I grew up in a church and family that was complementarian. I didn’t know what that word meant until high school, but it was clear from my upbringing that men—and only men—should lead the church. A common phrase I heard growing up was, “It is a man’s world.” While it was usually said as a joke, comments like these have shaping power.
In high school, I began attending a church led by a world-famous preacher known for his complementarian views. During those years, my convictions were firmly cemented. I didn’t see complementarianism as a secondary issue. I believed it was a test of whether someone truly trusted God’s word or cared more about the opinions of others. When my pastor preached on 1 Timothy 2 or the creation account, it seemed obvious to me that there was no other faithful Christian position.
In November 2021, I received the syllabus for a seminary class. One assignment was to read a book from a list of options and write a reflection on it. I chose Two Views on Women in Ministry, expecting it would strengthen my complementarian convictions. The book featured two complementarian scholars and two egalitarian scholars.
Then I read a sentence that would change the course of my life and minsitry. In the introduction, all four contributors—including complementarian scholars Thomas Schreiner and Craig Blomberg—agreed on this statement:
“We believe one can build a credible case within the bounds of orthodoxy and a commitment to inerrancy for either one of the two major views we address in this volume, although all of us view our own positions on the matter as stronger and more compelling.”
I read the sentence several times. I was stunned. Here were two of the most respected complementarian scholars in the world acknowledging that the egalitarian position was a credible, orthodox, and biblically faithful interpretation of Scripture. That challenged one of my deepest assumptions—that egalitarians didn’t take the Bible seriously and were simply capitulating to culture.
That single paragraph launched a two-year journey. I read more than two dozen books from both complementarian and egalitarian scholars, spent countless hours studying Scripture, sought counsel from trusted pastors and friends, and prayed continually for wisdom and discernment.
By the end of that journey, I became convinced that while faithful Christians can arrive at different conclusions, the egalitarian position is the more faithful and consistent reading of Scripture. I came to believe that the Bible does not prohibit women from any area of church leadership and that throughout Scripture, God repeatedly calls, equips, and empowers women to lead alongside men for the flourishing of his people.
Since transitioning our church from complementarianism to egalitarianism, the fruit has been overwhelmingly positive. Adding two women to our eldership team has brought wisdom, perspective, and discernment that we were missing. We are no longer led only by fathers of the church, but by fathers and mothers, as in every healthy family. Women in our church are free to pursue whatever gifts God has given them without restrictions, and they can receive counsel and shepherding from women who share equal authority and responsibility as elders.
Looking back, becoming an egalitarian church has been one of the greatest gifts God has given our congregation.