Greg Anderson

Justa Berean, I’ve seen the same pattern here in Southern Cal. and with many older (chronological age) believers. In particular, those who are members of the mega-fellowships of Calvary Chapel. Although I have the utmost respect and admiration for Chuck Smith the founder of Calvary Chapel, I do not agree with his complementarian (no women in the leadership) stance. Recently while on the freeway here, I heard a CC-sponsored radio show in which the wife of a certain Calvary Chapel pastor said with all certainty that God has ordained a gender-based hierarchy from the beginning of creation. So here’s the thing. Many believers have no interest in doing there own homework so to speak, that is; investigating God’s word for themselves. They are content to sit at the feet of their leadership and have them do their thinking for them. What’s more, Calvary Chapel pastors will only use the King James translation or grudgingly the New King James when the Elizabethan idioms draw a blank slate from congregants. Bottom line here is that it takes work to become a Berean and most are just not up to it. One last word here, regardless of what English translation is used, gender-based hierarchy is simply not supported when God’s word in its entirety is used as a body of data. Our dear sister Cheryl has demonstrated that admirably.