"What we're pointing out to you is that the Bible has different roles for different people and, in this case, does not allow women into pastor or elder roles."
Galatians 3:26-28
'For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.'
What would you say the role of a pastor was? To evangelise? To help Christians grow in faith? To prophesy? We see at the tomb that Mary was the first person to preach the Gospel, as commanded by an angel, and we see with the woman at the well Jesus instruct the Samaratin woman to share with her people the message he had brought. Priscilla aided Acquilla in teaching Apollos of the Gospels. Deborah was a prophetess and a judge; a general, a military leader. Miriam was a prophetess and reknowned leader of worship.
I would argue that God most certainly does allow for women to have a role in his church; especially since 1 Corinthians 10 states that the church is the body of Christ, not some building or association.
"And which of these women [Deborah, Miriam, Hulda] were pastors in the Church?"
None of these three, technically. I think you'll find that the church format of early AD years is vastly different to current protestant models. In fact, it is more likely to resemble the Catholic model, which strongly maintains traditions that are documented throughout time.
But I will also direct you to Romans 16:1-2, in which a woman named Phoebe is commended as 'a servant of the church,' though when we look at the original Greek translation, one notices that the word used to describe her as 'servant' is the same as what is used to describe even Paul as a minister... And note that Paul says 'Let me commend to you Phoebe'...
"Again, it isn't about what God can or cannot do but about what God has instructed us to do."
I think you'll find that it is what Paul instructed the Corinthians to do. I very much doubt that Paul knew that this would be read by millions thousands of years into the future, and doubt that he wrote it as such. And while I believe it is divinely inspired, one must consider context when reading Paul's letters. In a culture where women are uneducated, constant questions disrupting teachings within meetings of the believers' would disrupt the learning of the greater church body. Though they are encouraged to seek understanding from their husbands in private; if women were banned from preaching and evangelising, surely they would only need instruction, not understanding?|
"Again with the straw an arguments. Nobody is claiming that women are "worse" or "worth less", only that God has given different roles to men and women."
God has given different roles to everyone. But I don't think God has limited Himself to only using men as pastors or evangelisers. I know, 'God can do what He wants, we have to do what he says,' but God instructs us to be Christ-like; and Christ used women to spread the gospel, Mary from the tomb, the woman at the well...
"If she has the gift of preaching and leadership and wants to honor God, then why not be an evangelist or teacher and mentor to of women and children, rather than try to usurp God's roles for the sexes?"
Honouring God is doing what God calls you to do. If you feel God has called you to be a pastor, do it. Of course, there are people who claim God called them to do all sorts of things that aren't Biblically based, but I really don't think female pastoring is one of those things. There are clear Biblical examples of God using women as leaders in his church (being the entire body of believers, again, not some building or company or organisation, 1 Corinthians 12), so it doesn't make sense that God would call us to be Godly and then instruct us to do the opposite of what He Himself has done?
