I’m a man and I have to ask myself what’s in it for me to be egalitarian? Here are some answers I’ve come up with.
1. I’m living in a more Godly manner. I think it’s clear from Scripture that men and women are equal in God. I have a directive to be Godly. God Himself will reward me for imitating Him. That’s a biggie!
2. Shared responsibility means less work and work done better. By living gift-based, my wife and I are able to have each of us do what we do best. In our case, because of my wife’s disabilities, we end up looking pretty complementarian. I work outside the home and she takes care of the home. Just because it doesn’t “look” egalitarian doesn’t mean it isn’t. It also means that we can deal with each other as friends rather than having a boss/employee type relationship. Personally, I don’t like being a supervisor, nor do I want to come home to one.
3. Men have egalitarian/complementarian problems, too. This is an area in which we egalitarians could be doing better. Spousal abuse by wives should not exist in an egalitarian home any more than abuse by husbands should. This applies to both physical and verbal abuse. We should be more conscious of the needs of male rape and sexual molestation victims. There are jobs, inside and outside the church, which are difficult for a man to get. Having been a male secretary for 15 years, I can tell you that it’s only been recently that men have received equal consideration for this line of work. How about the nursery and the kitchen at your church? Are they actively recruiting help from the entire church? Many men are gifted in both areas of endeavor.
4. Egalitarianism is not just about men and women. Gal. 3:28 reads, in part, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female…”. (KJV – That’s the one I learned it in.) It’s also about racism and classism. It’s about me and my non-white neighbor going to the same church and getting the same opportunities and treatment in that church. It’s about the CEO who’s two pews away being an equal brother/sister in Christ. We can shake hands as equals. We can each use our gifts from God for God and our church.
5. Egalitarian churches double their chances of hiring or electing the people God has gifted and called to their leadership positions. So, the church is more accurately associating with God and is therefore getting the best people in these positions. This is an advantage to all members, both male and female, regardless of race or social position.
I’m sure there are other places where egalitarianism is good for men. Any suggestions?
