REVIEW OF WOMEN AS RISK-TAKERS FOR GOD: Finding Your Role in the Neighborhood Church and World
Lorry Lutz, Author
Lorry Lutz is a senior consultant with Women of Global Action. She and her husband raised their five children in South Africa while serving as missionaries in that country. The twenty-two years she spent serving there qualifies her to address the question of women serving God. She is the author of nine books and speaks internationally at conferences.[1] Lorry did not recognize her spiritual gifts early in her ministry. She only knew that she loved to teach, lead, plan, and organize. Her husband was the spiritual leader in their home, but gave her encouragement to lead the youth ministry that they had started together. She was not only a Bible teacher and leader in South Africa, but she also participated in Sunday morning worship in the states when they came home on furlough. Nevertheless, it still took her many years to become comfortable with her role in the church and was not until returning from Africa that she eventually began to develop her own successful ministry.
In this non-fiction book urging women to use their giftedness in ministry, Lorry’s theme is Christian women living in the power of God. Evelyn Christenson confirms the message of this book in its foreword. When asked how he handled her being the teacher and speaker, Evelyn’s husband replied, “The bible says that those to whom something has been entrusted are stewards, responsible for that thing. Thus, the husband and father is the steward of the wife and children whom God has entrusted to him. That also makes him the steward of his wife’s and children’s gifts and talents from God. So he is responsible not only to free them to use their talents from God, he also must encourage and assist them to do so. Also, as the steward of these family members, he will give an account to God as to whether he has hindered or helped them in the use of their God-given talents”. Evelyn believes that the greatest need on the earth among Christians may not be racial, but gender reconciliation.[2]
Throughout history, women have carried the burden of Adam and Eve’s sin demonstrated by the fact that from the start of time women have suffered abuse, been overworked, and undervalued by nearly all societies. Often women still do not have the opportunities to serve in the churches that men do, especially in the United States. To compound the problem, the church today faces opposing politics concerning Biblical translation and the role of women in ministry. Organizations such as Christians for Biblical Equality and the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood continually debate these issues.
According to associate professor of the New Testament, Mark L. Strauss, “The question is, Are we able to set aside our social and cultural agendas, establish common ground hermeneutically, and get back to the hard work of translating God’s Word? If evangelicals fail to do this and begin producing multiple versions (inclusive and noninclusive, egalitarian and complementarian), we risk doing what the cults have done: changing the bible from the authoritative Word of God into a handbook supporting each of our own personal agendas. This is the greatest danger of all.[3] Instead of believers standing together in unity in order to spread the gospel as commanded by Jesus, we are wasting valuable time and energy arguing about who can serve.
Yet, in spite of theological pressures relating to women in ministry, there are women like Katherine Bushnell, who wrote taking a fresh look at Scripture and as a result gave women more liberty and opportunities to minister. I agree with Lorry that knowing the barriers that women have faced, we can better understand the bravery, intelligence and divine call essential for women to go into the ministry. Lorry writes that even though women are often considered weak, lacking in intellect, sexually seductive, and emotionally unbalanced, Jesus honored women and the New Testament honors them as well.
The many stories of Christian women in leadership positions around the world demonstrate the amazing variety of gifts God has given women who serve Him. These stories also encourage men and women to work together with respect and acceptance of each other to build the kingdom.[4] Lorry looks to the past to show that church histories have in effect ignored women who had actively served Christ and held positions of leadership. To counter this lack of information, she tells about some women in Christian history beginning with Catherine of Siena who lived from 1347 to 1380. Lorry sites historical evidence of women as church leaders during New Testament times. Among them were Priscilla, a teacher (Acts 18:26) and Phoebe, the deacon (Romans 16:1). According to Lutz, “After the third century, when the church became ‘public,’ women’s roles became more restricted through progressive church councils . . . .”[5] Throughout the ten major periods of persecution, there are stories of the maltreatment of women who chose to suffer and die for Christ rather than renounce their faith. Lorry tells of the faith and martyrdom of Perpetua of the first century and Blandina of the second century.[6]
Lorry also writes of the historical records of wealthy women who had access to the scriptures and began to denounce and renounce the Roman way of life. One of these was Marcella whom exchanged her “luxurious clothing for a course brown dress”. She turned her home into a Christian retreat where famous leaders of the church were invited to teach and Marcella held Bible studies. She was a trusted peer of Jerome, prominent father of the church. Lorry writes about the mystics of the middle ages and women of the reformation. The Renaissance (fourteenth to sixteenth centuries) opened the door to upper class women giving them the opportunity for education and less restricted roles. These social changes did little to affect the women of God.
Nevertheless, there were women like Margaret Fell Fox, the wife of George Fox who courageously defended the Quakers and wrote sixteen books and many pamphlets. As early as the seventh century, women were pioneers in ministering to places like India, China, West Africa, and the South Seas. Those women who went into these heathen regions were visionary and courageous. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the plight of the women in Asia particularly caused concern and passionate prayer. These needs caused the Christian community to send a greater number of women missionaries to mission fields around the world.
I especially appreciated the chapters relating to the ministries of twelve women still living. Each has followed her own heart as she interpreted God’s will for her life. They, like us all, have made mistakes and have sinned. Yet by God’s grace, these women have demonstrated courage and spiritual insight concerning the work that God has given them. Each woman’s story demonstrated her strength as she accepted Christ and then walked in obedience to the plans that he had for her. I especially found the story of Juliet Thomas heartening in that she served her family twenty years prior to entering into the community of believers as a leader. God gave her success in the workplace and then in His perfect timing, sent her into a very successful worldwide ministry. Even though she continues to grow weary from a heavy workload, she continues to serve as God leads her. She is a fantastic example of God’s power and grace actively moving in the life of a woman today.
“Women have a responsibility to use their feminine gifts, not their wiles,” says Eva Burrows who served as General in The Salvation Army. Eva believes that women do not normally serve easily in an administrative position, possibly because of the lack of encouragement or experience. However, she does feel that the world will benefit greatly from more participation of women in leadership, bringing in their sensitivity, intuition, and concern for people.[7]
I found personal validation as well as encouragement when I read about Faith Forster’s life and ministry. I too, feel that, “I’m a very up-front person. I don’t just function on the intuitive and emotional and therefore I don’t find it difficult to tap into a man’s world.”[8] It was especially heartening to read how Faith’s husband thinks that the father needs to be put more time into the children when they become teens and should make a conscious attempt to release his wife into ministry, if God so calls[9]. Like Faith, I limited my involvement in ministry while my children where younger. Now, with one young teen left at home, I have launched out to into a more active ministry with the support of my husband.
Kay Coles James says, “Being an aggressive, tough female in the political arena all day, and being a mommy at night, you have to change roles. But many times I find that what is needed in the work environment is a nurturing, caring perspective, but what’s needed at home is a tough aggressive mom who’s not taking any stuff off of kids. It’s a complete package”.[10] I related with Kay in that my last managerial job was successful when I used a firm but nurturing point of view with the staff and raising a fourteen-year-old girl requires me to be a tough aggressive mom. It was helpful to learn that other Christian women are experiencing many of the same things that I am.
Kay Arthur’s life is an example of the power of God to restore and then use those who come to Him with a repentant heart. Her love for the Word of God has touched millions of people around the world through the Precepts Bible Study series she authored. I found restoration and healing as I studied through Lord, Heal My Hurts. In addition, I was spiritually strengthened and learned how to stand as I worked through Lord, Is It Warfare? Knowing her personal history, gives hope to me as well as many others who have been divorced or have experienced similar hard times.
The women written about in this book are examples and models of their obedience, ingenuity, and surrender to God. These women embody a great variety of cultures, nationalities, and ministries. The intention of these stories is that they will encourage women to think about how they may be faith-filled followers of Christ. Practical suggestions for women using gifts to serve God include walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, knowing what you believe about the biblical role of women in ministry, seeking God’s will, not your own ambitions, and becoming a mentor to other women.
Christianity has given women greater freedom and respect than any other religion. However, in many ways the view of women as inferior, unequal and of little value continues to cause confusion about the role of women in the church. Jesus honored women and the New Testament honors them as well. Christian leaders need to persuade mature Christian women to train younger women to become aware of their gifts and respond to God’s calling on their lives. This is especially relevant today as many Christian women who are capable in their professional lives become indecisive and less capable when it comes to their families or church relationships.
Even when these attitudes are not specifically taught to girls and young women, they are unconsciously absorbed through a culture that believes that women are not as capable as men are. Women have to overcome feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem because of femininity, nationality, or race. We need to grasp that we are fashioned in God’s image and are the same in value and giftedness as men. Though in many cultures women are told they are inferior to men, Jesus gave dignity and worth to every woman he met. Further, Paul also commended women throughout his letters for their mutually respectful ministry. God has gifted women for ministry in this time as well. In and outside the church, women need to see models of competent dedicated women finding achievement in obedience and service to the Lord. A good role model is a woman that is not mad at men, and is happy with being a woman whom God is calling into service.
As we walk in the Spirit, God will bring the body of Christ into fresh unity, which will bless a lost world. David Hamilton says, “Rights are never ours to be grasped. We should hold our rights loosely, relinquishing them whenever necessary to extend the kingdom of God or to protect a weaker member of the Body of Christ. The overriding principle Paul gave in 1 Corinthians—equal rights for men and women, but surrendering personal rights whenever necessary—can be applied whenever we find ourselves in ministry”.[11] While sin causes barriers between men and women, Christians need to carry out the Golden Rule in connection to women who feel called to serve Christ. All Christians need to recognize respected interpretations among true believers concerning the role of women in the church.
In conclusion, I would recommend this book to any woman seeking God’s power in her life concerning her gifts and service. For me personally, the answer is a simple one. I must “Seek first the kingdom of God”. In spite of the bending of God’s word, religious pride, and unbelief, God will lead us in the way of love and unity as we seek Him first. We are each responsible for having an intimate relationship with our Savior as opposed to robotically following the rules of others. While Christian community is important, no woman should disobey God by not seeking Him and His will for her life first. Both men and women are accountable for seeking God and His direction for their lives. He will show us what we need to do and how to do it. He will open and close doors. Regardless of gender, God empowers us for the ministry into which He is calling us. Let us be about our Father’s business!
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His Highest. Uhrichsville, Ohio: Barbour Publishing. 1963.
Cunningham, Loren, and David Joel Hamilton. Why Not Women? A Fresh Look at Scripture on Women in Mission, Ministry, and Leadership. Seattle, Washington: Youth with a Mission. 2000.
Lutz, Lorry. Women as Risk-Takers for God. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1997.
Strauss, Mark L. Distorting Scripture? The Challenge of Bible Translation & Gender Accuracy. Downers Grove, IL: Inter- Varsity Press. 1998.
Women of Global Action Website., http://www.globalaction.nu/about_lectures.php. 2006.
[2] Lorry Lutz. 1997. Women as Risk-Takers for God. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books), x, xi.
[3] Mark L. Strauss. 1998. Distorting Scripture? The Challenge of Bible Translation & Gender Accuracy. (Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press), 31.
[4] Ibid., xvii.
[5] Ibid., 4.
[6] Ibid., 5.
[7] Ibid., 165.[8] Ibid., 176.[9] Ibid., 173.[10] Ibid., 191.[11] Loren Cunningham and David Joel Hamilton. 2000. Why Not Women? A Fresh Look at Scripture on Women in Mission, Ministry, and Leadership. (Seattle, Washington: Youth With a Mission), 172.
All pages copyright 1999 - 2008 Leslie Shaw Holzmann
