AP

In the wake of the decision of the NSW Presbyterian Church to reaffirm the historic Reformed understanding that the office of elder is reserved for qualified men, much public discussion has focused on women’s leadership, influence, and empowerment. Yet one perspective has received comparatively little attention: the perspective of women who are themselves convinced that Scripture does not permit women to hold the office of elder.

I am one of them.

I have come to this conviction through studying Scripture, through conversations with ministers and elders, and through many discussions with women across my church and denomination. I do not pretend to speak for every woman. Rather, I write to challenge the increasingly common assumption that all women support female elders and that opposition comes solely from men.

That assumption is simply not true.

Many women believe that Scripture reserves the office of elder for qualified men—not because we consider women less gifted, less intelligent, or less valuable, but because we are persuaded this is how Christ has ordered His church. Our convictions are not rooted in a diminished view of women but in a desire to submit to the authority of Scripture, even when doing so runs counter to prevailing cultural expectations.

These women are seldom the loudest voices in the public conversation, and thus their perspective is therefore easily overlooked. Yet they are present throughout our churches. They love Christ, they love His church, and they seek to serve Him faithfully according to the gifts He has given them. Any honest conversation about this issue ought to make room for their voices alongside those who hold different convictions.

The Presbyterian Church of Australia has, in many ways, become inconsistent in its messaging on this issue. For several years, there have been calls to promote women into greater leadership roles, encourage their influence, and expand opportunities for paid ministry workers. It is therefore understandable that many women felt surprised, disappointed, or even hurt by the recent decision of the New South Wales assembly to now restrict the office of elder to qualified men, only. The tension between these messages has left many confused. Yet their disappointment should not obscure another reality: many women quietly welcomed the decision to return to our historic Reformed polity.

As I have listened to the public discussion, I have gained the impression that only one position is regarded as acceptable for women: support for promoting women into positions of ecclesiastical authority. To express a different conviction is sometimes taken as evidence that one does not value women or wishes to restrict their service in the church.

Through conversations with women across our denomination, I have become convinced that many women hold a male-only eldership position because they believe Scripture teaches distinct and complementary responsibilities for men and women within the church. Their concern is not preserving male privilege but submitting to what they understand God’s Word to teach, even when doing so is unpopular. The question of eldership is therefore not fundamentally about who is more capable, valuable, or influential. It is about how Christ has ordered His church and entrusted the responsibility of spiritual oversight. Biblical leadership is not a privilege of status or superiority but a calling to humble service, modelled by Christ Himself, who “came not to be served but to serve” (Mark 10:45).

For those of us who hold this view, male eldership is not a cultural tradition, nor a manifestation of inequality, but part of God’s good design for the ordering of His church. We believe that the biblical vision of men and women is not one of sameness but of equal dignity with distinct responsibilities. To abandon these distinctions is to risk reshaping the church according to the values of the surrounding culture rather than according to God’s Word. Scripture reminds us that every generation faces the temptation to question God’s wisdom and reinterpret His revealed will according to its own understanding: “Did God actually say…?” (Genesis 3:1) The question before the church in every age is whether we will trust God’s design, even when it challenges our preferences or conflicts with the expectations of our culture.

This conviction also shapes how many of us understand marriage, family, discipleship, and the life of the church. For many women who believe Scripture calls them to joyful submission within marriage, an ecclesiology that places other women in spiritual authority over their husbands is irreconcilable with their convictions.

In addition, many women who faithfully serve in countless ministries within the church reject the idea that meaningful service requires holding an official position of governance. We teach children, disciple younger women, lead women’s Bible studies, organise ministries, care for families, welcome newcomers, support missionaries, and serve behind the scenes in countless ways. Christian worth has never been measured by title, recognition, or authority. Every member of Christ’s body has been gifted for service, and faithful ministry takes many forms.

I have spoken with women who feel hesitant to express these convictions publicly for fear of being judged or misunderstood. They are frustrated at being told that supporting male eldership is somehow contrary to the interests of women. They cherish the biblical distinctions between men and women. They value men’s and women’s ministries that reflect the pattern of discipleship set out in Titus 2. They long to see men exercise godly, sacrificial leadership in their homes and churches, and they desire to see women joyfully embrace the biblical calling of faithful submission and service, trusting that God’s design is both for their good and for His glory.

We therefore express our gratitude to the ministers and elders in the New South Wales Assembly who voted in accordance with what they understand to be the historic interpretation of Scripture, despite considerable cultural pressure to do otherwise. The New South Wales Assembly is now in concord with all the other State Assemblies of the Presbyterian church on this issue. In the current climate, such a decision required conviction, courage, and a steadfast commitment to Christ and to the authority of God’s Word.

It is our prayer that these faithful leaders will continue to lead the Presbyterian Church of Australia with humility, wisdom, courage, and faithfulness. May our churches remain communities in which both men and women flourish together in the service of Christ, exercising the gifts He has given and serving according to the patterns He has revealed in Scripture. Above all, may we honour God by trusting that His Word is enduring, sufficient, and good.

– Eleanor Matthews