Women Pastors? Let the Whole Bible Speak

The Christian Post is reporting that the recent decision by New Spring Church to leave the Southern Baptist Convention over the role of women has stirred the waters once again. And rightly so—this is no peripheral issue. It strikes at the very framework of how we interpret Scripture, understand spiritual leadership, and recognize God’s appointed roles for men and women in His Church.

The verse most often wielded to prohibit women from pastoral office is 1 Timothy 2:12: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” Taken in isolation, that appears definitive. But Paul was addressing a specific crisis in Ephesus, where false teaching had infiltrated the church—particularly targeting spiritually vulnerable women. As he wrote in 2 Timothy 3:6, “…those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions.” That context cannot be ignored. 

To quote Pastor Greg Locke, who holds the modern-day office of apostle, “The greatest authority on the Bible is the Bible.” So, to best interpret Scripture, we must look to the Scripture. And Paul—the same apostle who penned the instruction above concerning women—also praised women like Phoebe (Romans 16:1), Junia (Romans 16:7), and Priscilla (Acts 18:26), who labored in Gospel ministry, even teaching and discipling men. Titus 2:3–5 specifically commands older women to “teach what is good” and instruct younger women. The role of women in proclaiming God’s truth is not only permitted—it is biblically commanded.

From a personal perspective, consider my wife Lori. She is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, delivers Scripture with fire and clarity, and displays more spiritual discernment and Holy Spirit unction than many men who currently fill pulpits. More important, I know her heart and her commitment to taking up her cross daily in obedience to Jesus (Luke 9:23). She’s the real deal. To suggest that such an anointing should be suppressed on the basis of gender alone is not only shortsighted—it risks grieving the very Spirit who gave the gift. Jesus warned in Matthew 25 that burying God-given talent is disobedience. That kind of gifting must be invested into the Kingdom of God, and Lori’s calling is not theoretical—it’s bearing real fruit. Stay the course, woman of God!

Likewise, as her husband and an ordained pastor, I affirm her calling—not as a concession, but as an act of Scriptural alignment. Genesis 2:24 and Ephesians 5:31 declare that husband and wife are “one flesh.” We are not simply married—we are unified in Spirit and mission. When I step into the authority of my office, she does so with me—not beneath me, not independent from me, but as one. That’s not a loophole. That’s divine order. Yes, I am called to lead, and she, by design, follows my spiritual headship—but oneness is not diminished by order. It is enhanced by it. When it comes to sheer leadership, and not specifically teaching, men must lead. But when men abdicate their role, or are simply not available, then praise God when an anointed woman can stand in the gap for a local church. 

And though Scripture calls her the “weaker vessel,” she is by no means a lesser vessel. Galatians 3:28 says it plainly: “There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Spiritual value and ministerial calling are never disqualified by gender.

Consider Acts 18:26, where Priscilla—together with her husband Aquila—took Apollos aside and “explained to him the way of God more accurately.” They didn’t do this in separate silos; they did it together, as one flesh. And Paul didn’t rebuke them—he celebrated them.

Christ is returning for a spotless Bride, not a silent one. The Holy Spirit is speaking in these last days through both sons and daughters (Acts 2:17). To dismiss the voice of half the Church is to deny the fullness of God’s strategy for these times.

To those still wrestling with this topic, I get it. Overly granular teaching has led you astray. Yes, when it comes to spiritual headship, God calls men to lead. That’s the biblical blueprint. But when men abandon that calling—or are simply absent—praise God for the women who rise up, anointed, able, and willing, to stand in the gap. Their leadership may not be ideal by design, but it is often essential by necessity—and God honors it. But let’s be honest: if your theology leads you to reject the biblical, fruit-bearing ministry of a woman like Lori—or Priscilla, or Junia, or Pastor Greg Locke’s wife, “Pastor” Tai—you may need to reexamine the spirit you’re defending.

Let’s fight the enemy, not each other. Divisiveness is a work of the flesh. The harvest is ready, and the laborers are too few. Let’s not send half of them home.