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Not to be too argumentative but . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junia

Junia in Romans is called an apostle by Paul and she was most definitely female. Do a little research on your own remembering that there are no male nor female in Christ. We Christians are all equal in all aspects of what that means.

Please do not take this as an argument one way or the other. I come from a very traditional and evangelical background but . . . well check it out as it is controversial.

well, we are all equal -- in fact I'd say women can be holier than men! Women spreading the good news to all -- of course, they are many times better than men.

Women as priestesses, sorry, no, not for their lack of pastoral ability or preaching ability or fervor or holiness, not from a lack of any holiness, but from the point of view of the participation in the Eucharist -- a Holy Tradition that Christ inaugurated with the Last Supper

With this, as I said -- a woman preacher etc. I see no issue with so in your case none at all

"Junia in Romans is called an apostle by Paul and she was most definitely female. Do a little research on your own remembering that there are no male nor female in Christ. We Christians are all equal in all aspects of what that means"

No, Paul says Junia was noted by all the Apostles. And while male and female are equal in Christ with regard to salvation, each have their own roles. That a Priest or Pastor is to be a male is made very clear in 1 Timothy and Titus (the pastoral epistles)

Hi, and thanks for the amicable way in which you presented the case for the apostle Junia.

I think it's interesting that the early Church --- amidst controversy, it's true --- did find slaves and gentiles qualified for ordained ministry, and this with Paul's strong leadership on the question. Note that in his letter to Philemon, Paul even hints --- in his very tactful and diplomatic way --that he would want the slave Onesimus to be freed so he could serve in the Church, as part of Paul's own ministry.

And yet while Paul calls the woman Junia an apostle, he also, elsewhere, expressed the contrasting view: that women are not to exercise authority over men in the Church.

Clearly Paul was not a man to shrink back from public opinion or cultural constraints when it came to slaves and gentiles. But sexual identity really is a different category. Slaves and freemen, Gentiles and Jews differ from each other in ways that really are socially changeable. But men and women differ from each other in ways that are in-built, and intended by the Creator: "male and female He created them."

This hints that, while men and women are equal, it might not be right to treat them as if they were interchangeable and identical.

There's more to be said on this on both sides, of course!

Incidentally, while I'm firmly convinced that women cannot be admitted to Holy Orders as ordained deacons, priests, and bishops, I see not reason why women should not serve in all non-ordained ministries, every (lay) level of leadership, including the top ones.

So maybe my thoughts are not relevant to the Presbyterian situation at all, since (as I understand it) you do not have "Holy Orders"--- priesthood--- as Catholics would understand the term.

Does that make sense?

Junia in Romans is called an apostle by Paul and she was most definitely female. Do a little research on your own remembering that there are no male nor female in Christ. We Christians are all equal in all aspects of what that means.

Junia was not called an apostle by Paul but was noted among the apostles, i was once noted among a good country and western music group but can not play a note on any thing, i just ran with them.

Yes, we are all the same as far as our salvation is concerned.

Tim 2:12
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

typically churches that accept female pastors are like salmon who have made their run and laid their eggs. the only thing they have left to do is die.

Sounds harsh but these churches never attract real men—as in guy guys. the males who are there have already checked out in more ways than one.

Even your article claims that the gender of Junia is speculative. They simply don't know. This is ALL the scriptures state:

Rom_16:7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.

It's really hard to read much into that.

As for homosexuality the scriptures are abundantly clear. I can understand these churches leaving rather than having an unrepentant sinner leading them in mock worship.