"We, the members of the THE SOVEREIGN GRACE BIBLE CHURCH OF CEBU, INC., a non-profit organization, do ordain and establish the following articles, to which we voluntarily submit ourselves."

ARTICLE 5:    ORDER

CONTENTS:  1  Institution  2  Membership  3  Leadership  4  Commission  5  Order  6  Congregational Meetings  7  Affiliation

SECTION 1.    GENERAL STATEMENT

       Paragraph A.  The Place of Women in Church Membership.

       Christ has clearly revealed His mind that women be admitted to the community of His disciples (Jn. 4:1,2; Acts 5:13; 8:3,12; 9:2; Gal. 3:27,28) and that this entire community, the whole church, participates in the exercise of congregational suffrage (Acts 6:2,5; 15:22). Therefore, every woman who is a regular member in good standing is entitled to the plenary privileges of membership, including full participation in the process of congregation advice, consent and approval, as defined in this Constitution. Similarly, every woman who is a regular member is responsible to fulfill all the obligations of membership, and is liable to church discipline (Acts 5:1-11), as defined in this Constitution.

       Paragraph B.  The Place of Women in Church Leadership.

       The Lord, through His apostles (1Cor. 14:37), has clearly revealed His mind that men alone should give leadership to His church (1Cor. 14:34,35; 1Tim. 2:11-15). This restriction is not derived from the changing and temporary cultural mores, or limited to a specific culture or era, but is derived from the unchanging norms of the creation and fall (1Tim. 2:13,14), and is therefore binding upon all the churches of Christ in every culture and era (1Cor. 14:33,37).

       Therefore, no woman shall ever be eligible or permitted to give leadership to this congregation either by holding the office of elder or of deacon, or by teaching or preaching in the gathered church (1Tim. 2:12). Furthermore, God requires that the corporate worship of His people be regulated by His revealed will alone (Deut. 12:32), which includes the exercise of authority and spiritual gifts (1Cor. 14:23,26,33-37,40). Therefore, women are not eligible or permitted to give leadership to this church in its corporate worship whether by presiding over the service of worship, or by ministering or distributing the church's ordinances, or by administering the congregation during its worship. In addition, the regulative principle also applies to our drawing near to God through the corporate prayers of the gathered church (Deut. 12:32 g.p.); and, the Lord has commanded only the men, not the women, to lead in corporate prayer (1Tim. 2:1,8 with 3:14). Therefore, women are not eligible or permitted to lead the gathered church in prayer at the stated meetings of this church. They are however, expected to pray silently with those who lead the congregation, and to participate in the corporate affirmation by saying the "Amen" (1Cor. 14:16).

       Paragraph C.  The Place of Women in Church Ministries.

       God, our gracious Creator, has ordained that the woman's role is to be a helper to her husband (Gen. 2:18; 1Cor. 11:9), and thus, that her focus should be upon her husband, her children, and her home (Prov. 31:10-31; Tit. 2:3,4). In accordance with her created nature as a helper, and within the constraint of the priority of her domestic focus, the Lord Jesus, our loving redeemer, has given to women a broad and valuable place of service and ministry in His church. Women are therefore eligible to serve the Lord and the church by assisting and helping the deacons in the broad spectrum of diaconal ministry, in accordance with scriptural qualifications for this service (1Tim. 3:11). The church should gratefully aid those women who are called to such labor on the behalf of the church (Rom. 16:1,2). A woman may also help and assist the congregation in its public worship by playing a musical accompaniment. Furthermore, women are also eligible to care for minor children and to teach them the things of God in church ministries designed for that purpose (Prov. 1:8; 2Tim. 1:5; 3:15). In addition, the older women of the church should train the younger women in domestic piety in accordance with their ability and opportunity (Tit. 2:3,4).

       Paragraph D.  The Place of Women in Church Assemblies.

1. The Lord's will is that women should behave in church meetings in a manner consistent with decorum (1Tim. 2:9,10) and submission (1Cor. 14:34,35; 1Tim. 2:11). Inorder to behave with decorum in church, every woman should be dressed in such a manner as to avoid both immodesty and ostentation (1Tim. 2:9,10), so that the congregation's attention will not be intentionally diverted from God and drawn to her. In order to behave with submission in church, every woman should adorn herself with a meek and quiet spirit (1Pet. 3:4). Therefore, she should not speak out individually in corporate worship (1Cor. 14:23,26,33-37), nor should she, while receiving corporate instruction from the scriptures, publicly question her teacher before the gathered church, but, in deference to her husband, should first address her concerns about the teaching privately to him (1Cor. 14:34,35; 1Tim. 2:11), or if she has no husband, to an elder.

2. This mandate of decorum and submission does not, however, cancel or nullify her privileges and duties as a church member in good standing. Therefore, since women, as well as men, are commanded to participate in congregational suffrage, women who are members in good standing are permitted to address the gathered church on all matters in which congregational advice and consent are voluntarily sought or constitutionally required, yet always with a meekness befitting their femininity. Therefore, also, since women are commanded by the Lord personally and publicly to confess their repentance towards God and faith in Christ (Mt. 3:6; Acts 5:13,14; 8:12), every woman who is a member in good standing is permitted to participate freely in all church assemblies gathered for the purpose of public testimony and praise, or public confession of sin or faith, whether by testifying to the church of God's goodness to her, or by confessing before church her sin or her faith and hope in Christ. Similarly, with a view to confessing their faith, women may compose hymns and spiritual songs which, if suitable, may be sung by the gathered church (Heb. 13:15). Therefore, also every woman who is a member in good standing is permitted to participate freely in the lighter and informal social gatherings of the church, at which she may address those assembled in a manner befitting the occasion (1Cor. 11:2-16; 1Cor. 14:40). Finally, this mandate of decorum and submission in church assemblies does not deny Christian women all opportunity to exercise their spiritual gifts. Therefore, in the auspices of their own home, or in private company, women may exercise a gift to teach (Acts 18:26; 21:9), or put forth questions regarding the Scriptures (1Cor. 14:34,35), or lead in prayer (1Cor. 7:5; 11:5; 1Pet. 3:7), or bear witness to any sinner of the grace of God in the gospel (1Cor. 7:16).

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