Deliverance ministers, wives share their view of women in ministry

NEW YORK — Deliverance ministers featured in the film "The Domino Revival" and their wives recently shared their views of women in ministry and leadership roles, saying they should be able to serve in whatever capacity God calls them to. 

Jenny Weaver, who leads an online mentorship program with her husband, Stephen, called The Core Group that has about 18,000 members, has become a well-known preacher. She recently spoke with The Christian Post about some of the backlash she's received for her ministry at the premiere of "The Domino Revival" which has an encore showing in select theaters on Nov. 13. 

"In the Bible, we see women moving in ministry all the time. It's very natural,” Jenny Weaver told CP at last month's premiere of “The Domino Revival.” "Actually, it says that when Jesus was moving, it [the Bible] says, 'the women came together and they took from their resources, and they poured into Jesus.'”

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“Women literally supported that very first Jesus movement,” she added. Without all the women coming alongside Jesus and pushing and propelling Him and helping, we don't know what would have happened. So I love that Jesus; He cared for women. He had women doing things, it was beautiful.

"To me, this is the Bible, and I don't sit around and argue with people back and forth all over social media," she said about debates over complementarianism and egalitarianism. "All I'm going to do is the assignment in front of me."

Her husband, Stephen Weaver, added, "Our whole goal is to see people saved, set free, delivered. It takes a strong man to support his wife. She can do just the same thing as I can do, and she's doing the will of the Lord, so that's what it's all about.” 

While women can and do serve in a variety of roles within churches, one of the debates within and among denominations is whether women can serve in the office of pastor. 

Complementarians believe that women are forbidden from holding certain offices in the Church. Egalitarians insist that Scripture does not warrant such restrictions.

The Christian apologetics site Got Questions says the question about whether women can serve as pastors is the most asked question they receive. The site explains that, according to the complementarian view, "God has ordained that only men are to serve in positions of spiritual teaching authority in the church. This does not imply men are better teachers or that women are inferior or less intelligent. It is simply the way God designed the church to function."

Among the verses cited by Christians who oppose women serving as pastors comes from the book of Timothy, which it states:

A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. (1 Timothy 2:11-14). 

Got Questions further notes that the Bible details many accounts of women serving as leaders, just not as pastors: 

In Romans 16:1, Phoebe is called a “deacon” (or “servant”) in the church and is highly commended by Paul. But, as with Priscilla, there is nothing in Scripture to indicate that Phoebe was a pastor or a teacher of men in the church. 

Many women excel in gifts of hospitality, mercy, teaching, evangelism, and helping/serving. Much of the ministry of the local church depends on women. Women in the church are not restricted from public praying or prophesying (1 Corinthians 11:5), only from having spiritual teaching authority over men. The Bible nowhere restricts women from exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12). Women, just as much as men, are called to minister to others, to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23), and to proclaim the gospel to the lost (Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15).

There are several theologically conservative Protestant denominations that do allow women to hold the office of pastor and others that do not. To read short, non-comprehensive lists of those that do, click here and here, and a list of those that do not, click here. 

In their interview with CP last month, Greg Locke, senior pastor of Global Vision Bible Church and his wife, Taisha, did not specifically address the topic of female pastors, but said he and his wife champion women in ministry.

“Women in ministry is so important for revival because you see Kingdom marriages,” Taisha told CP. “That's what revival is really about — revival is about your home, revival is about your marriage, it's about your children. It's about what happens when we leave the church on Sunday. 

Taisha Locke added that it's important for women to see role models serving in ministries and at churches. "To look at them and say, 'I can serve the Lord and still be a good wife and still be a good mom," she said. "For years we've seen people choose one or the other. When really you can do all of that.”

Ibelize Pagani, wife of Senior Pastor Alexander Pagani of Amazing Church in Bronx, New York, echoed Taisha Locke, adding, “Women need to see other women being impacted and moving in God, [because] normally you see more men.”

“The Domino Revival” documentary highlights Mike Signorelli’s journey into ministry and how revival has broken out in various ministries in recent years. Those featured in the film include Julie Signorelli, Isaiah Saldivar, Alexander Pagani, Vlad Savchuk, Greg and Taisha Locke, Stephen and Jenny Weaver, Ryan Lestrange, Jeremiah Johnson and Mark Driscoll, among others.

Tickets for the Nov. 13 encore showing are available at Fathom Events.