Who Should be the Head?

                                             Men, of course! 

That's what I learned as a kid. The Apostle Paul said so, "For the husband is head of the wife..." So, if you're like most, you just accepted the pronouncement that men should also be leaders of the church. If that's what you thought, well hang on to your hat--because the theologians from Andrews University have just released a statement on about leadership in the church--and the family--and it's going to blow your mind. 
                                      
                                                   Are you ready?

The document opens by unequivocally declaring that the church’s head, or leader, is no one other than Christ. Here are a few quotes that will lead to some interesting discussions during our Sabbath fellowship meal.

“While there exists legitimate leadership in the church, no other human being may rightfully claim a headship role in the church,” it says. “As head of the church, Christ provides the ultimate manifestation of God’s love, demonstrating and vindicating God’s moral government of love, and thus defeating the counterfeit government of the usurping ‘ruler of this world.’”
The article goes on to say: “Since Christ is the unique Husband of the church (Christ’s metaphorical bride), the members of the church cannot themselves be husbands of the church but collectively, men and women together, are the bride of Christ.” 

But, what about the major controversy as to whether women should be pastors--or heaven forbid, conference presidents? Isn't that the unique role Jesus reserved for men...since his 12 disciples were men?

Well, I hate to disappoint you, but the statement makes no mention of women’s ordination. But it does affirm that God created man and woman equal in the Garden of Eden, and it says that God desires to restore that equality.

The statement also addresses Biblical understandings of the roles of men and women. Here's where you are going to want to get your Bibles and do some studying to see if you agree with the following quote from the Andrews theologians:

 “Although various interpretations of Gen 3:16 have recognized some kind of post-Fall disruption of this pre-Fall egalitarian ideal, the Bible consistently calls us back to God’s original plan for full equality without hierarchy (Song 7:10; Isa 65:17, 25; cf. Gen 1:29-30),” the statement says.

“Paul’s writings, though often misunderstood (2 Pet 3:16), maintain this Eden model (Eph 5:21-23), affirming with the rest of Scripture the Gospel ideal of the ultimate restoration of the Eden model (cf. Matt 19:8; 2 Cor 5:17; Gal 3:28).

                         And to put the frosting on the leadership cake: 

Do you agree or disagree?

Ellen White underlines this     redemptive paradigm: 

‘Woman should fill the position which God originally designed for her, as her husband’s equal, (AH 231),” 














                                    
   

If you want to read the whole statement, go to: Andrews Website