The main connection with Grudem and Gothard is their firm stance against women in ministry or any other position than that of wife and mother. Gothard focuses on the family structure and Grudem the theology of hierarchy. My search began with 7 kids, and comforted by Gothard in his affirmation of multiple births in a 2 kid world. George went to the seminars. I was home with the kids. I was devoted to them and still am, but as I began to rebuild my prayer life and re-study the Word, the call of my childhood to missions and ministry kept popping up. I couldn’t reconcile the two and I really felt it was off the wall and didn’t deal with it for a long time.

It never let me go though, and I began to hear “other voices” -- a book here, a verse there and a minister there. One minister took me by the arm and looked me in the eye and said, “God hasn’t forgotten who you are. You will preach His Gospel”. It scared me half to death. I had said nothing to anyone. Finally I began to search it out and bring the question before God in prayer and searching out the scriptures. Things in scripture didn’t seem to line up as straight as before.

There were several authors, one whose book is posted above as a permanent link. She had the same questions, and the book is her theological, historical and anthropological research at Oberlin College. The other site has some of the best research I’ve found. You had mentioned to George that you found Catherine Kroeger’s credentials impressive; she is one of the authors that took me over the top, with her historical classical Greek research. Another is Aída Besanson Spencer, professor of NT at Gordon-Conwell, who was the first to present a scripture-based egalitarian research paper at the Evangelical Theological Society some 25 years ago. Her book, Beyond the Curse, Women Called to Ministry, documents her presentation. Gilbert Bilezikian of Wheaton College, and one of the founders of Willow Creek Community Church does a rich study on the subject, Beyond Sex Rolls, What the Bible Says about a Woman’s Place in Church and Family. Another is Gretchen Gaebelein Hull, Daughter of Frank Gaebelein of the Gaebelein Commentaries . Her journey to an egalitarian point of view is recorded in her book, Equal to Serve .

Ron Pierce, prof. of Biblical Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary; Rebecca Merrill-Groothuis, conservative scholar on women’s issues; and Gordon Fee, professor emeritus of NT Studies at Regent College have compiled an excellent book, Discovering Biblical Equality, Complimentarity without Hierarchy. All of these can be found in the book section of the Christians for Biblical Equality (button posted above), or on book sites like Amazon.com and Half.com. These are all respectable and well-known scholars; many of them, like you, are conservative Presbyterians.

It is a big and detailed subject Mir, but the “other side” is out there if you are really interested. Any one of them should offer a good start.