Purpose Video
Jesus prayed for His followers to have oneness in Him and the Father. We, the elders of North Atlanta Church of Christ, also pray for that unity within our body, and that we continually grow closer to the perfect example of Jesus Christ in all we do. We pray for this mature and ever growing level of unity so that we might be credible witnesses to the world that Jesus was sent by God and that the world knows that God loves them, as well. We also pray that we honor Him with worship in Spirit and in truth.
In 2003-2004 the elders and ministers studied the roles of women in the church. Prompted again by the Holy Spirit in 2017, the elders felt called to study Scripture to determine if our practices at North Atlanta regarding the roles of women in the life, leadership and ministry of the church are appropriate. Some of the questions we sought to answer during our study were:
What do we understand Scripture to teach on the topic of women’s roles in the body of Christ
Can we arrive at differing conclusions on this topic and still be united around the gospel and the mission of God?
Who are we – the body of Christ at North Atlanta, and how do we – the North Atlanta elders, allow the Holy Spirit to guide our study on this topic and inform our leadership of this church in the mission and ministry of God in the 21st century?
How might our current practices hinder our ability to join with the Spirit in calling others into relationship with Jesus?
Are we standing between our sisters and the Holy Spirit in their usage of their gifts?
How can we best please God in our worship and service to Him?
Process
As with the earlier study, our study has taken nearly two years and a number of different formats. It began with the elders asking our preaching minister, Don McLaughlin to conduct a series of classes for the elders, ministers and their spouses on the topic. That was followed by an extended period of group and individual study by the elders. In 2018, a diverse group of eleven women from the church was asked by the elders to study and provide their understanding of God’s will specific to this topic. One clear message that resulted from this effort was that while they did not all start from nor finish in the same place, the process itself served to bring them closer together as a group and to allow them to appreciate and respect how each one came to her own belief. They recommended to the elders that the whole congregation have the opportunity to do the same type of study in order to experience the same personal growth in love, respect and unity. So, in March 2019, we announced to the entire congregation that small study groups would be formed for this purpose, and approximately 15 such groups began to meet. Using a study guide developed jointly by Sandra Mackey and Don McLaughlin, these groups met weekly for three months to explore the Scriptures and learn from each other. It is important to note that while these resources were provided, the groups were encouraged to supplement their studies with other resources as well. Additionally, in June 2019, we invited Dr. Ken Cukrowski, Interim Dean for the College of Biblical Studies at Abilene Christian University, to lead a weekend seminar on this topic in which he showed how serious study of the relevant Scriptures could lead one to several different stances on the subject. Also, we asked Don McLaughlin to conduct a Sunday morning class during June and July on the same material used by the small study groups. We then held a series of three Listening Sessions to hear about individual journeys through the topic. All of this was done in an effort to allow the entire body to study together and to grow in knowledge, unity and mutual love while respecting the beliefs of all.