When I was a young woman trying to map out the course of my life before me, I often struggled with whether or not I should go into ministry. It was never a question of whether or not I could be a minister, for to me, there was no reason I could not. From my days as a new believer reading the Bible for the very first time, to now, as a more mature believer who has read in-depth translations, studies and commentaries regarding what Paul said to women in the Church, and heard numerous theological debates on whether women should or should not be in Church leadership and ministry, the scriptures have only reinforced to me that God has used and continues to use both men and women to tend to His sheep.

Perhaps, because of my Lutheran, Charismatic and Pentecostal background, for many years, it did not even occur to me that anyone would question that women could be ministers. It seemed so obvious to me that we could, just as much as any man. Only in recent years have I been shocked out of this ignorance to find what a hotly debated topic this is in Christendom. I thank God that I made it through my formative years as a Christian blissfully unaware of this. I was very fortunate; unlike some women who long to fulfill a calling preaching the word or pastoring a church only to be rejected or stifled by voices saying, "You do not have the right equipment to lead," I had no outward resistance, only an internal struggle: as a Christian was I obligated to be in ministry, even if I didn't want to be a pastor or a missionary?

This internal conflict was because I felt called to serve God, and I thought that to do so meant I must be in a recognized ministry position-- be it pastor, missionary, evangelist, or otherwise ordained minister. To add to this, I have often shied away from leadership positions, as I tend to prefer supporting roles over the spotlight. Not only did I not desire the title, but I also did not desire the authority or power. But, as I eventually realized, ministering before God does not require a title or a position. And any authority or power is not ours, but rather it belongs to God. For, He calls all of us to minister, as we are all part of the royal priesthood of believers (I Peter 2:9). Sure, I can minister as a pastor, but I can also minister as a violist on a worship team, as a wife and a mother, as a writer, as a friend, and as a random stranger in a coffee shop. Whatever gifts I have been given, regardless of titles or position, can be used to minister to others.

Really, when I think back to those who have ministered to me the most and drawn me closer to God, the majority held no ministry titles or positions. Instead, it was the friend who gladly was my sounding post when I needed to vent without judgment or condemnation, as well as the gentle voice of correction in love when I was off track;  it was other Christian bloggers who bared themselves online, showing what ferocious grace, love and mercy are; it was even bands, both Christian and secular, whose music somehow spoke to a place of redemption and drew me to Christ in a time of pain and betrayal. Once, on a particularly bad day, it was simply someone ahead of me in the Starbucks drive-through who paid for my $5 mocha. There have been times when a pastor or minister has deeply ministered to me as well, but on a day to day basis, it is the other less obvious agents of redemption.

So, then, the question isn't really about who can or who can't minister. No, it's about who can hold what ministry titles and positions and power. It may seem odd that, I, as a woman who much prefers to keep to the background and has absolutely no desire to preach or pastor or lead a worship team, or really lead in any "titled" capacity at all, I have such a strong passion to see opportunities for other women to do so. But I do. To me, it is a question of injustice, and we as believers are called to seek justice for the oppressed and downtrodden. But it is more than that. This passion in me is also  born out of a desire to see the Church be all that is should be. In hindering some women from the fulness of their callings, it is not just the women who suffer, but the whole Church.

When I think of women who have been forcibly restricted from using their gifts, the imagery that comes to mind is the ancient Chinese practice of foot binding. In order to conform to an absurd standard of femininity, part of the body of Christ has been broken and tightly bound, unable to grow to its fully intended size. Then to hide its deformity it is covered with an ornately decorated slipper, outwardly conforming to an illusion of daintiness and fragility. But in reality, underneath it has taken a painfully misshapen and painful form. This doesn't just affect the foot, it affects the whole body, which is now forced to walk with an unbalanced and cautious gait. The whole Body of Christ is effectively crippled when certain members are unnaturally bound and unable to function or grow into all that God intended them to be.

I don't know about you, but I have grown weary and saddened by the debates and conversations that seem to lead to merely more debates. At some point, more words just seem like white noise. Unfortunately, since this is an issue within the church, I do not think we can simply "shake the dust off our sandals" and move on, however tempting that may be.

&nbsp;

<em>*I did not expound on thee theological arguments for women in ministry and Church leadership  in this article, as it has already been thoroughly and eloquently written about by many other authors. If you are interested in reading more about this subject, I recommend the following:</em>

<em><strong>Blogs</strong></em>
<ul>
	<li><em><a href="http://inamirrordimly.com/">Ed Cyzewski</a> - Ed has an entire series called <a href="http://inamirrordimly.com/the-women-in-ministry-series-home-page/">Women in Ministry</a> composed of guest posts dedicated to encouraging women to pursue their God-given callings.</em></li>
	<li><em><a href="http://rachelheldevans.com/">Rachel Held Evans</a><span style="text-align: left"> - Rachel frequently writes about issues related to women in the church and women in ministry. My favorite post of hers so far on this topic is </span><a href="http://rachelheldevans.com/daughters-will-prophesy">"...Your Daughters Will Prophesy</a><span style="text-align: left">". </span></em></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: left"><em><strong>Books</strong></em></p>

<ul>
	<li><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Junia-Is-Not-Alone-ebook/dp/B006H4PFZ8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1323117985&amp;sr=8-6">Junia Is Not Alone</a> by Scot McKnight </em></li>
	<li><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Paul-Really-About-Women/dp/0060610638/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top">What Paul Really Said About Women</a> by John T. Bristow</em></li>
</ul>
<em> If you have other blogs or books to recommend, please leave a link in the comments!</em>