Most Protestant pastors say a woman could be the senior pastor at their church, but that varies dramatically among denominational groups.
A Lifeway Research study asked US Protestant pastors about six potential leadership roles and if women are permitted to hold them in their congregations. While a slight majority say the position of senior pastor is open to women, a broader consensus exists for other positions.
Close to 9 in 10 pastors say women could be ministers to children (94%), committee leaders (92%), ministers to teenagers (89%), or coed adult Bible study teachers (85%) in their churches. Fewer say a woman could be a deacon (64%) or senior pastor (55%), while 1 percent say none of these roles are open to women. Fewer than 1 percent say they are not sure.
“Someone without context may think differences of opinion on where women can serve in church are simply fickle or archaic perspectives. But these are not questions of opinion as much as biblical interpretation,” said…
