Women in Ministry: Thoughts from the Grandmother of the Pentecostal Movement

Paul worked with the women in the Gospel more than any of the apostles. Priscilla and Phebe traveled with Paul preaching and building up the churches. (Acts 18:2,18,25; Romans 16.)

He and Phebe had been holding revivals together; now she is called to the city of Rome. Paul cannot go with her, but he is very careful of her reputation and that she is treated with respect. He writes a letter of recommendation: “I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, which is a servant of the church (which signifies a minister of the church)... at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also” (Romans 16:1, parenthetical statement Etter’s addition).

This shows that she had authority to do business in the churches and that she had been successful in winning souls to Christ. He is not ashamed to say she had encouraged him; he speaks in the highest praise of a number of sisters who had been faithful workers in the work of the Lord, who had risked their lives in the effort to save souls; and not he alone, but all the churches of the Gentiles sent their thanks.

Paul said, “Let your women keep silence in the churches.” So saith the law. We are not under law but under grace. “And learn of their husbands at home.” What will those do who have no husbands? Do you suppose they will remain in ignorance and be lost? And if some women had to depend on their husbands for knowledge, they would die in ignorance.

Paul referred to contentions in the churches. Paul [also] says you had better not marry. How many agree with Paul? How many obey? He is referring to contentions in the churches, that it is a shame to bring up questions and have jangling in the house of God. He writes to the brethren, “I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it” (1 Corinthians 11:18). “Help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:3). There were also several women who were prophetesses. (Luke 2:36,2 Kings 22:13-15.) Huldah, the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, dwelt in Jerusalem, in the college, and they communed with her, and she said unto them, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel.” Exodus 15:20; [also] Micah 6:4 says, “I sent before thee, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.”

And in Judges 4:4, it says, “Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapi-doth, she judged Israel at that time.” See the responsible position that God gave her, to sit and judge the hosts of the children of Israel. The children of Israel had sinned and God would not fight their battles, and for twenty years the nations arose against them and defied them to come out to battle. Barak dared not meet the enemy unless Deborah led the van. This brave woman, ever ready to defend the cause of God, said, “I will surely go.” God’s people must not be taken by the enemies. Oh, no; call our the armies of the Lord. Sisera’s mighty host is gathering. Every soldier to his post. See the brave woman riding with Barak, the commander, at the head of the army, cheering on the hosts to victory, shouting victory as she led on the armies, sweeping through the enemies’ ranks, carrying death and destruction till the king leaped from his chariot and fled for his life, but was captured and killed by a woman. Every man was put to the sword; not one was left to tell of the defeat.

The mother of Sisera looked out of the window for the return of the king, her son, from the battle and cried, “Oh, why does he not come, why is his chariot so long in coming? Why, oh, why does he tarry so long?” While she is weeping for her son’s return, he is lying cold in death in the tent where he has been captured and killed by a woman.

Queen Esther intercedes at the king’s court, and the sad decree of the king is reversed so that her life and the life of the Jewish nation are saved.

Paul says there is no difference, but that male and female are one in Christ Jesus. (See Galatians 3:28.) Let us take Jesus for our pattern and example and see no man, save Jesus only.

Women were called and commissioned by the angel sent from heaven, and by the Lord Jesus Christ, to preach the Gospel. (See Matthew 28:5-10.)

The cowardly disciples had forsaken the Savior and fled. Peter denied the Savior and swore he never knew Him, but many women followed him and stood by the cross and went to the sepulcher and saw the body laid away. The great stone was rolled against the door. (See Matthew 27:55-61.) These women went home sad and brokenhearted, but they returned to pay a last tribute to their dear friend. They spent the night in preparing spices to embalm the body of their Lord. They came to the sepulcher as it was coming day. The grave was empty. The Lord was not there. As they stood weeping, two angels stood by them and said:

“Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said, Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.”

They started at once with joy and rejoicing. They could not walk fast enough; they ran to hunt up the brothers, to tell the Good News. As they were going, Jesus met them, and they fell at His feet and worshipped Him. He said: “Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”

It was not only the twelve that were to tell the Good News. There were several hundred brethren; yes, thousands of followers at this time. They never thought of bloodthirsty soldiers who had put their master to death and were seeking for His friends who would dare to defend Him.

Observe the wonderful mission that Jesus had entrusted to these weak women to preach the first resurrection sermon; to risk their lives in gathering together the followers of Christ, where the wonderful meeting was to be held. But just like many today, they would not believe. Peter said, “I will not believe your report.” Thomas said, “I will not believe except I see the prints in His hands and feet.”

In the midst of all these discouragements, they went on with the work and had grand success. Jesus met with and preached to them; they were all made to rejoice. They were called by angels, and the Lord from glory, and sent to preach the Gospel. The names of four women were given and there were many others.

God is calling the Marys and the Marthas today all over our land to work in various places in the vineyard of the Lord; God grant that they may respond and say, “Lord, here am I; send me.” This call was made after Christ had risen. (Turn also to John 4:10-29,39-42.)

“I will pour out in the last days of my Spirit”—that refers in a special manner to these last days in which we are now living. God is promising great blessings and power to qualify His handmaidens for the last great harvest, just before the notable Day of the Lord comes. We must first be baptized into Christ by the one Spirit, that is, to be born of the Spirit; then we ought to be anointed with power and wisdom. The Spirit ought to be poured out like oil on our heads, to give us knowledge of the deep things of God. The Lord says we shall prophesy.

Paul says, “Desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy” (1 Corinthians 14:1). It makes no difference how many gifts we have, if we have not the gift of talking and teaching, it will not avail us much. The Lord has promised this greatest gift to His handmaidens and daughters. In the third verse, Paul explains what it is to prophesy. “He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification and exhortation, and comfort.” He that prophesieth edifieth the Church. No one can talk for God, only by the enlightening power of the Holy Ghost. Moses said, “Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:29).

While Jesus sat at Jacob’s well to rest, there was a poor woman, one who was living in sin, who came to the well to get water; although she had fallen very low and was despised by her friends so that she had no one to lift her up and tell her of a better way, Jesus came to seek the lost, to lift up the fallen.

God help us to follow His example; if they feel that their feet are slipping into the pit of hell, Jesus is a mighty Savior. He can lift them up and make them children of a King.

Jesus preached salvation; the woman was converted; she left her pitcher and took the well of salvation with her, and running to the city, went up one street and down another, with her face shining with the glory of God. Perhaps the people would have scorned her an hour before; now they saw and felt the change.

“Look what he has done for me. He will do the same for you.”

The people left their stores, their places of business, left their parlors and kitchens and came out in great multitudes to see the Savior of the world. There was a great revival there at the well. Jesus went into the city and stayed two days. The wave of salvation went on and on. This was the result of one sermon by a weak woman. Many were converted and made to rejoice in a Savior’s love by the preaching of the woman who said, “He told me all the things that ever I did.”

They came to her and said, “We know now for ourselves,” and, like the Queen of Sheba, said “The half was not told.”

My dear sister in Christ, as you hear these words, may the Spirit of God come upon you and make you willing to do the work the Lord has assigned to you. It is high time for women to let their lights shine; to bring out their talents that have been hidden away rusting and use them for the glory of God, and do with their might what their hands find to do, trusting God for strength, who has said, “I will never leave you.”

Oh, the fields are white, for the harvest is great and ripe, and it is ready for the gospel sickle; oh, where are the laborers to gather the golden grain into the Master’s garner?

The world is dying, the grave is filling, hell is boasting; it will all be over soon.

God left the glorious work of saving souls in the hands of the Church. What is the Church composed of? Men, women, and children. We are putting up a building of God. Everyone has a part in this building. If we cannot be a pillar or cornerstone, let us be a spike or a nail or a brick; let us not despise the day of small things. Whatever we do for Jesus, with the right motive, is precious in His sight. God’s Church is a workshop—no idlers allowed there. There should be bills posted, “To work, to work. Everyone at his post.” You and I should say when Satan tempts us, like Nehemiah, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. I am commissioned by the King of heaven to work for Him.” The work is great and the time is short. He offers a great reward. Like the blind man, we will tell what God has done for us. “Once I was blind, now I can see.”

The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come . . . And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.