Changing Traditions: Letting God Speak through Women in Church

Abstract

Abstract: The Stone Campbell Movement has historically prohibited women from publicly teaching baptized male believers. This tradition was founded on carefully selected Scriptures that were originally taken out of context and clearly contradict other Biblical accounts instructing women to teach. Through the continuation of this tradition, the church movement prioritizes tradition rather than obeying God. This tradition hurts the body of Christ by keeping over half of the people in churches silent. The validity of this tradition has been debated by top theologians since it was created, but continues to be a major church issue today. In this essay, the out-of-context Scriptures used to forbid female teachers will be put in context and placed alongside Scriptures that address this issue. This essay will also explore how the Stone Campbell Movement can align their traditional beliefs about female teachers with the Bible’s commands in order to unite the church under God instead of leaving it bound under traditions.