Can a Woman be a Pastor?

by Pastor Matthew Norville, Sr.


The Word of God is very clear in that God does not call women to the office of pastor.

A pastor is one of the five ministry offices (Ephesians 4:11) that God calls some people to under the New Covenant. The other four are apostle, prophet, teacher (of the Word of God--not school teacher), and evangelist. God calls some men and some women to the offices of prophet, teacher, and evangelist. God calls some men to the offices of apostle and pastor, but He does not call women to the offices of apostle and pastor. (The reason that God does not call women to the office of apostle is because an apostle functions in all five ministry offices, and since one of those offices is a pastor, a woman cannot be an apostle.)

In the New Testament there are
five different words that are used in reference to the pastor’s office: bishop, overseer, pastor, elder, and shepherd. I teach my congregation the acronym “BOPES” (rhymes with “hopes”).

B..........Bishop
O..........Overseer
P..........Pastor
E..........Elder
S..........Shepherd

Every single pastor mentioned in the New Testament is a man, not a woman. The Word of God clearly teaches that a pastor is the husband of one wife.

I Timothy 3:2 says, “A bishop (pastor) then must be blameless, the husband of one wife,...”

Titus 1:5-6 says, “...ordain elders (pastors) in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife,...”

(more to come)

This page last updated June 11, 2005.