So what does the future hold for women in ministry? Here's what I see:
- men awakening to the gifts of women and encouraging their development to advance the Lord's work.
- a new vocabulary emerging in the church to incorporate women into ministry. There will be a shunning of old terminology that identifies women as harlots, deceptive and lesser.
- many female-led ministries developing in foreign countries and operating with tremendous favor, authority and power.
- more female pastors successfully leading churches and being welcomed into both their communities and denominations.
- women apostles developing networks of female ministers.
- male pastors encouraging their spouses alongside them in team ministry. Remember when God called Abraham in Genesis 17 to father the nations? In that very same chapter He also called Sarah to mother the nations. God said that out of them the leaders would come -- out of the cooperation of the two.
For the female, her set time has come. This is a new day and a time of new beginnings for women in ministry.
1 comment:
Dear Pastor Sharon, This word is so encouraging to me! I was at the Women's Conference last weekend. I was only able to come on Saturday with my friend Diane, who was the one who first brought me to one of your conferences 9 or 10 years ago. The last one I came to was around 2002 or 03...Wow!! I want you to know that through your ministry God showed me that I could fulfill the dream in my heart to go to Bible School and preach the Word. In 2003 my husband, my chlidren and I sold everything we owned including our dream house we had bought only 9 months before and went to Broken Arrow Oklahoma to go to Rhema Bible Training Center.
It was an adventure filled with more challenges than I can count, but everytime God made a way and provided supernaturally for us time and time again. In 2006 I graduated from the Pastors group at Rhema. My husband had graduated a year earlier from the Childrens Ministry Group. My heart was to stay and go to Pastors 3rd year program, because I wanted to learn more about planting and running a church. Instead we moved to Indiana where my husband took a position as a Children's Pastor. We were there almost 2 years.
Now I am back in Duluth and seeking the Lord on what the next step is. I was so discouraged before I came to the conference last week. I left there with a renewed sense of purpose, joy and urgency! I want so much to see people saved, set free, and walking in all that God has for them! I know that you are familiar with the area, so I ask that you please pray for me. I feel like it is time to start stepping out I am looking for a place to hold a Bible study as I live way out in Gary and bus service is not good.
I was also wondering what I would need to do to join W.I.M.N. I was licsenced in Indiana through the church we worked at but, I am not there anymore so I am not licsensed. Please let me know. Thank you again for obeying God and following the dream He gave you...it has made a huge difference in my life.
Much Love & Blessings
Linda Ballard
momma-linz@charter.net
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