Pastors, Elders, and the Gender Debate

Do female pastors break both the Torah and the design of God and go against God’s desire for the Church? This question has stirred up debate in the Church, often based on the assumption that pastors and elders are the same role. But what if that assumption is flawed?

In this episode, we turn to Scripture to explore the vital—yet often overlooked—variables that often trip individuals up when they come across elders within the Bible. From Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:2, and Ephesians 4:11, we see the role of a pastor described as a divine gifting to shepherd and equip the church—not a position one qualifies for through a checklist of qualifications. This breaks the mold that we often put Pastor into within the American Church. Elders, by contrast, are charged with governance: guarding doctrine, managing conflict, and exercising discipline. Their role, outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, comes with specific qualifications and is limited to men. So, where does that leave women pastors?

Join us in this debate around gender roles and the impact of parsing out the roles of Pastors and Elders within our communities.