When Can Women Speak During a Church Meeting?

Summary

Grace in Focus – Episode Summary

Episode Title: When Can Women Speak During a Church Meeting?
Date: September 17, 2025
Hosts: Bob Wilkin (Grace Evangelical Society), Dr. Ken Yates
Duration: 13 minutes

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Overview

This episode of Grace in Focus tackles a frequently debated question: When are women permitted to speak during church meetings, according to the New Testament? Host Bob Wilkin and guest Dr. Ken Yates engage in a focused and nuanced discussion, specifically exploring key passages from Paul's letters, denominational perspectives, and the practical outworking of these views in various church and para-church settings. Their conversation navigates through theological distinctions, cultural practices, and personal anecdotes, maintaining a respectful yet honest look at a divisive issue in evangelical circles.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Defining "The Meeting of the Church"

[01:13–02:22]

• Ambiguity of “Meeting of the Church”: The hosts highlight the complexity of determining what qualifies as a “church meeting.”
  • Is it Sunday worship, Sunday school, a conference, seminary classes, or specific gatherings like the Lord’s Supper?
  • Bob Wilkin: “Is Sunday school or is it the Lord's Supper or when is it?”
  • Ken Yates: Raises the question of conferences and Bible college classes also being considered church meetings.

Personal Anecdote: Dallas Seminary Chapel Walkout

[01:49–03:16]

• Ken Yates recounts a Dallas Theological Seminary chapel service where Elizabeth Elliot Ross spoke:
  • About half the male students walked out, apparently believing a woman should not address the assembly.
  • Quote: “Half. How disrespectful is this? Disrespectful? Of the woman, disrespectful of Dr. Walvoord, disrespectful of Dallas Seminary. And I was also thinking how stupid this is.” (Ken Yates, 02:01)
• Both hosts question whether such actions are biblically warranted and whether attending seminary chapel equates to a church meeting.

Biblical Examples of Women Teaching and Speaking

[03:18–03:55]

• Ken Yates: Cites Aquila and Priscilla instructing Apollos (Acts 18:26) as a model for women’s participation in teaching.
• Both reference the resurrection accounts (women announcing Christ’s resurrection) and Luke’s interviews with female witnesses.
  • Quote: “Did the angel say, go and tell the disciples he's risen...? Didn't the women come and say, he's risen...?” (Ken Yates, 03:43)

Key Scriptures and Theological Positions

[03:55–04:56]

• 1 Timothy 2:11–15:
  • Women should “learn in silence with all submission”; not permitted “to teach or have authority over a man.”
  • Ken Yates (Plymouth Brethren view): Takes this as a directive for silence during the “meeting of the local church,” extending even to prayer.
  • Quote: “Women aren't even to pray. So in answer to Wes' question...women are not to pray in the meeting of the local church.” (Ken Yates, 04:28)

Evangelical Practice and Pragmatic Approaches

[04:56–06:32]

• Distinction Between Sermon and Other Elements:
  • In many evangelical churches, women's restrictions apply only during the sermon.
  • Announcements, prayers, and testimonies are often open to women.
  • Bob Wilkin: “Women can lead in prayer at church. They just can't do it during the preaching time...” (05:26)
• Order and Respect During Preaching:
  • Both men and women are expected not to interrupt.

Practical Differences Among Denominations

[07:07–08:11]

• Plymouth Brethren:
  • The “meeting” encompasses the Lord’s Supper—from the breaking of bread to the cup’s conclusion.
  • During this time, women should refrain from speaking except for practical purposes (e.g., helping children).
  • No objection to women teaching in seminaries, writing commentaries or articles, or leading outside “church meetings.”
  • Ken Yates: “I have no problem with women teaching in a Bible college or seminary...our women speak at our national conference. We have no problem with that because it's not church.” (07:36)

Should Women Lead or Teach Men in Other Contexts?

[08:11–08:53]

• Ken Yates: The prohibition is specific to elders’ roles and teaching in the “meeting of the church” (not in workplaces or educational settings).
  • Teaching Sunday school or mixed classes is allowed.
  • Quote: “Can women write commentaries? Why not? Can women write for our magazine? Why not? Can women write for our journal? Why not?” (Ken Yates, 08:41)

Summary of Practical Applications

[08:53–10:57]

• For most listeners in typical evangelical churches:
  • Restrictions for women generally apply only during preaching/teaching.
  • Women may sing, pray, give testimonies, etc., outside of that specific segment.
• Plymouth Brethren churches:
  • The rules are more strict during the Lord’s Supper; outside it, there's greater freedom.
• Flexibility in Interpretation:
  • Some churches allow women to distribute communion or give blessings, though this may be debated.
  • Quote: "I don't think that's consistent with the Last Supper or with Paul's teaching on communion. But because most churches don't view that as really part of the worship service, it's kind of an add on at the end." (Ken Yates, 10:57)

Nuanced Advice and Grace-based Conclusion

[11:39–12:33]

• Head Coverings:
  • Cites Zane Hodges on not making head coverings a test of fellowship or enforcement; not a major issue for the judgment seat of Christ.
• Biggest Issue:
  • The central concern is with women assuming the elder/pastor role or preaching to the entire congregation.
  • Quote: “If a woman is an elder in a local church, I see that as a judgment seat of Christ issue. But these other things...are real small compared to other things.” (Ken Yates, 12:28)

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Notable Quotes

• “[Those who walked out]...How disrespectful is this? Disrespectful? Of the woman, disrespectful of Dr. Walvoord, disrespectful of Dallas Seminary. And I was also thinking how stupid this is.”
  Ken Yates, 02:01

• “Didn't Aquila and Priscilla...take Apollos aside and teach him more accurately the truths of Scripture?...It wasn't just Aquila. It was also Priscilla.”
  Ken Yates, 03:18

• “If you read 1 Timothy, chapter 2, it's all about the meeting of the local church...In the meeting of the local church, women aren't even to pray.”
  Ken Yates, 04:28

• “The meeting of the local church starts with the taking of the bread and it ends with the taking of the cup. And during that time women are not to speak.”
  Ken Yates, 07:09

• “Can women write commentaries? Why not?...Can women write for our journal? Why not?”
  Ken Yates, 08:41

• “I think if a woman is making announcements or if a woman is leading in prayer at church, that's not going to be a huge issue at the judgment seat of Christ...The big issue would be if a woman is preaching in church.”
  Ken Yates quoting Zane, 12:11

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Timestamps and Segments

• 00:55–01:13 – Introduction of Wes’s question on women speaking in church
• 01:49–03:16 – Dallas Seminary story and reaction to female speaker
• 03:18–03:55 – Biblical examples of women teaching/announcing the resurrection
• 03:55–04:56 – Scriptural basis in 1 Timothy 2; Plymouth Brethren vs. Evangelical interpretation
• 06:03–06:32 – Division of church service roles (announcements, prayer, teaching)
• 07:07–08:11 – Plymouth Brethren practice explained
• 08:22–08:53 – Women teaching mixed Sunday school classes; writing and contributing to church literature
• 08:53–10:57 – Practical application in typical evangelical churches
• 11:39–12:33 – Head coverings, judgment seat issues, main concerns
• 12:33–13:00 – Final summary and gracious conclusions

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Conclusion

Bob Wilkin and Ken Yates deliver a thoughtful and theologically informed conversation, advocating for contextual interpretation of key New Testament passages. Their central claim: the most restrictive biblical instructions pertain to the authoritative teaching role of elders/pastors during formal church meetings, not every public setting or form of service. The hosts encourage grace and discernment when navigating these questions in diverse church environments, emphasizing unity and charity over legalism.

Final encouragement:

“Let's all keep grace in focus.” (Ken Yates, 12:33)

Transcript

[Bob Wilkin]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.

[Narrator/Announcer]

What are the regulations in the New Testament Church by Paul for women speaking in church? Let's have a discussion about that today. Glad you're joining us here on Grace in Focus. This is a ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society and we come to you each weekday. We have a website, faithalone.org One of the things on our website is our bookstore. We invite you to find Bob Wilkins latest book, the Gospel is Still Under Siege and many other points of information there, our regional conference information, our free online seminary and our free subscription magazine, Grace in Focus. Find it [e-mail] now with today's question and answer discussion, here are Bob Wilkin and Ken Yates.

[Bob Wilkin]

We have a question from Wes that comes up all the time in our Bible studies.

[Ken Yates]

Wes is a friend of ours and he asked the question in an interesting way, which I like.

[Bob Wilkin]

He's talking about when are women able to speak when the church meets, which.

[Ken Yates]

Is a controversial question.

[Bob Wilkin]

Exactly. There's a number of issues about this. Like when does the church meet?

[Ken Yates]

Yeah, that's the big question, right?

[Bob Wilkin]

You know, like for example, is Sunday school or is it the Lord's Supper or when is it?

[Ken Yates]

Yeah. Is a conference that's being held at a hotel, Is that the meeting of the church? If you're having a seminary class, is that the meeting of the local church? I remember it's a Bible college class. Is that the meeting of the local church?

[Bob Wilkin]

Yeah. You and I at Dallas, for example, this was an issue. Could women be THM students or could women speak at chapel, be professors?

[Ken Yates]

Well, were you there when Elizabeth Elliot Ross spoke? No, I was there. I'm in chapel. There's about 800 guys in the chapel. Back then, all THM students were males. There were no female THM students. And there were a handful of women in the MA program. So there were basically 800 guys in the auditorium. And Dr. Walbert stood up and said, Elizabeth Elliot is the wife of Jim Elliott who died with the Auka Indians and she has since remarried. She's now Elizabeth Elliot, I think Ross at that point. And he said, she's a missionary. And the board of Dallas Seminary and the faculty of Dallas Seminary has asked her to come and to speak. And so she's speaking under our authority. And so come on, Elizabeth. And come on and speak. She stood up to speak and half of the DTS students walked out. I was shocked. I was like, half. How disrespectful is this? Disrespectful? Of the woman, disrespectful of Dr. Walvoord, disrespectful of Dallas Seminary. And I was also thinking how stupid this is. Do these 400 men that get up and walk out think we're in church? Do they think being in a chapel service at Dallas Seminary is church? Do they think women can never speak to men? Never? Is that what the Bible teaches?

[Bob Wilkin]

Surely they didn't think that was the church.

[Ken Yates]

Well, didn't Aquila and Priscilla? Didn't they take Apollos aside and teach him more accurately the truths of Scripture? And it wasn't just Aquila. It was also Priscilla.

[Bob Wilkin]

And I mean, you think about all the women who were with Christ in his ministry after he died and rose from the dead and ascended. Did none of those women ever talk to men about what they saw?

[Ken Yates]

Didn't the angel say, go and tell the disciples he's risen from the dead? And didn't the women come and say, he's risen from the dead?

[Bob Wilkin]

Luke said, I interviewed all these eyewitnesses. Did he not talk to the women?

[Ken Yates]

Sure he did. And you know, here's the other thing. You're talking to somebody who has a strong Plymouth Brethren position. I strongly believe that in the meeting of the local church, women should keep silent. I think Wes mentioned some of the verses, right?

[Bob Wilkin]

He mentions two in particular. First Timothy, chapter two, verses 11 through 15, let a woman learn in silence, with all submission. And then verse 12, I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man, but to be in silence.

[Ken Yates]

If you read 1 Timothy, chapter 2, it's all about the meeting of the local church. He even says, I want men to raise holy hands in prayer. And the word used for men there is on there, which is the word for males. It's not the generic anthropos for people. So in the meeting of the local church, women aren't even to pray. So in answer to Wes question, he said, can women pray? And what else does he say? Can they sing?

[Bob Wilkin]

Right.

[Ken Yates]

Well, women are not to pray in the meeting of the local church. But the way most evangelicals handle the meeting of the local church is the meeting of the local church starts when the pastor gets up to preach, right? So in most evangelicals would say that women can't be the senior pastor, can't be an elder. Most conservative churches would say that. And they would say, but women can lead in prayer at church. They just can't do it during the.

[Bob Wilkin]

Preaching time, during the teaching time.

[Ken Yates]

And they would say, a woman can't stand up and interrupt the pastor either while he's preaching. Right. Of course they would say a man can't interrupt the preacher either. If you or I stood up while somebody was preaching and we started talking, they'd take us out. Right?

[Bob Wilkin]

Although I have been in some, I'm from Kentucky and I have been in some country churches where. Well, I got to tell you, the preacher will be up there preaching and guys will start getting saying Amen and they'll just be. I've seen them get up in the middle of the sermon and shake the preacher's head and say amen, Preach it, brother. He'll do that. And I've seen the preacher come down and shake hands.

[Ken Yates]

Well, I've been in churches where women have said Amen while I'm speaking and I haven't had a problem with that. But here's the point. Paul is talking about a specific meeting there, the meeting of the local church. If you believe the meeting of the local church really starts when the pastor starts preaching, then there's no problem with a woman giving announcements. There's no problem with a woman leading in prayer. There's no problem with a woman giving a testimony, a woman giving a little devotional.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Did you know that the Grace Evangelical Society offers an M. Div. Degree through our online seminary and tuition is free to those who maintain a 3.0 grade average. It is a three year degree program and you could submit your application now to gain acceptance. Then stay apprised of our registration periods for upcoming semester terms. Program and application details can be [e-mail] have a look at our MDIV degree. Become an approved workman. Find out how gesseminary.org but if you.

[Ken Yates]

Believe that the entire worship service is the meeting of the local church, then women shouldn't be leading in prayer. At least they shouldn't be teaching. But from my Plymouth Brethren perspective, the meeting of the local church starts with the taking of the bread and it ends with the taking of the cup. And during that time women are not to speak. Now it wouldn't mean that a woman couldn't say pass the peas right? Or pass the salt please or something. Or a woman couldn't talk to her children and take her children aside and deal with her children if she needed to. I have no problem with women teaching in a Bible college or seminary. I have no problem with women speaking. Our women speak at our national conference. We have no problem with that because it's not church. Would you say then that if you're going to Carry this to its logical conclusion then. If you're working at Sears and your boss is a woman, you can't do that because a woman is now exercising authority. Didn't you read the verse where he says, I don't permit women to have authority over a man? Well, he's talking about being elders, right?

[Bob Wilkin]

Right.

[Ken Yates]

So he's just saying a woman can't be an elder and a woman can't teach during the meeting of the local church. That's all he's saying. Can women teach Sunday school?

[Bob Wilkin]

Absolutely can. Right.

[Ken Yates]

With men in it.

[Bob Wilkin]

Right.

[Ken Yates]

When I was at First Baptist Dallas, I remember Mrs. Criswell had a class. Men and women were in the class. Well, Dr. Criswell was very big. That only men could be deacons, which that was their version of elders. And only a man can be the senior pastor. But yet his wife taught a mixed group. That was no problem. How about writing commentaries? Can women write commentaries? Why not? Can women write for our magazine? Why not? Can women write for our journal? Why not?

[Bob Wilkin]

So the question here with Wes and his thing is, can a woman sing and pray? The answer is yes. But what we're saying is there are specific responsibilities for men and men are to be the leaders. And so the question, like from your background, I believe the meeting of the church is again, your background, Plymouth Brethren, which isn't most of the folks that are listening here.

[Ken Yates]

No, most of you listening are probably in your typical hour long service and you have singing and you have prayer and you have announcements and then you have a sermon. Right.

[Bob Wilkin]

And in a case like that, it is during that specific time when the leader or leaders are preaching or teaching.

[Ken Yates]

That's the only time in your church where a woman would need to be silent.

[Bob Wilkin]

Right.

[Ken Yates]

Now I would say if you're in a Plymouth Brethren church, and most Plymouth Brethren churches, by the way, don't have a full meal. I used to be in one where we had a full meal. Bob Bryant has one where they have a full meal. If you do, from the time of the church breaking of the bread till the time of the cup at the end of the after the meal. Because Paul says in First Corinthians 11, the Lord Jesus took the cup after supper after the dape nun, saying, do this in remembrance of me. So during that time, women would not be praying, the women would not be speaking, they would not be asking questions. Remember, Paul says, I don't even want women to ask questions. Let them ask their husbands at home.

[Bob Wilkin]

Well, this brings up an interesting point.

[Ken Yates]

Once that ends in the Lord's in the Plymouth Brethren, once that ends, the women can ask questions, the women can talk, etc.

[Bob Wilkin]

That brings up an interesting point though. And I know we're running out of time. If you're in a church that's not Plymouth Brethren, but let's say they have communion every week, right. Would you say it would be only during the time of communion?

[Ken Yates]

No, I would say because they don't view that as church.

[Bob Wilkin]

Right, right.

[Ken Yates]

They think communion is an add on.

[Bob Wilkin]

Right.

[Ken Yates]

So I would say for those churches it's the preaching time, but you might want to extend it to that. I've been in Bible churches where they have women handing out the elements and they will say the Lord bless you. Well, they're speaking and they're giving a blessing and they're handing out the elements. And I don't think that's consistent with the Last Supper or with Paul's teaching on communion. But because most churches don't view that as really part of the worship service, it's kind of an add on at the end. Okay, maybe, you know, so for most.

[Bob Wilkin]

Churches, your view then would be that it's the pastor, it's the preaching time.

[Ken Yates]

Right. Ken, let me give you a quick illustration. I remember I asked Zane about women wearing head coverings when they pray out loud because that's a Plymouth Brethren teaching and it's also taught in Scripture. But people interpret the head covering oftentimes as long hair. And they say you don't need a separate covering. And I asked him, I said, what about that? And Zane said, I don't think you should enforce that like with your staff. If they know your view and they don't feel like they need to wear a hat, then don't have them wear a hat. He said, I think at the judgment seat of Christ, that's not going to be one of the big issues. And I think the same is true here. I think if a woman is making announcements or if a woman is leading in prayer at church, that's not going to be a huge issue at the judgment seat of Christ. In my opinion. I think the big issue would be if a woman is preaching in church.

[Bob Wilkin]

And she's the leader of the church.

[Ken Yates]

If she's the leader of the church, to me that's a direct contradiction of scripture. And you can't hardly hide from that. If a woman is an elder in a local church, I see that as a judgment seat of Christ issue. But these other things, although they are issues, they're real small compared to other things. So Wes I appreciate the questions and in the meantime, let's all keep grace in focus.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Be sure to check out our daily [e-mail] they are short and full of great teaching, just like what you've heard today. Find [e-mail] resources blog. We would like to thank all of our financial partners who help us keep this show going. All gifts are tax deductible and very much appreciated. If you'd like to find out how you can be a financial partner, Visit [e-mail] on our next episode. Does God love all believers in the same amount and in the same way? Please come back and join us. Until then, let's keep grace in focus.

[Bob Wilkin]

The proceeding has been a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.