I want to touch on a few aspects that ought not to be overlooked in the current debate about women in ecclesiastical office.

1. The argument has been somewhat in vogue among the proponents of women in office that their opponents are wasting a lot of time and energy on a rather (what they consider to be) minor matter. But what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Who began this whole debate? Is it not a waste of time and energy for those who are in favor of the issue? Indeed, is the issue so important that the matter must be forced upon a church in which, according to synod’s own judgment, “the overwhelming majority” is not of a mind to open the offices to women? Is it a matter of such crucial importance to the life of the church? Is it going to revitalize the church? If it really is an unimportant matter, why not drop it in view of the church’s opposition? 2. Prof. M. H. Woudstra once wrote in connection with the “love of God” debate that when a tidal wave threatens to engulf you, you are not going to worry about fixing a loose shingle. Rather all hands must put forth a total effort to hold back the tide. Just now when a wave of lawlessness is sweeping across our society, wherein there is a systematic effort to overthrow the ordinances of God with respect to marriage and home as well as many other areas of life (and the Women’s Liberation movement is one facet of this effort), the church should do all in its power to resist this movement and not waste time and effort on “fixing shingles”—which will only accommodate the enemy. And, as the Rev. J . Eppinga once pointed out in The Banner, in this age of Women’s Liberation and the quest for egalitarianism, the church must be doubly sure that it’s not following the spirit of the age in its decisions. For it is beyond dispute that this issue did not arise from a renewed study or understanding of the Word, but from the influence of emancipation in society around us. That means, to my way of thinking, that this is a most inopportune time to try to settle this issue, the more so since putting women in the diaconate is not really going to change a thing as far as the impact of the church on the world goes. Any woman (or man for that matter) who wants to be of greater service to the Lord can find opportunities galore to do so in the church. And many women are doing exactly that.

3. We ought not to overlook the plight of the home in today’s society. Many marriages and homes are in trouble today, also in the church. A lot of factors contribute to this, but one major one is surely the prevalence of mothers working outside the home, even when there are growing children. When such is the case, why would the church, of all agencies, want to abet even slightly such an evil? Ought not the church to do all in its power to resist further erosion of the home? Would this not be the greatest contribution the church could make at such a crucial stage in history? Here the words of Paul come to mind: “Train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God” (Titus 2:4, 5 NIV). If there ever was a time for the church to emphasize this up-to-date teaching of God’s Word, it is today. Indeed, the church needs to hear it herself. If she doesn’t, who will?