“Does a church owe its women English lessons for their personal growth?”
I listened as this question ignited a heated discussion among the women’s ministry team from my Central Asian church, and I realized it reflects a deeper debate about the role of the church in the development of women. But perhaps the question most worthy of consideration is not about the development of women but rather, what is the role of women in the development of the church?
The International Missions Board’s Foundations document identifies twelve characteristics of a healthy church: evangelism, discipleship, leadership, preaching & teaching, membership, ordinances, worship, fellowship, prayer, accountability & discipline, giving, and mission.[1] For over ten years, I have been a member of a local Central Asian church in a large metropolitan city. I believe the church—not just my local church but truly the church universal—would be transformed if its women grasped the inestimable role they play in healthy church formation.
WOMEN WHO FULFILL THEIR CREATION ROLE AS THEY HELP THE CHURCH
The role of women in the church is anchored in the unique role of women as determined by God in creation. Genesis 2 says, “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not
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