Women's Ministry in the Local Church Quotes

“A husband should be the first recipient of a woman’s capacity to show compassion and nourish community. If a woman bypasses her marriage, every other ministry will be polluted.”
― J. Ligon Duncan III, Women's Ministry in the Local Church: A Complementarian Approach

“The kingdom order of male headship liberates women to fulfill their redemptive function. From the world’s perspective, submission restrains women. From a gospel perspective, submission frees us to do what we have been created and redeemed to do.”
― J. Ligon Duncan III, Women's Ministry in the Local Church: A Complementarian Approach

“Scores of evangelical women are functional feminists, because the world’s paradigm for womanhood is the only one they have heard. The church should lead the way in equipping God’s people to think biblically about all of life, including a biblical perspective of gender roles and relationships.”
― J. Ligon Duncan III, Women's Ministry in the Local Church: A Complementarian Approach

“Eve means “life-giver.” Because of her rebellion the woman became a life-taker, but because of the promise of life she became a “life-giver.” This is more than biological. Woman’s redemptive calling is to be a life-giver in every relationship and circumstance.*”
― J. Ligon Duncan III, Women's Ministry in the Local Church: A Complementarian Approach

“The complementarian position acknowledges that God created men and women equal in being but assigned different-but equally valuable-functions in His kingdom and that this gender distinctiveness complements, or harmonizes, to fulfill His purpose.”
― J. Ligon Duncan III, Women's Ministry in the Local Church: A Complementarian Approach

“Woman’s redemptive calling is to be a life-giver in every relationship and circumstance.*”
― J. Ligon Duncan III, Women's Ministry in the Local Church: A Complementarian Approach

“Without a proper esteem and love for Christ Himself, and an understanding of His covenant love for His church, we will lack the motive-force to serve Him in the world. If our ultimate motivation for service to God is simply because we love people, we will never be able to sustain the call to service that God has given to us because the very people we are called to serve will break our hearts. It is only the grace of Christ that enables us to persevere.”
― J. Ligon Duncan III, Women's Ministry in the Local Church: A Complementarian Approach

“Leaders of women should continually challenge women to ask the Holy Spirit to examine their motives for ministries of mercy. Are they seeking self-fulfillment or God’s glory?”
― J. Ligon Duncan III, Women's Ministry in the Local Church: A Complementarian Approach

“The only reliable motive for encouraging women’s ministry in the local church is an insatiable longing to see the display of God’s glory in the local church. (Ligon Duncan)”
― J. Ligon Duncan III, Women's Ministry in the Local Church: A Complementarian Approach

“Whenever the creation order is inverted, there is disorder, destruction, and death. When we tamper with this order, even a little, we become life-takers rather than life-givers.”
― J. Ligon Duncan III, Women's Ministry in the Local Church: A Complementarian Approach

“Christ, not womanhood or the women’s ministry, must be the reference point. Unless a women’s ministry is an overflow of the gospel, women will become hinderers and not helpers in God’s Church. Those who plan for and implement a women’s ministry must be intentional in maintaining a gospel orientation in their hearts and lives.”
― J. Ligon Duncan III, Women's Ministry in the Local Church: A Complementarian Approach

“When a church has a biblical apologetic for womanhood, the foundational concepts of woman’s helper design and life-giving mission can permeate the women’s ministry. Whether that ministry is small and informal or large and well-organized, it can be perpetually and intentionally guided by three questions: • Are we being helpers or hinderers? • Are we being life-givers or life-takers? • Are we equipping women to be helpers and life-givers?”
― J. Ligon Duncan III, Women's Ministry in the Local Church: A Complementarian Approach