I began working inside Iraq with all the evangelical churches in early 2005.
We hosted a secret meeting in a secluded motel in Jerash, Jordan, in 2008, where pastors and their wives from several sects of Christianity representing four Middle Eastern countries, plus Egypt, met for a week of much needed fellowship, prayer, and teaching.
Pastor Nabil Sara, pastor of First Baptist Church Baghdad (and also a retired mechanical engineer and president of the Evangelical Church Council of Iraq at that time), was a part of the group. He was truly a brave Christian leader, having overseen their church through several years while meeting underground.
During that period when Evangelicals were meeting underground, Pastor Nabil waited night after night, dressed and ready every morning at 2:00 AM for the possibility that Saddam Hussein’s henchmen may come to take him away. That was the time of night that Christian kidnappings were taking place most often. Saddam Hussein, as you know, is dead; but Nabil is safe in the USA, teaching God’s word in a senior citizen center in the Dallas area. Praise God!
During our conference in Jordan, the question came up about women pastors – something, as a rule, that the Bible clearly prohibits.
I Timothy 2:12-14 NKJV
- “And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.”
(NOTE: I do not even remotely endorse the liberal theology that permits women to pastor local churches; this story does not endorse that either.)
Keep I Timothy 2 in mind as you consider the following – a rare exception.
Pastor Nabil told the story (current at that time) of how a large handful of women in northern Iraq had come to saving faith through the FBC missionary work in that area; but there was only one or maybe two men who had also believed. But no man would take the role of leadership at that time.
They all met regularly and discreetly (with some of their children), sharing the word of God and praying together. They were, indeed, “called out ones,” a local assembly, or church; and obviously, someone needed to take the lead.
The FBC affirmed their fellowship as a local church and designated a temporary leader, who was a woman – because, again, only a few men had believed, none would accept the role, and their participation was sporadic.
God Himself had established this tiny local church in territory hostile to Evangelical Christianity, and He would raise up a leader for them.
They were a church, but with no possibility for male leadership at that point.
The plan was to designate a man to be the pastor once a qualified man would take the role.
I agreed with that exception, and still do. Eventually, they would grow to form the makings for a healthy, thriving local church, with male leadership.
Some weeks after that, I was keynote speaker for a second year at the Sialkot Convention in Pakistan.
- At that time, the convention was still vibrant, with tens of thousands of believers coming once a year from all over the country to hear messages that would set the tone for the following year.
- The Sialkot Convention was a tradition started some 100 years earlier by a Presbyterian pastor/evangelist known most for his commitment to prayer. His name was John Hyde, better known as Praying Hyde.
- Each year, an international speaker would be chosen by either the national Presbyterian Moderator or by the Vicar of the National Churches of Pakistan. I was there twice. It was one of the greatest privileges that I was ever offered in preaching and teaching God’s word.
During that week, I was asked to go to a board meeting of the National Council of Churches of Pakistan, who were meeting in Lahore. I went, not knowing why, until I arrived.
Upon my arrival, I soon learned the national leaders were disputing among themselves over whether women should be allowed to ever serve in the role of pastor or not. Some were also arguing that women should not even be allowed to learn the Bible alongside men, particularly in a seminary or other theological study setting.
- I had already witnessed one awful situation where women were greatly oppressed in the largest Evangelical/Pentecost Church sect in Chile, South America, years before. In that “Jesus’ name only” church situation, involving more than half a million believers, the women were kept ignorant of God’s word on purpose; and they, along with their children, were separated from the men during worship services, where they were also considered second-class members of the body of Christ.
Back to the story in Pakistan…
They had invited me to Lahore to know what I thought was right in God’s eyes on the matter.
Some were arguing for a liberal answer, and others for a conservative one. They sensed the Lord might use me to help them decide. I didn’t know any of them personally, but they had attended the convention where I had been preaching. I was humbled by their confidence in what I thought.
Their decision would directly affect local church policy for every church of The National Churches of Pakistan, as well as policy for the Presbyterian churches. At that time, those two denominations represented the first and second largest Christian sects in the country, with well over one million people.
First, I gave them the clear Biblical answer (primarily, I Timothy 2:12), one that they were well aware of and had already argued about amongst themselves.
Then suddenly, while I was speaking, the Holy Spirit brought to mind what He had taught me only weeks earlier through the small new assembly on the outskirts of Iran, in Iraq! Surely, God had put that together and allowed me to learn from it for this very moment!
I shared that story with them just as it had been told to me, and we had a thorough discussion on the matter. After some time, we came to a unified conclusion – the same conclusion that I’m sharing with you now.
While women should be allowed to learn in a theological environment when that is in order with God’s will for them, they should not serve as pastors except in rare cases. The situation in northern Iraq was a rare case.
We all had great peace with that, believing the Holy Spirit had arranged all these things for this moment!
That was in 2008, my last trip to Pakistan. I communicated directly with the leadership there for several more years, observing and collaborating from a distance as the Lord gave opportunity.
In summary, God will raise up the leadership He needs and wants; but again, it is only in rare and unusual exceptions that He will raise up a woman to lead a congregation of believers as pastor.
His written Word remains the standard.
Praise Him!
