Historical and Cultural Contexts in the Women Ordination Debate

The ordination of women has been a contentious issue in the history of the church. For almost nineteen centuries, churches have debated whether women should hold leadership positions within the body of Christ. Despite what women have done in the history of the church, some churches have found it difficult to ordain women to the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament based on cultural tradition. In fact, the question of ordination is still unanswered in many churches today. In this session, we will examine how women have served the church in the past, examine how culture impacts our interpretation of Scripture, and show how the Bible affirms the ordination of women.