The Forbidden Platform: Women in Ministry

By Rev. Dr. A. Louise Bonaparte

The topic of women in ministry appears to have been made controversial over time.

It has been merged together with topics about gender rights and equalities.

It appears that debaters of the topic may have forgotten that the matters of human affairs--gender wars, women's rights movements, and other equality struggles--are far removed from the matters of heavenly affairs where God is the overseer.

Positions are given in churches, and there are concerns that women are being excluded from these positions. The question to ask is: Who is confirming the posts? Who is deciding whether a person gets to be a deacon or a church leader?

Are the decision-makers receiving a direct endorsement from God who owns the church?

If the answer is no, then the reality is that any position that is being founded or elected by church officers, who are making the selections like it should be done like an ordinary human job interview, are selecting the wrong candidates for ministry posts.

The bottom line would be that none of those selected posts are recognized by God and not will be supported by him.

This ties in with the controversy: If women are being excluded from church positions, is it due to political position selections like job interviewing and gender unfairness? Or is it because God himself is shunning them and is not providing audible divine appointments to them?

This book is discussing the controversies about the choosing of female leadership in the church and may present some views that are not generally accepted. It is an innocent attempt to analyze why female leadership in the church is not more plentiful than its current status.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887511276

Book preview

cover.jpg

The Forbidden Platform

Women in Ministry

Rev. Dr. A. Louise Bonaparte

ISBN 979-8-88751-126-9 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88751-127-6 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Rev. Dr. A. Louise Bonaparte

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Hall of Fame

Chapter 1

Deborah

Deborah's backstory

Despise not humble beginnings

The leader in the background

When a man refuses the job

The situation of replacement

Chapter 2

Miriam

Miriam's backstory

The birth of Moses

Miriam, her brother's keeper

Miriam's role in Moses' survival

Chapter 3

Queen Esther

Esther's backstory

Shedrach, Meshach, and Abednego

Peter:

Esther—queen of the Persians

Giving her life

The wisdom and discernment of Esther

When the office is not due to personal defiance

Chapter 4

Rebecca

Rebecca's backstory

The birth of Esau and Jacob

Rebecca's insights about God matters

Profile of a female godly leader

The synopsis about Rebecca

The Ministry Experience

Chapter 5

The Outpouring at Pentecost

The days before Pentecost

The day of Pentecost—backstory

Who was Pentecost intended to benefit?

The measure

Chapter 6

Women Who Believed

Mary, the mother of Jesus—backstory

Mary's life as Mother of Jesus

Tabitha's backstory

A woman of impact

Priscilla's backstory

Priscilla and Aquila

Lydia's backstory

Who is a worshipper?

A woman of trade

The disturbing Gospel

Deference

The topic of women in ministry

Chapter 7

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Description of the gifts

All working together

How to be a female leader in God

Confirmations of ministry

Tying confirmation to gifts

Chapter 8

Ministry

Worthy mentions

Prayers

Giving

A church founded by God

The woman that gives

The story of Abraham

Soul winning

The diagnosis

Chapter 9

Contradictions

The chapters so far

Chapter 10

Prohibitions

Husbands, wives, and church

Final thoughts

References

About the Author

Introduction

The title of this book seems unusual. The Forbidden Platform sends a message of déjà vu, does it not?

It probably provides a reminder of the very popular reference to the Garden of Eden: The Forbidden Fruit.

A woman ate the forbidden fruit first.

Like the story goes, if she had not eaten it, mankind would not be in its present predicament of sin and a lesser-than-ideal relationship with God.

However, has anyone ever stopped to think about what would have happened if Eve had not eaten the fruit?

Humans would live in a world of kumbaya.

There would be no sorrows. No tears. No sweating to earn a living. The human experience would be peace, love, and joy.

Unfortunately, Eve ate the fruit. And now, humans have to work for their living. They also have to work for their salvation to find their way back to God.

Let us consider this predicament from a different viewpoint.

If Eve had not eaten the fruit, how would anyone be tested as to whether they truly loved God or not?

If mankind had not fallen, how would humans have been brought into a situation that requires them to innovate with their God-given intelligence in order to solve their problems? Everything would be solved for them in the Garden of Eden if they had remained there.

If mankind had not fallen, there would be nothing to strive for in God.

This could be a good thing—though we know it is a bad thing.

The reason why this perspective is being mentioned is to, perhaps, awaken our thinking to the positive side of things that are not considered positive by our usual society.

For instance: Eve ate the fruit—mankind sinned. Mankind has to work hard to find his way back to God. This is negative.

Or—men are active in ministry. Women want to be active in ministry. This is not traditionally acceptable. Thus, it is seen as negative too.

The topic of women being allowed into ministry is synonymous with the topic that without her, mankind would never have fallen from grace with God.

Both arguments are considered negative.

Yet, we should probably look at the positive side of it.

Why should a woman be allowed to be a minister?

While this book will not discuss Eve and the fall from the Garden of Eden, it is going to look at the other negative thing that women may be attempting to venture into: the topic of women in ministry.

Part 1

The Hall of Fame

There are multiple sayings about how women are not given as free rein in the ministry of the church as men are given.

There is also a saying, which will be mentioned here, tongue-in-check, that What a man can do, a woman can do better!

While this statement is not intended to offend the brothers, it is actually an opportunity for reflection.

If women are not as abundantly available in ministry as men are, perhaps, this is an opportunity for women to consider how, if they were in ministry, they could do it better.

To avoid further controversy, the real question is: What are the features of a woman having a ministry in God? What qualifies her? Or is she qualified?

The chapters of this book will build upon women that were in ministry in Biblical times. What were those features about them that caused God to recognize them as leaders?

If there is an argument today that women are not being allowed into ministry as much as men, then perhaps, the answer would be to have a study of what caused God to allow the named women in the Bible to have ministries in him. Upon understanding this, then it may answer the question of why women are not abundantly available in ministry today, and what they can do—from the perspective of the Bible—to change that story.

Chapter 1

Deborah

The choice of whether a man or woman leads a group will depend on God.

The prophetess in the Bible called Deborah proved this.

Deborah's backstory

The story of Deborah does not begin from the beginning as we don't know her origins or when she actually started to lead