Radiance

(This is my first time commenting and the following is a re-post of a comment I left underneath an entry from the Wartburg Watch blog.)

At the moment, my greatest problem with the Reformed community is the lack of prominent, public female leaders, speakers, and thinkers. They don’t have to be “pastors,” but why do only MEN get to speak at conferences such as “Together 4 the Gospel?” Why is it that only MEN are allowed to attend annual “General Assembly” meet-ups, where key decisions are made with regard to the direction of their prospective denominations? Why is it only MEN who are writing on subjects such as Reformed theology, church history, and culture?

Why is that the women’s voices are only relegated to the subject of Titus 2 revivals and feminism bashing? It seems these days the only way for women to have a voice is only if they have an Oprah-like persona with an “expertise” on the subject of “Biblical Womanhood.”

Why is that we aren’t considered valuable assets and contributors to the OVERALL theological, intellectual, and scholarly discourse as it relates to the church and its future?

I notice too, ther’s a fraternity-inspired lingo that surrounds and characterizes these male-dominated conferences and settings. Speakers and pastors constantly make statements like “I enjoy the privilege to get to speak with these MEN,” or to “thankful to be around like-minded MEN” or “to study under great MEN of God such as…” —

There’s this overwhelmingly constant referral to themselves and to their events as “MEN” events. So it’s very clear to me, that that’s part of their appeal!

It’s not that there’s a problem with brothers-in-Christ fellowshipping at all…but why can’t they make fraternities and old boys clubs out of “male-geared” events and conferences on “male-specific” subjects such as “Fatherhood,” and “Marriage from a Husband’s perspective? ”

Yet the “women-geared” conferences are only on such things!

I don’t appreciate that only MEN are considered the torch-bearers and passers of the “general” subjects like theology and the very GOSPEL itself!

And don’t even get me started on the utter lack of attention devoted to celebrating the great WOMEN of church history who did not exactly fit into the established “complementarian” mold…