This article is based on my paper presented at the 2023 Society of Biblical Literature Conference in San Antonio, Texas.  Does verse 13 of 1 Timothy 2, “For Adam was formed first, then Eve” always mean that a man must lead and women are always subordinate in church and in a marriage? Does it mean that men have priority over women because Adam was formed first? Do women not teach men “in church” because men have an ontological prescience over women? Is that what the writer of 1 Timothy saying here? The seeming prescience of Adam at creation is a support for the idea that Adam has headship ..read more

I wonder how 2023 has been for you? It seems that even as we move more and more beyond the years of covid lockdowns we haven’t found a sense of ease in the return to ‘normal’ life. The world feels increasingly complex, and our own stories may be littered with losses. Perhaps as this year comes to an end both joy and sorrow intermingle in your heart. Longing and laughter are no longer opposite ends of a spectrum but are instead adjoining moments that are difficult to discern where one starts and the other ends. As we look towards Christmas, we bring our whole selves not just our joy and merrim ..read more

The church doesn’t handle sex well. When it’s put in its rightful place, sex can be an incredible blessing. But the majority of churches either don’t talk about it, or talk about it in unhelpful ways. Purity culture, a Christian movement in the 90’s and 00’s is an example of this. Unfortunately, it’s now responsible for a generation (or two) who struggle to develop healthy adult sexual relations. Joshus Harris wrote a number of books while the movement was at its peak and later reflected on the harm it caused, with its overemphasis on sex and deemphasis on grace. It involves strong repercussi ..read more

"Change your thoughts, change your life." Have you ever heard that quote? Maybe it's been your mantra like it was mine for a long time. From a theological perspective perhaps you've heard that quote connected to passages such as Romans 12. "And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in ..read more

Have you ever felt your heart so full of joy in gratitude to God for someone else? Did you ever tell them? Recently I had the pure joy of seeing hundreds of teenagers worshiping whole-heartedly at the end of a week-long youth camp. My daughter was amongst them and I felt like my heart was exploding as I watched her worship Jesus. It made me so grateful to God for the wonderful team who organised the week long event, but also for the hard working youth leaders who bravely camped alongside the youth in tent city, and put up with the lack of sleep, the rain, the rowdiness (moodiness) of teenager ..read more

The safety features Of your car are Designed, tested And built on the Presumption That your body Is standard male Not any other Diversion, aversion, Of apex humanity. Can you see him In your mind already? You know. He knows. His body is good. But Her breasts, womb, Hips and hormones, Lighter bones, Are heresies. Thus, we create To accommodate his Driving and thriving. While other bodies Bruise With Disbelieved wounds. Invalid. Invalids. I have a child’s Bible that says God completed Creation then Rested then Constructed Women after Getting up on The eighth day. What does this say? I read toda ..read more

I wonder what pops into your mind when I say “service or serve” in the context of the church? Service in the past, for me, has been both beautiful and pure in some seasons and brutal and unhealthy in others. It’s the unhealthy service that I’m seeking to re-shape into more Christlike Kingdom service. There were some unhealthy external expectations that collided with some healthy, and some not so healthy, internal motivations that shaped a concept of service in my life that was counter-Kingdom. Here are just a few of the external expectations or values that were instilled: Everyone is called ..read more

The full text of the Queen’s message to the Lambeth Conference is below: It is with great pleasure that I send my warm greetings as you continue your meeting in the fifteenth Lambeth Conference. As we all emerge from the pandemic, I know that the Conference is taking place at a time of great need for the love of God – both in word and deed. I am reminded that this gathering was necessarily postponed two years ago, when you had hoped to mark the centenary of the Lambeth Conference that took place in 1920, in the aftermath of the First World War. Then, the bishops of the Anglican Communion set ..read more

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens"- Ecclesiastes 3:1 Seasons. They're part of our lives. Not just the 4 which make up the calendar year, but the ones which add to the chapters of our life story. Some of them are predictable- like the teenage years. Others, not so much. Over the last 2+ years, we've all be impacted by seasons that we didn't see coming. Lockdown. Working from home. Learning from home. Global pandemic. Alongside these, many of us have also had to walk other seasons in life that have been just as unpredictable. Health challenges fo ..read more

Tell us a little about you: Hi, my name is Elissa Macpherson. I am in my fabulous fifties. I have been married 32 years and three adult children. For the last 22 years I have lived in country Queensland. My husband and I own a vineyard and winery. Although since 2007 I have been primarily working in women’s ministry as a speaker. I have written two Christian books for women. Currently, I am the President of the Baptist Women of the pacific and represent their needs and interests at a global level. My team and I also seek to connect, equip, and mobilise the Baptist Women of the Pacific. We are ..read more