Introduction

There are certain issues that disturb the peace and equilibrium of denominations. Most are not of the ‘substance of the faith’ (Westminster Confession of Faith 1645). They are adiaphora, inconsequential matters. However, they have the potential to disturb the peace and unity of the church. This, in a way, is strange since, when it comes to the position of women in the church, they have been integral to the faith community since the election of God's people and have, in many and various ways exercised leadership (ministry) though this has often been suppressed in a male-dominated patriarchal environment. While some may consider the ordination of women contrary to scripture, the matter is somewhat outdated for the biblical and theological arguments have been long won in women's favour as in the case of the Bantu/Reformed Presbyterian Church in South(ern) Africa. It must be noted that ordination to the ministry in the Presbyterian tradition includes the ordination of women to the function of ruling elder, in addition to that of teaching elder (minister of word and sacrament). The main focus of this chapter is on the teaching eldership and ordination to the ruling eldership will be discussed where appropriate. It begins with an attempt to understand some of the prejudices against a woman-liberated view of scripture because such continues to be promoted as a rear-guard action against the promotion of women in church leadership. The issue of women in leadership within the non-ordained Women's Christian Association, though no less significant, will be considered in this chapter.

The Hermeneutical Perspective

‘Leadership in the Christian church has taken different forms in various periods of history’ (Purvis 1995: vii) as the church has responded to threats, challenges and contextual circumstances. Before there was clear evidence of ordination, the roles of men and women in the life of the church appear to have been fluid. Even when theological and biblical objections were overcome, there remained insuperable barriers to actual ordination (Purvis 1995: viii) as the result of ‘white male privileged hegemony’ (Purvis 1995: xi). It is not possible to discuss the leadership of women in ministry without taking account of the biblical and historical hermeneutics of women's lack of power and authority in terms of what might be described as conservative evangelical or fundamentalistic interpretations which promote the verbal inerrancy of scripture.