Can Women Be Pastors?

Concise, Scripture-Centered Guide Answers Popular Questions about Gender and Church Leadership

Many new believers have questions about what it means to live as a Christian in the context of a local church, and pastors are looking for resources to pass along to their congregations to help them think biblically about the Christian life. Church Questions is a series by 9Marks that seeks to provide Christians with sound and accessible biblical teaching by answering common questions about church life. Each booklet offers biblical answers and practical applications with the goal of nurturing healthy church practice and commitment.

In this Church Questions booklet, Greg Gilbert answers the question Can women be pastors? Gilbert explains why God reserved the office of pastor and elder exclusively for men by examining the structures of authority God established from the very beginning. Focusing on texts in Genesis 1–3 and 1 Timothy 2, Gilbert makes a case for why God's original design for church leadership is not arbitrary, but part of his good and beautiful plan.



- A Great Resource for Congregations and New Christians: Helps readers think more biblically about the Christian life and faithfulness in a local church

- Accessible and Practical: Small, shareable booklet includes helpful applications for individuals and churches

- Part of the Church Questions Series Created in Partnership with 9Marks



Greg Gilbert (MDiv, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is senior pastor at Third Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the author of What Is the Gospel?; James: A 12-Week Study; and Who Is Jesus?; and is the coauthor of What Is the Mission of the Church? Greg and his wife, Moriah, have three children.