Cheryl Schatz

Corrie #12,

You said:

Surely they do not believe that everyone who speaks to a group of people is in an authoritative role?  If they do, then we are in trouble.

What I have found is that the issue is so often hidden by the claim that it is about pastors and elders, but the fact is that they stop a woman from speaking to men, implying that the mere act of teaching men is an “authoritative” role.  Their thinking seems to be that teaching the scriptures is something that requires taking authority over another person.  But I ask does a woman have authority over another woman when she teaches her the bible?  Apparently they don’t see women teaching women as taking authority over other women since they believe that teaching the word of God “with authority” is something that only men can do.  If the same woman taught the same stuff to men that she taught to women, she is “usurping” authority that rightfully belongs to men.  I find their reasoning confusing with much “sleight of hand” changes and redefinitions.

It is my personal opinion, that after hearing Anne Graham Lotz speak on heaven, that the men in that room were intimidated by her obvious gifting from the Lord and that she shines brightly as someone who knows God’s word and how to present it.  She is an amazing orator and is certainly by far one of the best I have ever heard.  It is sometimes hard to admit, because of pride, that someone is better at something than we are, especially when that someone is a woman.  🙂

I agree.  I can hear Anne Graham Lotz’s passion when I hear her preach.  And she focuses on Jesus which makes her preaching so powerful.

Turning their chairs around is an act of an immature toddler.   These are not men of God.  These are toddlers who need a a time-out. The real men of God in that room were the ones who didn’t act like silly children and who were secure in their manhood enough that they could enjoy her presentation and be blessed by her words of wisdom.

Well said!!

What conference was this at?  When did this incident take place?

Mrs. Lotz wrote that this was in the beginning of her ministry so that would have been quite a number of years ago.  I also heard her on TV giving this same story.  I don’t think she mentioned where the incident took place or who exactly was involved.  It was a defining moment for Anne.  It humiliated her and satan wanted to destroy her so that she would quit her work for Christ.  But Anne did what all of us should do in a humbling moment like this.  She went to Jesus.  He gave her such a confidence from the word of God that she was doing what was right and that she was in his will that she forgave those men and went on in her work with great boldness continuing to preach the word.
Moments like this can either make us or break us.  We can let the bad behavior of others define out ministry, or we can walk forth in boldness with our egos given to Jesus.  It takes great boldness to walk out before an audience to preach God’s word, knowing that many in the audience are judging us as sinning against God.  What Anne Graham Lotz did was put everything into focus.  She would one day stand before God and give an account of her ministry call.  She must obey Jesus and not men.  Those same men will also stand before Jesus and give an account of what they did.
If I remember right, Mrs. Lotz said in an interview on TV that men like this must not usurp God’s authority over his own sheep in that they must not physically stop women from ministering.  We can deal with the shame that is leveled our way, but if any were to physically stop her from speaking, then the ones who did this would have to answer directly to God himself for their actions.  She hoped that it would never come to this because her desire is to serve Jesus in everyway that He has called her.  No one should stand in the way of a godly woman going about the business of the Lord Jesus.