Where Have All the Fathers Gone?

From Gospel Translations

When feminism is mentioned in conjunction with the church, the first thing that comes to mind is the plight of liberal denominations that tolerate, or even promote, the most outrageous doctrines and practices of radical feminism. But the feminization of the church is not exclusive to the liberal churches; many evangelicals also bear the marks of our feminized culture.

At the 24th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, an effort was made to correct a perceived flaw in the Book of Church Order. Since all who are admitted to communing membership are permitted to vote in congregational meetings, it was argued that a minimum voting age should be set. I spoke against this proposal, observing that if the denomination would take the covenant seriously and limit voting to heads of households, there would be no problem to fix. Furthermore, new problems would not be introduced by going beyond Scripture. Subsequently, another pastor encouraged me to send an overture to the General Assembly requesting that the book be changed to reflect that covenant perspective. However, when asked whether he would support such a measure, the pastor declined, stating that the women in his church would never stand for it. This indicates how far the egalitarian principle has permeated even Bible-believing churches. We have allowed culture to trump Scripture.

We must not place the blame for this condition on women exclusively, or even primarily. If feminism is alive and well in the church, it is because men have abdicated their responsibilities as covenant heads of families and leaders in the church.

Over the years, a weak pulpit ministry has contributed to the feminization of the church. Sentimentalism has replaced the bold preaching of the whole counsel of God in too many churches. The doctrines that confront and challenge are discarded in favor of a tepid ministry that neither rightly offends nor truly comforts. God’s Word calls men to exercise dominion over all creation. When preaching fails to challenge men with this call, men mistakenly separate their vocations from the faith. They will not invest time and energy in the irrelevance of an emasculated religion.

Leaders in the church may inadvertently contribute to the feminization of the church by failing to take to heart the teaching of 2 Timothy 2:1–2. “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” This passage provides a pattern for ministry. The assumption is that the primary responsibility for the work of teaching in the church belongs to men. That assumption is made explicit in 1 Corinthians 14:34–35a: “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home.” It is not the direct responsibility of pastors and elders to teach God’s Word to women in the church. It is the responsibility of church leaders to teach husbands and fathers to teach their wives and children at home.

Most congregations, however, short circuit apostolic methodology and focus on women’s ministry, doing little to disciple men. Women in regular women’s ministry develop a greater knowledge of, and facility with, the Bible than men who have not been discipled to the same degree. This serves to alienate further male heads of households, who, since the Fall, tend to neglect responsibility and justify their sin with the knowledge that their families are being instructed without them.

The problem is seen in the challenge of finding qualified and willing teachers for Sabbath school classes. Because men have not been discipled, Sabbath schools come to be dominated by women teachers. Thus, we teach young men and women that women are expected to assume the responsibility for teaching in the church.
Of course, husbands and fathers also contribute to the feminization of the church. God has ordained men to be the covenant heads of their homes (Eph. 5:23). Husbands are to be Christ’s instrument for the sanctification of their wives (Eph. 5:25–27). And fathers have the responsibility for teaching their children and seeing that they walk in obedience (Eph. 6:4).

Men cannot object that they do not have the time to prepare for these responsibilities — God has given one day in seven for worship in public and private. Men who lead will be diligent to devote themselves to hearing and meditating on the Word of God preached at the worship services. They will study the Scriptures at home and devote themselves to lead their families in regular family worship.

If help is needed to understand a difficult doctrine or passage, the husband should ask the pastor or elders to explain it so that he may, in turn, teach his family. In short, men must train their families to look to them for leadership.

In 1 Corinthians 16:13, the apostle Paul admonishes believers to “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” The word translated “be brave” is literally “act like men.” Act like men by loving God supremely and by exercising the leadership God requires in the home and church. When men lay hold of God’s call to serve Him in every sphere of life, godly women will live and serve joyfully according to God’s ordained social order. And the church will arise from her irrelevance and again become a praise in all the earth.