that don't have the luxury of excluding half (or more) of the congregation.
I am happy to be part of a church that welcomes everyone into the circle to do the work of kingdom building.
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