pastor darlene

Cheryl you asked,
…Can God choose to use a woman in ministry without first consulting with her husband? Must a woman’s spiritual decisions be filtered through her husband?

I would like to respond to your question with my own situation.

Yes!!! God can choose to use whomever to serve the Kingdom of God, male and female.
Did God consult with my husband first? I really don’t know! I’m not sure who God spoke to first.
Did my spiritual decision filter through my husband? Yes!
The reason being, when I entered into the covenant of marriage the two of us became one. God does not call just an individual if they are married. The call affects the entire family. God also called Abraham, it affected Sarah. God confirmed the call/promise to Abraham by giving Sarah a Child. Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but they had not entered into the covenant of marriage, yet. However, God also spoke to Joseph and confirmed that what was within Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
God spoke to my husband also and confirmed that what was conceived within me was also from the Holy Spirit. This was my call to ministry. It was God’s call, which then was placed in the heart of my husband (albeit over the course of several years). I had to wait and trust (like Abraham) that God would place this in my husband’s heart as well. I have seen the same thing occur when God calls the husband and has to confirm with the wife.
God will never contradict. When two people join in a marital covenant, the two become one, this is God’s plan. What God has joined together, no one can separate. God will not violate this. I believe God desires that believing spouses filter all spiritual decisions through one another. It is mutual submission. I made this a commitment 23 years ago, when I gave up my individual “rights” to become his wife. He gave up his “rights” when he became my husband. I will always submit to the wisdom of my husband and filter spiritual decisions through him as he loves me and will always pray and seek God’s will for me.
My two cents.