Thank you for sharing your journey. I too came through this same journey years ago. The Lord Jesus made it very clear to me that those who oppose women in ministry were misdirected, but none-the-less dear brothers and sisters in Christ and my attitude towards them must be caring and compassionate. I have been so blessed to receive multiple comments about the tone of the DVDs as being full of love for those who disagree with me. I give all the praise to the Lord Jesus who brought me through the hurt that I have experienced as a woman in ministry. The best thing for me is just following the Lord’s example and knowing that he will fight my battles. My fight is not with my brothers and sisters in Christ but with a distorted tradition that has held many captive.

I look forward to hearing back from you when you are able to watch the entire set.

Blessings!
Cheryl

The whole issue of women in ministry is an issue that has been very much on my heart and mind for the past several weeks.

Up until about a month ago, I was a very committed complementarian. Every Church I’ve ever attended has taught that women should be silent, aren’t allowed to teach men, and that women are forbidden to be elders or pastor/teachers. I believed that women pastors and other women in leadership were deliberately disobeying God and must not care what the Bible teaches. I had never had the opportunity to interact with a woman pastor or a woman involved with Church leadership. It was only after I did have the opportunity listen to and talk with a woman pastor that my view of women in ministry began to change. But I believe this is a change that was a long time coming. For many years,I frequently felt confused and frustrated by passages such as 1st Timothy 2, 1st Corinthians 14, and 1st Corinthians 11. I had a feeling there was something about these passages that I wasn’t understanding, but I didn’t know where to turn for answers. These passages seemed so clear and straightforward on the surface.

They didn’t seem to be open for debate or discussion. I was never taught anything except the complementarian view. Meeting the female pastor, started me on a quest for truth. I came across several websites and read a book on the egalitarian view point. Everything pretty much came together for me. Based on the research I’ve done this far, I feel that I can no longer support the complementarian view. But I also wanted to be sure that the egalitarian view was truly biblical and not just the result of twisting Scripture or ripping Scripture out of its proper context.

Just this morning, I stumbled across a link for the WIM main page. I watched the introduction clip from the DVD series. I was very impressed. The teaching was clear, easy to understand, biblical, and balanced. I liked how you discussed the passage in depth and in context. I also liked that you also openly and honestly discussed the complementarian point of view. I wanted to see more, so I decided to check out your blog. I watched all of the free clips from there, and again, I was very impressed. I also like that you call complementarians brothers and sisters in Christ, and that you don’t resort to personally attacking those who hold a different view. I so appreciate your willingness to research and discuss these difficult passages of Scripture. It is obvious that you have done a lot of research. I also commend you for presenting this material with humility and respect.

I am not financially able to order the complete series at this time, but I definitely intend to order them in the future. You have done an amazing job with this series. I believe you have done a great service to the body of Christ. I believe that this series is an invaluable resource for both complementarians and egalitarians both.

Blessings in Christ,
Lisa

I hope that helps!
Cheryl