{"id":2539,"date":"2011-04-10T17:25:26","date_gmt":"2011-04-11T00:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thepangeablog.com\/?p=2539"},"modified":"2011-07-06T19:12:13","modified_gmt":"2011-07-07T02:12:13","slug":"half-the-church-recapturing-gods-global-vision-for-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/thepangeablog\/2011\/04\/10\/half-the-church-recapturing-gods-global-vision-for-women\/","title":{"rendered":"Half the Church: Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If you are a regular reader of the Pangea Blog, you already know that I am an outspoken egalitarian<\/a>.\u00a0 I believe that when women are not given the same opportunities as men, that we actually can unintentionally hinder the body of Christ.\u00a0 Women ought to be free to exercise their gifts of leadership, apostleship, preaching, teaching, eldership, pastoring, etc.\u00a0 It is a static reading of Scripture through the narrow lens of modernity that keeps women from reaching their Holy Spirit gift mix potential.\u00a0 And although this comes out of a sincere attempt to read the bible for all its worth, the church at large has left behind half the church<\/em> in the process.<\/p>\n

Zondervan was kind enough to send me a copy of Carolyn Custis James\u2019 new book: Half the Church \u2013 Recapturing God\u2019s Global Vision for Women<\/a>.\u00a0 James sets out to unleash Christian women globally to impact our world for the Kingdom of God.\u00a0 In the introduction, she states:<\/p>\n

When half the church holds back \u2013 whether by choice or because we have no choice \u2013 everybody loses and our mission suffers setbacks.\u00a0 Tragically, we are squandering the opportunity to display to an embattled world a gospel that causes both<\/em> men and women to flourish and unites us in a Blessed Alliance that only the presence of Jesus can explain. (19)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

She is not simply looking at women\u2019s roles in the church, but the larger issues facing women across the globe.\u00a0 Commenting on a book that made an impact on her and inspired her to write this one, she states:<\/p>\n

But I am at a total loss for words to describe the feeling that swept over me at the end of the book<\/a> where, while recognizing that Christian organizations are deployed in this fight, the authors threw down the gauntlet for the rest of the church to step up to the plate.\u00a0 I was jolted to read, \u201cAmericans of faith should try as hard to save the lives of African women as the lives of unborn fetuses.\u201d (21)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

She beleives that it is women who can address these women issues!\u00a0 She adds:<\/p>\n

It is no small matter that women comprise half the church.\u00a0 In many countries women make up a significantly higher percentage of believers \u2013 80 percent in China and 90 percent in Japan\u2026\u00a0 Although everyone is concerned about the need to reach more men, maybe these high percentages of women should make us wonder what God is doing, for he often forges significant inroads for the gospel by beginning with women.\u00a0 Perhaps we ought to be asking what he might do through us.\u00a0 When you stop to think of it, in sheer numbers, the potential we possess for expanding the kingdom of God is staggering. (27)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As you may have noticed during the past few weeks, my blogging has slowed down a bit.\u00a0 The reason is that April is the busiest month I have had between Seminary and Church in the past year.\u00a0 So, I must admit that I have not read this entire book\u2026. I sure plan to finish it though, because I believe that women MUST be liberated for ministry<\/a> in the Kingdom and from oppression of any form throughout the world!<\/p>\n

Check out this video to get an idea of what this book offers us\u2026<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you are a regular reader of the Pangea Blog, you already know that I am an outspoken egalitarian.\u00a0 I believe that when women are not given the same opportunities as men, that we actually can unintentionally hinder the body of Christ.\u00a0 Women ought to be free to exercise their gifts of leadership, apostleship, preaching, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,97],"tags":[186,362,19189],"class_list":["post-2539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-women-in-ministry","tag-carolyn-custis-james","tag-half-the-church","tag-women-in-ministry"],"yoast_head":"\nHalf the Church: Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you are a regular reader of the Pangea Blog, you already know that I am an outspoken egalitarian.\u00a0 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