Critique of Westfall's claim that complementarians make gender the 'salient identity' in the church

Westfall claims that those who restrict Galatians 3:28 'tend to assume that gender is the salient identity in the church rather than our identity in Christ.' Mike finds this accusation inaccurate — saying women cannot be elders does not make gender the salient identity in the church. The primary issue is salvation and oneness in Christ. Whoever can or cannot be an elder for any reason is not being told their identity in Christ is in question. Mike turns the charge back: on Westfall's view, the salient identity is actually the ability to be an elder — if you can't be an elder, your very status in Christ is supposedly compromised.