Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Mix It Up



In reading this review of Rachel Green Miller’s Beyond Authority and Submission: Women and Men in Marriage, Church, and Society, one of the reviewer’s comments stood out to me:

“[The] message is that conservatives need to examine themselves to see where their own errors and acceptance of extra-biblical and even anti-biblical traditions have led them astray. Miller speaks in earnest when she describes the way contemporary stereotypes caused her to question her femininity (124)… These are concerns that many people will share. Having served as a pastor in various churches for around a decade now, I have encountered several smart and capable women who were discouraged that the majority of the ‘women’s’ studies focused only on topics of marriage and childrearing. The men get to talk about theology, while the women just talk about being women. This is indeed a problem, and church leaders ought to see that all members, men and women, are taught the entire content of the Bible, including theological topics, biblical symbolism, and Christian ethics for all of life.”

I googled “gender-specific church ministries,” and the results fall into two basic categories: 1) we need gender-specific groups because people won’t open up as much in mixed groups, or 2) we need mixed groups because gender-specific groups reinforce unbiblical stereotypes. Both options may be valuable in different settings.
“The current crisis in Christian education stems, in large measure, from a lack of clear purpose at the grassroots level… Christian education is dedicated to helping people discover God’s meaning for life” (Jim Wilhoit, Christian Education and the Search for Meaning, 2nd ed. pp. 9-11).
Church-based ministries should be tied to a specific purpose, and that purpose will then determine the makeup of the group. If the primary purpose is fellowship, then groups can be aligned on any sort of commonality—gender, age, marital status, hobbies, food, or other affinities. Groups focused primarily on service will likely be shaped by the gifts and abilities of the people involved. (But don’t assume men won’t cook or women won’t do construction projects.) If the purpose is growing in knowledge and application of Scripture, there seems to be very little reason for segregation of genders. The vast majority of the Bible is written for everyone and should be read and learned by all. And even the few passages that are more applicable to one gender need to be understood by everyone.

It may be true that men will open up more with just men and women will open up more with just women, but much of that depends on the example set by the leader. A well-trained leader can solicit deeper input from all members, as well as redirecting conversation that is off-topic, monopolizing, or inappropriate.

The size of a group also plays an important role. A smaller group will naturally have more intimate conversation simply because there is more time available for each person to contribute to the discussion. Groups of 3-5 may be better suited to single-gender formation, particularly if there’s a likelihood that only two people may show up at any meeting. Large single-gender groups seem more inclined to become cliquish and unintentionally exclude those who are on the fringes of whatever the current stereotype may be.

Since there are no biblical directives for small groups, and since there are pros and cons of every group, much of it simply comes down to personal preference. Large churches may be able to offer a variety of options that small churches simply can’t maintain. Small church leaders need to assess what types and makeup of groups will best meet the needs of their people. Unfortunately, that means that members won’t always get what they want, but that is part of humbly submitting to one another within the Body of Christ.

“From [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:16 ESV).




© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.