FOREWORD Today I met a woman named Jenny. She is a leader ...

FOREWORD Today I met a woman named Jenny. She is a leader. She leads a local
ministry. She has responsibility for one of the departments of a national
network. She is part of the Council of pastors and institu-tional leaders
who meet to strategize in South Australia.
Is her apostolic pioneering a contradiction of the Scriptures? Are her
prophetic teachings a Usurpation of the biblical domain of men? The male
leaders in the city seem to deeply appreciate her, yet I am aware that an
undercurrent of doubt exists in this generation. Women like Jenny usually
carry painful memories. Nearly all have at some time been devalued or
rejected.
Who can resolve this? Is there anybody whose wisdom is built on a
lifetime of practical experience? Is there a scholar whose work will hold
up to scrutiny, somebody whose knowledge of the language of the text and
ancient culture is sufficient to show clearly and finally what the Bible
says about gender?
This is a tall order! However, the book you find in your hands is an
effort by two men to give us fresh biblical insights into this difficult
subject The partnership between Loren Cunningham, founder of one of the
world's largest mission societies, and David Hamilton, a dedi-cated Student
of the Word, at last gives us the integrity and experience we need in
exploring this volatile subject.
Over the past forty years since he cofounded Youth With A Mission with
his wife, Darlene, Loren has released hundreds of thousands into ministry:
young people, women, and persons from developing nations. He has in word
and in deed broken through generational, gender, and ethnic barriers. He
has invested in others in such a way that they have discovered their
destiny in God. He's encouraged them to walk into the call of God and
exercise their God-given gifts.
Loren Cunningham Stands as one of the premier leaders of Christian
missions in our time. To my knowledge, he is the first per-son in history
who for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has min-istered in every
single country on earth. He holds the whole World in 11 12.
Why Not Women?
It's High Time! By Loren Cunningham
his heart as no other man I know. His constant travels and ministry across
the full spectrum of the Body of Christ have given him a unique perspective
of the potential of the church to complete the Great Com-mission. He is
also able to discern those things that hinder the church from fulfilling
God's greatest dream.
It is out of this broad missions perspective and Loren's many years of
equipping and promoting other leaders that he has the practical authority
to address the crucial issues of this book. He has opened the door for so
many key women leaders within the Body of Christ. Few are more qualified
than he is to answer the question, "Why not women?"
Loren's coauthor, David Hamilton, is also a Veteran missionary who has
ministered in more than one hundred countries. David loves languages. He
has not only learned several modern languages but also has studied the
original languages of the Bible. As to the subject of this book, I have
never found anyone who has studied this subject as com-prehensively and in-
depth as David Hamilton. He has pored over all the key Bible passages
regarding women. He has also studied this issue in Greek and Roman history
and literature from the ancient times of Homer into the times of the early
church. He's similarly studied the Jewish rabbinic literature of the
Mishnah and the Talmud as it dealt with women. He has more than four
hundred books and articles cited in the bibliography for his master's
thesis on this subject.
For all these reasons, I suspect that no one in the past two thou-sand
years has studied this particular subject in the detail that David has.
Despite this and his natural brilliance as a scholar, David is one of the
most humble men I know. It is on the basis of his character and Christ-
likeness that I commend him to you. John Dawson Founder of International Reconciliation Coalition Adelaide, Australia I, have a dream of a spiritual awakening sweeping the world through this
emerging generation, the millennium gener-ation. I see the Gospel finally
being spread to every person in the world, with every nation and every
people group discipled with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
An old apostle, Simon Peter, also had this dream. He saw the beginning of
its fulflllment on the day of Pentecost.1 An old prophet, Joel, predicted
that in the last days this dream would come true as sons and daughters
would prophesy.2 An old king, David, had the same dream, saying that a
great host of women would proclaim the Good News.3
In the near future, the red-hot core of the spiritual awakening will be
those now entering university and younger, a generation connected
worldwide, not just through music and fashion but by common thoughts and by
instant communication through the Internet. This connection will help speed
the message given by Jesus two thousand years ago.
As I envision this, I see every little girl growing up knowing she is
valued, knowing she is made in the image of God, and knowing that 16
Why Not Women? Jesus said we should open our eyes, Iook at the fields, and see that the
harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.5 Why would anyone Iook at the
huge harvest we face and the tiny workforce trying to gather it in and seek
to eliminate any workers whom God would call?
We don't need fewer workers. We need more! But the enemy is trying to cut
back on the number of workers for the harvest in every way he can. I
believe he is behind the confusion in the church about women and their
active participation in ministry. And sadly, some people are unknowingly
part of this strategy as they allow tradition and the mis-understanding of
certain scriptures to prevent or blunt the ministry of
women. 2. The Attack Against Men and Their Ministries
The temptation to keep women from obeying God's call on their
lives is an attack on males in the Body of Christ. On the surface, this
attack appears to be only against women, but when we Iook deeper, it is
also against men. The enemy appeals to the pride of men by saying that
women are not their equal, not worth as much. Although some cultures call
this attitude "macho," it's nothing more than pride. In the Coming chapters
of this book, David will expose how the forces of darkness used Aristotle,
Plato, and other ancient philosophers to spread the idea that women were
inferior, even subhuman. This attitude was echoed by some Jewish rabbis of
ancient times who exchanged the God-given equality of woman in the Garden
of Eden for a view that gave women far less value. All of this appealed to
the pride of man.
The sin of pride is the refusal to accept who you really are. Pride
enters in when you think you are better than others. It is the basis for
racism, nationalism, and many other "isms." Pride is choosing to believe a
lie about yourself. And pride can ultimately destroy you. Lucifer fell from
his place in heaven because of pride, according to Isaiah 14. Now the devil
attacks men through pride, telling them they are better than women. Because
of some anatomical difference, he tells them, they can hold certain
spiritual ministries that women cannot.
You can see the results of this attack on men in churches through-out the
world. Go into a church in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe, North
America-anywhere. You will find far more women than men. And the real
prayer warriors, those on the cutting edge of intercessory
It's High Time! 17 prayer ministries worldwide, are usually women. Why? Because men have
believed the lie that they are somehow spiritually superior to women. A
man's pride destroys his intimacy with God and effectively stunts the
growth of his ministry.
Sometimes leaders have tried to bring better balance by appealing even
more to male pride. The church has given Special titles, Status, attire,
and money to men to lead congregations made up mostly of women. In many
parts of the world, I have seen a solitary male who receives a salary
leading a church filled entirely with women.
Also, the Body of Christ has often elevated people who weren't ready for
leadership, putting untried young males over more spiritually capable
women. One missionary woman in Asia was passed over for leadership year
after year, being placed under younger and younger men, even though she
showed outstanding leadership qualities. She said, "For sixteen years I was
told I had potential!"
When we begin to discover the revelation of God in this area, we will
begin to free men to become who they were chosen to be along-side women in
spiritual strength and numbers. Our churches will be balanced with men and
women walking with God. 5. The Attack Against Women
Ever since the Garden of Eden when God told Satan that the seed of the
woman would bruise his head, the devil has been ferociously attacking women
all over the world.
In countries based on biblical principles, however eroded, women fare
much better than those in countries with little Christian heritage. But
even in Europe and North America, women suffer more injustices than men. In
the United States, women still earn only 74 percent of the salary that men
earn for doing the same job.5 Many of these women are struggling to support
themselves and their chil-dren, thanks to a spiraling divorce rate and
"deadbeat dads" who don't pay child