by Kelly Pelton (written 03 Sept 2024)

If a woman were named the elder (presbyteros)
of the church of Thessalonica, let us say,
you people would claim, "She's just an older female
not holding an office reserved for the men of her day."

You'd explain it away, as in Phoebe the diakonos,
entrusted by Paul to carry his letter to Rome;
she must be a "helper," not holding the office of deacon,
but rather a benefactor based in her home.

Your mind would be closed, as with the apostle Junia,
who had to be "known to" the apostles since she couldn't be one;
God forbid that Bible examples of female church leaders
should change hermeneutics that currently allow for none!

There are a significant several who led in the Bible;
let's factor them in to our scripture interpretation.
No, I cannot find even one named female elder,
but even a few would not end this discrimination.

by Kelly Pelton (written 16 Aug 2024)

A woman's thoughts about God, the Bible, faith
are less important than a man's thoughts on the same;
this is the unmistakable, unspoken
message of some churches's ongoing claim

that women can't teach in the mixed worship service.
How then can the whole body of believers
be edified by the thoughts of Spirit-filled women
if only women and children are the receivers?

Thoughts that are valued are given a public hearing;
those disregarded are micromanaged, confined,
restricted in freedom of expression in the service,
as though God won't speak through the female mind.

Every church needs to show by their actions
that women's thoughts about God, the Bible, trust
are as important as men's; what treasures we'll find 
when we all repent of practices grossly unjust.

by Kelly Pelton (written 28 July 2024)

Once you grasp the Spirit behind the law
and taste God's goodness in your deepest being,
you cease to pick apart the higher vision
that Christian egalitarians are seeing.

Once you sense the Spirit in Christ's body -
men and women allies in equal roles,
a living organism filled with stories -
you stop devaluing all female souls.

One you see the Spirit, not the letter,
of laws with loving purpose to protect,
you then can tell which rules are for all time
and which were what the culture would expect.

The Spirit is essential, for without it,
religion, not relationship, is extolled,
and rules are used to limit women's service,
their sphere of influence carefully controlled.

by Kelly Pelton

May men and women be respected equally
in word and actions in all Christian homes that claim
to follow You in Your impartiality,
all males and females serving in the house the same.

O Lord, please guide us as we seek to mold our homes
to be abodes of equal value and esteem,
where not a hint of gender competition roams,
where all of us are equals on the family team.

Though we may suffer persecution that's akin
to Jesus' scapegoat treatment by the powers dark,
let us not tolerate mistreatment from within
our homes but rather seek to hit love's perfect mark.

by Kelly Pelton

Daughters of God, if the church-institutional
limits the ways you can teach, preach, or lead,
raise up your eyes to see the whole kingdom,
get out on the streets with the scriptures to feed

God's hope to the masses. He will give you courage
to speak without fear His true gospel story
to those who won't praise you, to those who dismiss you; 
your ministry brings only heavenly glory.

But glory there is, as the cloud of witnesses 
cheers on the daughters who do find a way,
not to gain affirmation from Christians in this world,
but beam to the darkness the Lord's new Day.

Resist the strong urge to pursue belonging; 
your citizenship's in the kingdom unseen.
Your giftings, used wisely, will bring in more people
who hope now in Jesus, upon Whom we lean.

by Kelly Pelton (written 17 Mar 2024)

A nation's currency may fail, its money worthless in the world,
but power never loses worth; we want control much more than cash,
for power helps when cash is gone, to keep us in command of things,
to keep us far less vulnerable when times and people become rash.

We Christians, let's make no mistake, are in the world and trade in power,
fancying ourselves good stewards of control for all God's glory;
whether we share power with the sisters whom we call our equals
is another convoluted, very sad and carnal story.

Control is king for fallen people, sole commodity unfailing;
never will it lose its value, always is it in demand.
We do not share it with the ones we do not trust or well-esteem
for reasons of their character or our own prejudice at hand.

We Christians are not "of" the world, and Jesus sets a higher standard,
not of "servant-leaders" hoarding influence and church decisions,
but of servants, all submitting to each other, no one seeking
to be first (pre-eminent) in subtly worded truth revisions.

Share the power. That's respect, to spread the power among equals,
not withholding, only sharing this real currency in this world,
what we call control or power, ceding true control to God who
by the power of His Spirit gets our tight-gripped fingers uncurled.

by Kelly Pelton (written 13 Mar 2024)

Orthodoxy, orthopraxy -
right belief and right behavior -
are inseparable for those who 
follow Jesus Christ as Savior.

Equals function, then, as equals,
free to serve as they are gifted,
not restricted by their gender,
not by gene assignment sifted.

"Equal worth, unequal roles," the
mantra of subordination:
practice disobeys the truth,
puts women in a lower station.

Slogans sinister like this one
which promote a sinful action,
contradicting truth asserted
smugly and with satisfaction,

they should go the way of Jim Crow,
left behind, like segregation,
relic of a shameful era
of my gender's subjugation.

Practice what is preached; share power.
Bring all people to the table.
Let them serve in influential 
leader roles as they are able.

by Kelly Pelton (written 03 Mar 2024)

A male acquaintance said to me
with furrowed brow, "I just don't like
that term you use, 'to subordinate;'
it sounds bad." I wanted to strike

a match inside his closed-off mind
to show him it IS bad to place
the women under men in rank
as though the Lord has made a case

for subjugating us by gender.
God, who elevates the weak,
who has regard for us as equals,
He does not in the scriptures speak

of gender hierarchy as good
but tolerates it as His Spirit
reconciles His men and women,
even those who want to steer it

back to worldly patriarchy.
Reconciling is God's pleasure
and His nature, giving grace
and truth and wisdom without measure.

by Kelly Pelton (written 17 Dec 2023)

True friendship has no hierarchy,
no leader or follower designee;
the power is shared, not one as boss
whose authority I shall not cross.

The best of friends show honor twice
through submission and sacrifice
from loving motives, not control,
to edify, exhort, extol.

One having power over another
will inevitably smother
all potential to be soulmates
as the Holy Spirit awaits

openness to all He's forging,
weariness of power-gorging,
longing for a close alliance,
growing in true love's compliance.

by Kelly Pelton (written 29 Dec 2023)

To nicely, politely subordinate
an entire group of people based
on an unalterable biological trait
is ungodly and a tragic waste

of talents and stories for edification
of all the assembly of gathered believers;
the men who are scared of church "feminization"
are being deprived of being receivers

of God's words through women who greatly adore Him.
We hide half the light, forbidding its shining
and wonder why our lives seem dim
as the church persists in error pining.