A new survey shows that most evangelical Protestants support women taking on leadership roles in the church.
According to Christianity Today, the survey from political scientist Ryan P. Burge found that 8 in 10 self-identified evangelicals said they agree with women teaching Sunday school, leading worship and preaching at women’s conferences and retreats.
Seven in 10 said they were in favor of women preaching during church services.
Nearly 87 percent said they supported having women teach Sunday school, while 72.8 percent said they would support women preaching on Sunday morning.
The survey comes just a few weeks after social media pages revealed some complementarians privately decrying author Aimee Byrd.
In a Facebook group called Geneva Commons, elders from the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and Presbyterian Church in America reportedly said of Byrd:
“I wish her husband loved her enough to tell her to shut up,” one wrote.
“Why can’t these women just take their shoes off and make us some sandwiches!?!” another wrote.
Byrd is the author of Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: How the Church Needs to Rediscover Her Purpose.
In 2018, Beth Moore also found herself at the center of the debate on the women’s role in the church.
“I’m asking that you would simply have no tolerance for misogyny and dismissiveness toward women in your spheres of influence,” she wrote in “A Letter to My Brothers.” “I’m asking for your deliberate and clearly conveyed influence toward the imitation of Christ in his attitude and actions toward women.”
Burge’s survey, however, shows that there may be “less of a divide” on views on women’s leadership in the church.
In other findings, the survey said:
- 20 percent of evangelicals aged 65 or older disagree with women preaching.
- 10 percent of evangelicals aged 55 to 64 disagree with women preaching.
- Also, 20 percent of those aged 18 to 35 disagreed with women preaching.
Related:
Ed Stetzer Calls Out Misogyny in the Church after Degrading Comments from Church Leaders Surface
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Golubovy
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
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