Can I ask a question, why is it that women cannot assist in communion or other "pastoral duties"?
The reason I ask is because it seems strange to me that if it is because the office of pastor is strictly for males, why do they not consider other qualifications of pastors when it comes to communion. What if the elder was involved in a divorce that was deemed "unlawful" or other various expectations of who is qualified to fill the pastorate? What is it that distinguishes those qualifications from the qualification of gender.
Please do not take this as debating, I am just curious as to why there is such a distinction.
Pax
When the pastor is performing the functions of his office ("pastoral duties") he is doing so in the stead of Christ. Christ is the bride-groom/husband of His bride, the Church. Just as God doesn't call women to be husbands. neither does He call them to be pastors. When women perform those functions they are doing so outside of God's created order.
(I recently preached on this very subject. If you'd like to hear it, I can post a link for you. It goes into much more detail on this matter.)
As for elders who are charged with assisting in "pastoral duties", they need to be held to the same standards set in Scripture as do pastors.
Are those of you who are against female elders also opposed to women being ushers and acolytes? Not trying to start a debate, I'm genuinely curious.
Female acolytes are fine IMO. Their only role in communion is moving some supplies from a holding area to the Pastor at the alter, they don't help actually distribute. To be a bit more technical perhaps, they handle the elements before the blessing and don't handle them again until the last person has taken communion. It's debatable when Christs body and blood become present and when it is no longer present, so they could then arguably be even further removed from assisting in communion.
Female acolytes are not a problem, IMO, but female ushers doesn't seem right and, come to think of it, I've never seen it. Go figure.
I find it a bit confusing that y'all would be opposed to female ushers, but OK with female acolytes. The acolyte is closer to serving at the altar than an usher is. What does the usher do? Assist people to their seats, bring the offering forward, and assist people out of the church. What is there about those things that you would oppose a woman being able to do them?
As for acolytes, their basic duties are to carry the crucifer, light and extinguish candles, perhaps collect the shot glasses, and occasionally hold the Lectionary for the pastor. None of these duties are associated with the functions of the pastoral office.
And as for the Real Presence of Christ's body and blood in the elements, we do know that they are present after the Verba and before reception, but we do not know that they are ever not present after the Eucharist, thus the elements should be handled reverently and reserved seperately from non-consecrated elements.
As for female lay readers, I'd rather they be articulate women (or confirmands) than men whose inability to read or speak clearly interrupts the message, but that's just me. I wasn't raised with women lay readers, but I never asked why. It just fell to the elders or congregation pres or vp then.
So what about female lay readers? Our LCMS does not allow female elders, but does have female lay readers for the OT and Epistle (but not Gospel). Do you see that as infringing on the pastor's duties in preaching the Word?
We need to keep in mind that the reading of the OT and Epistle readings were later additions to the liturgy. The pastor is charged with proclaming the Gospel, which includes the Gospel reading, the sermon, and the administration of the Sacraments (including Absolution). There really isn't a problem with women serving as lay readers.
