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| Not the choir director, not the General Assembly, but a very lazy attempt to add a visual to a blog post indeed. |
In an uncomfortable move that surprised no one, a Teaching
Elder lodged a protest against the host committee having a woman “lead the
Assembly in worship.” Five or six other TEs (out of 1300+) signed onto the
protest, which requires no action and mostly functions as an exercise in
conscience. Personally, I am deeply grieved at how hurtful such a public
statement is, knowing the choir director (probably more properly “conductor”)
and her deep love for Jesus. The TE, I’m sure, had no desire to attack the
woman personally, but saw the issue as a matter of doctrinal fidelity.
I think the protest is misguided for several reasons.
First, his objection was that a woman was “leading worship.” It is common for
church members to collapse “worship” down to singing, but a minister should
know better. The entire service is formal worship. She didn’t “lead worship,”
the worship was led by the moderator, The Rev. Dr. Bryan Chapell, who opened
the service, preached and closed with a benediction. The woman (whom I’m
avoiding naming) directed the choir and the congregational singing.
Second, I can’t image any reading of Scripture which would
forbid a woman being a choir director. 1 Timothy 2:12 forbids a woman teaching
or “exercising authority over a man.” Surely a woman waving her arms to help
the congregation stay on beat is not what Paul was talking about. If so, then
we’d have to say that any function of a woman in church where she directs in
any way (say in the parking lot), would be forbidden. Surely this is an
admonition against a woman exercising spiritual authority, which is found in establishing
doctrine (normally by preaching) or church discipline.
Third, the argument that it is inappropriate for a woman to
lead a choir would seem to cover all female involvement in music in a worship
service. All of the musicians lead the congregation in singing – that is the
function of their service. Is this the biblical admonition?
Fourth, and most importantly in some ways, this kind of
public statement has the effect of chilling godly women’s service in the
Church. It gives the unspoken message that they are viewed with suspicion and
fear. They feel that they don’t have a place in the work and life of the
church. They feel that they are called to be witnesses to work and worship and
not full participants. The church ends up looking far different from the New
Testament, where women were “fellow workers” (Romans 16:3) and were publicly
commended for their service (Romans 16:1).
By creating an unbiblical environment, the credibility of
men, who are claiming to teach what the Bible says, is diminished. In that
credibility and relational vacuum, other, less biblical, voices begin to
influence the conversation. Ironically, the extreme forms of biblical
patriarchialism end up promoting what they condemn. God deliver us from our own
fear.
