Biblical witness which gives evidence of both men and women at every level of leadership’ affirmed
By Craig M. Kibler, The Layman Online, October 31, 2007
FAIR OAKS, Calif. – The board of directors of the New Wineskins Association of Churches on Tuesday morning issued a statement in which it affirmed “the Biblical witness which gives evidence of both men and women at every level of leadership.”
Delegates at the assembly in the sanctuary of Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church also approved a core group of people to serve on a task force to draft a paper on women in church leadership.
Elected unanimously by voice vote to serve as the task force’s core group were Gerrit Dawson, Laurie Johnston, James Quillin and Renee Guth. Volunteers seeking to serve on the task force are welcome, officials said.
The board statement and the establishment of the task force were in response to concerns raised during Convocation III in Orlando, Fla., in February about the issue. Delegates at that assembly approved that a paper be produced affirming and outlining the Biblical basis for women serving as pastors, elders and deacons.
Dawson, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Baton Rouge, La., and co-moderator of New Wineskins, said Tuesday that, “This meeting is really about living out who we said we would be, to gather in prayer, to be accountable, to worship together.” And, to laughter from the audience, he said, “There will be no great drama to come out of this meeting.”
‘The church being the church’
The convocation, Dawson said, is all about “what we see, what we are grateful for, that this is the real deal, this is the church being the church, New Wineskins doing the vision and living it out. It is dull, exciting, boring and wonderful. We’re doing it together. It’s just us.”
He apologized to the audience that, although delegates had approved the writing of the paper, “pressing issues facing the church – dealing with presbyteries and property – meant that we didn’t get as far as we had hoped. This does not mean that this board is not moving on this.”
Dawson then read a statement approved by the Association’s board:
- “The Board of the New Wineskins Association of Churches affirms the Biblical witness which gives evidence of both men and women at every level of leadership. We affirm that men and women are called and gifted for leadership in the church at all levels.”
This, he said, “is our position, this is where we always have been.”
Now, as the task force starts its work on this paper, Dawson – to loud applause – reminded the audience that, “as we begin the study of Scripture, we go with a submissive attitude. We do not go and say, ‘God, let me tell you what you said.’ We don’t do that. We go with a submissive attitude.”
Finally, he said he hopes that the task force’s work will lead to a “deep and prayerful study that will be a great doxology in the life of our association and help to move us forward.”
Craig M. Kibler is the Director of Publications and Executive Editor of the Presbyterian Lay Committee. He can be reached at cmkibler@www.layman.org..