Patricia Martin

Hi Cheryl,
As I read your post, and the subsequent comments I was disappointed to find that no one mentioned the scripture in Genesis that speaks directly to Father God/Jehovah’s gender/lack there of. Genesis 1:26-28 “Let us make man (gender neutral) in our image and in our likeness….Male and female created he them.” God is not male nor is He female, He is both. further testimony to this is in Genesis 2:18-22 When God created Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. Adam was complete male and female together in one body. God did not create woman out of the dust of the ground, but he fashioned her from one of Adam’s ribs. In all reality God created male and female at the same time. They were together in one body. Adam even made the declaration that she “should be called woman because she was TAKEN OUT OF man. Adam and Eve were never two separate entities, they were one. Even after woman was taken out of man God still referred to them as one. See Genesis 5:1.
God created male and female equal. In the New Testament we learn that God doesn’t even see gender, only the heart of man (gender neutral) mankind has seen fit to separate and classify the roles of male and female. Not God. God is ever seeking male and female to submit to Him, serve Him, honor Him, worship Him, love Him. If we as human beings could shift our focus to that alone, then we would see much less bickering over what role this or that person should carry out.
I have fought the fight of women in ministry since 1995 when I was called to preach. It took many years of running, frustration, and a near death experience for me to come to the understanding that I was God’s minister and I would preach to whom ever he sent me to. If you are a woman and you know in your heart you have been called to preach and even pastor then rely solely on God for direction. Surround yourself with Godly men and women, study, prepare, and allow God to move you as He wills. You will face opposition, attack, slander, and a host of other things that I will not list here. Even in this day and age it is not easy to be a woman called of God to minister (except to children). Know this. If God has called you, the He knows that you can handle the pressure. He knows that you will not buckle under the demands of modern day thinking, and He knows that He can trust you with the calling that He has placed on your life.
May God richly bless each and every one of you!
Stay strong! Keep the faith! Never back up, back down or give in!