Women in Leadership

Our church has a long history of supporting men and women together serving in various leadership and teaching capacities.

Since 2017, our Elders, together with our Lead Pastors, have closely studied the biblical treatment of women in leadership. In October of 2021, after seasons of personal study and regular meetings, after years of reading, prayer, and discussion an enthusiastic support for women as Elders was declared and affirmed.

The Elders did not make this decision quickly or take it lightly. Nor did they seek to implement it immediately, but rather to ensure that the immediate and most urgent needs of ministry were being met, while equipping staff to understand the journey, the background, the scriptures, and the posture we have taken.

We believe that women and men leading, ministering, and utilizing all the spiritual gifts together is both God’s original and redemptive design. We believe scripture teaches the full equality of men and women as co-heirs with Christ. We believe that God utilizes both women and men to teach, lead, and serve together in the ministry of reconciliation given us by Jesus Christ. This conviction leads us to involve women and men in full participation, collaboration, mutual support, and unity of purpose. Each person is valued and encouraged to use and develop their gifts to build up our local body. Therefore, at our church, women are fully included in the life of the church, and both men and women are free to participate in all ministries and positions, including the roles of elder, teacher, and Lead Pastor, as we inspire others to know, love, and follow Jesus.

We do not claim that this discussion is cut-and-dried. The fact that brilliant, Spirit-filled scholars committed to the inerrancy of Scripture land on both sides of this question points to the complexity of the challenge. So we will respect anyone who disagrees with us. We do believe, however, that the discussion of women in leadership is a secondary doctrinal issue.

Our conviction for years has been:

In essentials, unity.
In nonessentials, liberty.
In everything, love.

Whereas it is impossible to exhaustively address the discussion of women in leadership in a paper of this nature, the Elders believe it is important to communicate the scriptural and hermeneutical support for our decision. Please visit beaverton.cc/women-in-leadership for more information on this important topic.

In Christ,

Chris Yarco
Lead Executive