Below is a statement about Women in Minstry taken from the offical website of the Southern Baptist Convention.
www.sbc.net/aboutus/pswomen.asp
Women in Ministry:
Women participate equally with men in the priesthood of all believers. Their role is crucial, their wisdom, grace and commitment exemplary. Women are an integral part of our Southern Baptist boards, faculties, mission teams, writer pools, and professional staffs. We affirm and celebrate their Great Commission impact.
While Scripture teaches that a woman’s role is not identical to that of men in every respect, and that pastoral leadership is assigned to men, it also teaches that women are equal in value to men.
The ultimate goal for any ministry involving women reaching women should be to help a woman prayerfully develop her Christian lifestyle that includes:
– Ongoing spiritual enrichment through personal Bible study,
– Hands-on missions involvement, and
– The practice of verbally sharing her faith.
The three circles in this graphic (www.Lifeway.com/lwc/images/lwcI_wm_circles0422503.jpg) represent the national Southern Baptist organizations in which each has a unique focus on equipping women to develop such lifestyles. Lifeway Christian Resources, Woman’s Missionary Union and the North American Mission Board provide resources and involvement opportunities that can work together in the local church.
Lifeway Christian Resources in Nashville, Tenn., created the women’s enrichment ministry focus in Adult Ministry Publishing to address the issues of women through biblical solutions. Women’s ministry at Lifeway offers leadership training and resources, discipleship and spiritual growth tools and enrichment events to encourage women to get into the Word of God. Resources such as Bible studies by Beth Moore and Anne Graham Lotz and the devotional magazine Journey are just some of the resources available. Be sure and check out our women’s resources:
Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) exists to challenge Christian believers to understand and be radically involved in the mission of God. WMU provides learning resources, hands-on experiences, and leadership training to help women grow spiritually into a lifestyle that includes using their knowledge and gifts to reach non-Christians both locally and globally. Through involvement in a Women on Mission group in a local church, the use of Missions Mosaic magazine and participation in the financial and prayer support of missionaries, Christian women today can reach beyond themselves to a global vision. www.wmu.com
God is calling women to share His heart with others through evangelism. Because the North American Mission Board (NAMB) recognizes that call to evangelism and the unique ways women communicate Christ’s work in their lives, the HeartCall Women’s Evangelism area exists. www.namb.net/workarea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=8589999827
The task of HeartCall is to help the women’s leadership in the local church make their ministries evangelistic. Women’s Evangelism at NAMB trains leaders, provides personal witnessing tools and group learning resources for equipping women to share their faith.
Working together, Lifeway, Woman’s Missionary Union and the North American Mission Board want to help the local church equip women who will live lifestyles that demonstrate a strong biblical foundation for all they do, a commitment to God’s global mission and a passion for sharing Christ with others.