My story:I pastored for over 25 years with no break. Went through three horrible church meetings in consecutive years. Got to the point I needed a break. My AB agreed with me. He gave me some good support during this period of time. When I took the break I moved back to my home area. Attended a CoG for a while but found a church we felt the Lord was leading us to. This church was only 9 months old and needed someone with a Pentecostal background. The pastor pastored the First Baptist in our town and received the Baptisim of the Holy Spirit. The Lord used me to help establish this church. In the beginning they got really wild. We stayed and prayed. As we prayed the Lord begin to bring some balance to the church. Now the church is strong. They are not into keeping numbers but I guess there about 300-400 on a given Sunday.After about 3 years I went to the new AB who was the ED when I went through my problems. He knew the story and knew the truth.He assured me if I would attend a CoG he would help me get a good church. He even asked me to help for a few months in a church that was in a real mess. I did as he asked. But.He would not help me get a church. I reminded him of his promise and he blew up and got in my face and said: Larry you are not going to intimidate me into getting you a church. I simply said; Bishop I am not trying to intimidate you, I am reminding you what you promised me. You are in charge you can do as you wish. I said have a good day and walked out of his office and went back to the the church we had been attending.Another AB came in. I went to see him. He also told me I had to attend a CoG for him to help me. I told him I left the church we attend once because I was promised a church. My family is happy where we attend and I am not leaving for another promise.I realize some will say, suck it up and do as he ask. I put over 25 years into the CoG. Built one church, and a parsonage. Saw some growth in some places. If I have not proven myself then how can I do so now. I am simply tired of fighting a flawed system.I would pastor tomorrow if the door opened. I am not bitter with the CoG. I have no problem with the current AB. I do not know of a church with a better DOF. I pray for my brother pastors, and encourage them as often as I can. For a few years I traveled all over Ga and as I went though different towns I prayed for pastors. My membership is still in the CoG and I still send reports________________Recorded Sermons @ www.pastorwiley.com
There is also the work of Kristen Welch. http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A12438%2Cp_lbr_one_browse-bin%3AKristen%20Welch
Dr. Kristen Welch, I should have said. She’s on FB, perhaps she should be invited into the conversation.
You both are raising great questions indeed. In my opinion, there cannot be a complementarian way of ministry i.e. where both spouses minister to compliment each other. In practice, when the Holy Spirit commands authority, He does not do it in a complementarian way. Both man and woman are in spiritual authority when anointed and uttered by the Holy Spirit. In all actuality, even Paul says it – there’s no man, woman, Jew or a gentile. Lots of people get stuck 1 Timothy 2:12 and more specifically on the word “usurp.” But usurp comes only secondary in the structure of the text. It is the authority that Paul is writing about and it is the authority that comes from God – so no man or woman can usurp it.
So are you people Spiritually Transgendered?
(Trying to smile).
You seem to forget that God created the male first, then the female to aid him as a help-meet (not mate). Meet = part of him, his side, but not his head.
You may want to go check the punishment God handed to Eve and the exact meaning of (your desire shall be unto thy husband).
(Notice I am not concerned about the – and he shall rule over thee).
Her “desire” does not mean what most people think it does.
Also the quote of, “with God there is neither male, female, jew, or gentile”
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
One in Christ Jesus, Heirs of the promise;;:: God did not erase all of our differences. He does accept everyone equally on the grounds of salvation because with Him there is no respect of persons (we are told this four times in the New Testament alone).
God did not remove His divine order (as in) He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelist, some pastors and teachers.
The same writer that wrote, “there is neither male, female, jew, gentile”, is also the one that under the same anointing wrote about order within the marriage, home, ministry, Church, and body of Christ.
All the verses on the topic must be compared, not just one or two here and there.