At Rise Up Culture Church, we believe the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God and our final guide for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Many within our leadership, including our founding pastors, were shaped by complementarian theology. We honor the sincerity and devotion to Scripture within those traditions.

After careful study of the whole counsel of Scripture, and through meaningful engagement with evangelical scholarship, including Preston Sprinkle’s From Genesis to Junia¹, we believe the Bible supports Spirit-empowered partnership between men and women in all areas of church leadership.

This conclusion was reached prayerfully and slowly.

We hold it with conviction and humility.

Genesis 1:26–28 teaches that both male and female are created in the image of God and are given shared dominion over creation. There is no hierarchy in the creation mandate. Genesis 2 describes Eve as an ʿezer (“helper”). This Hebrew word most often refers to God Himself helping Israel (e.g., Psalm 33:20; 70:5). It implies strength and partnership — not subordination.¹

Genesis 5:2 says: “Male and female He created them… and He named them Adam.” In God’s sight, both together are called “Adam.” They share identity, image, and calling. At the same time, this shared identity does not erase the beautiful differences between men and women. Scripture celebrates both masculinity and femininity as intentional expressions of God’s design. Equality in image and calling does not require sameness in personality, gifting, or expression.

Men and women reflect God’s glory in distinct and complementary ways, yet they share the same dignity, authority, and calling as image-bearers. Male rule appears only after the Fall (Genesis 3:16). We believe redemption in Christ restores partnership rather than perpetuating hierarchy (Galatians 3:28).

In Judges 4–5, Deborah serves as:

• Prophet (Judges 4:4)

• Judge of Israel (4:4–5)

• Military leader (4:6–9)

• National spiritual authority (5:7)

Scripture presents her leadership as divinely appointed and anointed, not as a concession or rebuke.

God did not apologize for Deborah’s leadership. He raised her up. Through her, God delivered Israel and brought spiritual renewal to the nation. Deborah therefore stands as a clear biblical example that God’s call and authority are not limited by gender. When God anoints someone to lead His people, Scripture consistently emphasizes obedience to that calling rather than restrictions based on gender.

Jesus consistently elevated women in ways that were culturally radical in the first-century Jewish world. He:

• Welcomed women as disciples who traveled with and supported His ministry (Luke 8:1–3)

• Defended Mary’s choice to sit at His feet as a theological learner, a posture traditionally reserved for male disciples (Luke 10:39–42)

• Publicly revealed His identity as Messiah to the Samaritan woman, who became the first evangelist to her town (John 4:25–30, 39)

• Received prophetic worship from a woman and affirmed her act as preparation for His burial (Matthew 26:6–13)

• Commissioned women as the first witnesses of His resurrection and instructed them to announce the news to the disciples (Matthew 28:5–10; John 20:17–18)

In a culture where women were often excluded from religious authority and testimony, Jesus entrusted women with the proclamation of the most important message in history. In a world that silenced women, Jesus sent them. We believe our leadership culture must reflect the heart of Christ.

The New Testament describes women who:

• Prophesied (Acts 21:9; 1 Corinthians 11:5)

• Served as deacons (Phoebe, Romans 16:1–2)

• Were called apostles (Junia, Romans 16:7)²

• Taught men (Priscilla with Apollos, Acts 18:26)

• Labored as gospel co-workers with Paul (Philippians 4:2–3)

• Hosted and likely led house churches (Nympha, Colossians 4:15; Chloe, 1 Corinthians 1:11)

Spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit “as He wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11), without distinction between men and women.

Leadership in the New Testament is grounded in calling, character, and gifting - not gender.

1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6 describe elders as “the husband of one wife.” This phrase has often been interpreted as restricting elder leadership to men. However, the Greek phrase (mias gynaikos andra) is widely recognized by scholars as an idiomatic expression meaning “a one-woman man.” In other words, Paul is describing a leader who is faithful and morally trustworthy in his relationships.

Paul’s concern throughout this passage is character, not marital status or gender. The surrounding qualifications focus on qualities such as self-control, gentleness, hospitality, and integrity.

If this phrase were meant as a strict gender requirement, it would also exclude:

• Single men

• Widowers

• Unmarried leaders such as Paul himself

Yet Paul himself served as one of the primary leaders of the early church.

For this reason, many scholars understand the phrase as emphasizing marital faithfulness rather than gender restriction.¹

Ephesians 5:21 instructs believers: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” This mutual submission frames the entire household passage. Wives are called to submit (5:22), and husbands are commanded to love sacrificially as Christ loved the Church - laying down His life (5:25). The model is not dominance but cruciform love. We reject interpretations that suggest female inferiority. Instead, we see a call to Spirit-shaped mutuality within marriage. Marriage metaphors should not be used to define church leadership structure.

1 Corinthians 14:34–35 states that women should remain silent in the churches. However, earlier in the same letter Paul affirms that women pray and prophesy publicly in the gathered church (1 Corinthians 11:5). The Greek word translated “silent” (sigao) appears several times in the chapter and is also applied to tongue-speakers (14:28) and prophets (14:30) when order is needed. The purpose of the instruction is therefore not to permanently silence women but to restore order to chaotic worship gatherings.

Many scholars believe the specific issue involved disruptive questioning or evaluation during prophecy. Within the larger context of the letter, the passage is best understood as a situational correction rather than a universal prohibition on women speaking or leading in the church.

1 Timothy addresses serious false teaching within the Ephesian church (1 Timothy 1:3–7; 4:1–3; 6:3–5).

In that context Paul writes: “Let a woman learn quietly with all submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man…” This instruction is often read as a universal prohibition. However, several details suggest Paul is addressing a specific situation.

First, Paul begins by commanding that women should learn. In the ancient world, encouraging women to pursue theological education was itself countercultural. Second, the rare Greek word translated “exercise authority” (authentein) appears only once in the New Testament. Many scholars note that the word can carry the sense of domineering, controlling, or usurping authority, rather than healthy leadership.² A rendering consistent with this understanding reads: “Let a woman learn quietly with all self-control. I am not now permitting a woman to teach a man in a dominating way; rather, she is to have a calm demeanor.”²

Finally, Ephesus was home to the famous Temple of Artemis, a religious center dominated by female priesthood and belief system based on female superiority. While scholars debate the extent of its influence, the cultural environment likely contributed to unique challenges within the church. Within this broader context of false teaching and disorder, Paul’s instruction appears corrective and temporary rather than a universal restriction on all women in all churches. This interpretation aligns with Paul’s own ministry practice, where women served as teachers, prophets, and apostles.¹

Affirming women in leadership does not mean erasing the beautiful differences between men and women. God intentionally created male and female. Masculinity and femininity are gifts that reflect distinct aspects of God’s glory.

We reject the idea that equality means sameness. Men and women are not interchangeable. They are complementary in beauty, strength, and expression. At the same time, we do not believe Scripture places gender-based restrictions on church leadership roles. Where God has given calling, character, and spiritual gifting, we will not impose boundaries that we do not see clearly established in the whole counsel of Scripture. We are not removing distinction.
We are removing prohibition. We believe the enemy would love to silence either the courage of God’s sons or the voice of God’s daughters. We refuse to mute either.

Therefore: At Rise Up Culture Church, all leadership roles, including elder and pastoral leadership, are open to men and women who meet the biblical qualifications of character, calling, and spiritual maturity. We do not elevate women above men.
We do not erase distinction.
We refuse to block what we believe the Holy Spirit is empowering.

We recognize that faithful believers disagree on this issue. We refuse to divide over it.
We refuse to shame differing convictions.
We hold this as a secondary doctrinal issue. Our unity is in Jesus Christ. We will walk in humility, courage, and love.