B. Leah
- Oct 16, 2018
- 2 min read

messy church 1.1

We have suffered a great deal due to looking, wanting and even giving human beings the platform to approve or disprove what God has called and ordained! My church (denomination) is messy but so is yours. I won't go in to all the details because quite honestly I don't know all the details. However, I do know that there are many people (I know and love some of them) who worship, serve, honor God and love Jesus but don't think women should lead as pastors. I don't understand the logic or their justification. But I do understand how culture, oppression, traditions and beliefs can shape our reasoning. I do understand that God has called my mother, my mother-in-love, my aunt, and a few friends to not just preach the word but to lead or co-lead people to The Promised Land.

WOMEN DON'T NEED MAN'S APPROVAL TO BE!

MEN DON'T NEED WOMAN'S APPROVAL TO BE!

CHILDREN DON'T NEED APPROVAL TO BE!

BLACK FOLKS DON'T NEED WHITE FOLKS APPROVAL TO BE!

OLD PEOPLE DON'T NEED YOUNGER PEOPLE'S APPROVAL TO BE!

This tension that has resurfaced in my church denomination comes at a strange time for me; as I am literally in the middle of writing, revising and preparing to apply to graduate school. My graduate school experience is to equip me to serve as a pastor and/or chaplain. And yesterday while discussing what took place at the 2018 Seventh-day Adventist General Conference Annual Council I fought back tears of discouragement, shame and pressure!

This is a lot for women and girls to witness. I was fighting discouragement because I know what God has called and affirmed and confirmed in me other sisters. Shame because what took place during those meetings and worship experiences is something I would never want to associate with. And pressure because the events that took place feels like a weight and burden talked about in Hebrews 12:1-2. It's a lot - but Christ overcame this mess too!

We are a mess but there is an amazing soulwork to be done regardless of approval! We (man, woman, and child) have each been planted to bear good yummy fruit! We are definitely a mess and desperately in need of God's presence to survive this life, do the soulwork and flourish in the next one! Because, there is more after this!