Voting in congregations
As I understand it, the WELS position on women in the church deals with authority over a man. Yet nothing is stated about shared authority. In other words, if a woman casts a vote at a voters' assembly meeting, isn’t it really that she is exercising authority with a man? To me it seems like the only authoritative vote is one cast that breaks a tie because that vote carries authority. Isn’t Paul talking about authority in such a way as over a man? The Scriptures don’t address voters assemblies, but it appears that WELS has defined the application of authority for every one of its churches. Shouldn’t each church decide what constitutes authority and what doesn’t? Some churches might not allow women voting but others might. Isn’t it okay for churches to apply the same principles differently and still walk together?
The voters’ assembly is the authoritative governing body of the congregation. It calls and removes pastors, teachers and staff ministers. It accepts and excommunicates members. These are all authoritative decisions. A woman would not be exercising authority with a man by casting votes on these or other matters.
In addition, we want to keep in mind that there are more authoritative actions than voting in a voters’ meeting. There is often a good deal of authoritative action in the debate that precedes a vote.
As a synod, we have made this confession: “We believe that women may participate in offices and activities of the public ministry except where that work involves authority over men (1 Timothy 2:11.12). This means that women may not serve as pastors nor participate in assemblies of the church in ways that exercise authority over men (1 Corinthians 11:3; 14:33-35).
None of this negates what God says about men and women in his kingdom: “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:26-29).
Northwestern Publishing House offers a couple of resources on this topic. This link will take you to those resources.