The Increasingly Feminised Church

Examining the biblical roles of men and women in the Church

fem church Women now make up about one-third of all clergy in the Church of England (around one-third also in the Church of Scotland and in the Methodist Church). The proportion of women entering training for ordained ministry is rising. Recent figures are showing more women ordinands than men - 58% of ordinands in 2023 were women. This suggests the proportion of female clergy will continue to grow.

This cannot simply be ascribed to ‘pushy women’; rather, it is a mark of the inadequacy of men. Men have refused to take up the biblical masculine roles which are their calling.

Shaped by feminine values

Christianity in the United Kingdom, both mainstream and free evangelical, has become increasingly shaped by feminine values, culture and participation. Generally, the culture, worship style and priorities of the modern Church have become less appealing to men and more oriented towards women.

This is clear from contemporary worship, which often emphasises emotional expression, intimacy with God, and gentle imagery. This can be seen in the choice of worship music and hymns in many churches. Men who prefer action-oriented worship or intellectual engagement can be turned off by what is perceived as feminine, touchy-feely worship. There seems little place for manly men, especially working-class men, in much of contemporary worship.

Sermons and ministries often focus on relationships, inner healing, and community support, rather than challenge, mission, or sacrifice.

This has led to a change in congregational leadership and participation in many denominations. As well as ordained posts, women now make up the majority of lay leaders, volunteers and attendees in most churches. Men, by contrast, are more likely to disengage or attend only sporadically, if at all.

The pastoral tone of the Church has also altered. Sermons and ministries often focus on relationships, inner healing, and community support, rather than challenge, mission, or sacrifice. Sometimes a sermon series or even an entire ministry is described in official communications as ‘therapeutic’ or ‘nurturing’.

When the Church stops calling men to lead and take risks for their faith, it loses part of the biblical vision of discipleship. This can be linked directly to the rise of feminism and the decline of traditional gender roles, as culture questioned male authority, the Church followed suit, and as a result declined in numbers and influence.

Men as Leaders

Western culture and many churches have become ‘feminised,’ promoting values like sensitivity and emotional expression at the expense of strength, authority and courage. Any holistic expression of Christianity calls men to embrace their God-given identity as leaders, protectors and providers.

This is not as a cultural preference but is a theological truth firmly rooted in Scripture and the very fabric of creation. At the core of the relationship between the sexes lies the doctrine of complementarianism. This teaches that men and women possess equal intrinsic worth in the eyes of God - both are made in the image of God Genesis 1:27 - yet they are bestowed with distinct roles and responsibilities.

Men and women possess equal intrinsic worth in the eyes of God - yet they are bestowed with distinct roles and responsibilities.

For men this means assuming the responsibilities of leadership. This is borne out by Scripture from passages such as Genesis 2–3, where Adam is created first and Eve is described as his helper, and Ephesians 5:22–33, which compares the husband’s leadership in marriage to Christ’s leadership of the Church.

This created order shows that male leadership is not a product of human tradition or a supposed patriarchy but part of God’s original design. To reject these roles is to reject the Creator’s plan for human flourishing.

In both the home and the Church, men are seen as divinely appointed leaders who bear responsibility for the moral and spiritual direction of those under their care. This leadership, in theory, is not meant to be authoritarian or self-serving, but sacrificial and loving, reflecting the way Christ leads the Church. This is servant leadership, where authority and humility go hand in hand.

However, in practice, this biblical teaching can be distorted where weak men cling to positions of final authority and women are expected to follow their guidance no matter what. This usurpation of masculine leadership is just as much a distortion of biblical teaching as is the abdication of masculine leadership.

Jesus the Warrior

Modern Christianity has lost sight of Jesus’ strength, courage and willingness to confront evil. The Bible highlights biblical images of struggle and battle, such as the ‘full armour of God’ in Ephesians 6:10–18 and the victorious Christ in Revelation 19. Men are called into a life of spiritual warfare.

Passivity is not enough, deep within their souls, men need a higher calling.

The Christian man mirrors Jesus by fighting for truth, defending his family, and standing firm against cultural or moral decay. This is dismissed by many within the feminised Church as ‘muscular Christianity’, yet it frames discipleship as an adventure, calling men to reclaim boldness and risk-taking as spiritual virtues. The 'Quiet Revival' which has seen the influx to conservative churches of a great many young people, shows how young men in particular need identity, direction and challenge in life. Passivity is not enough, deep within their souls, men need a higher calling.

Sin

We see the failure of male leadership most clearly at the beginning of the Bible; Adam’s passivity allowed sin and destruction to enter creation (Genesis 3). Therefore, men’s ongoing temptation is to avoid responsibility, while women’s is to overstep their God-given role.

Salvation, then, is not only about personal faith but about restoring proper order within creation, including between the sexes. When a man comes to Christ, he is not only forgiven but also renewed in his calling to lead, protect and provide. True redemption restores men to their biblical manhood and women to their biblical womanhood, each fulfilling their roles in harmony.

The Family

The home is a ‘little kingdom’ where divine order is reflected on a small scale: the husband represents Christ, the wife represents the Church, and the children are under both parents’ loving authority. When a husband leads well, spiritually, emotionally and materially, the family functions as God intended. This emphasis on family order ties theological ideas directly to daily life, blending faith with cultural expectations about gender and family structure.

Men are called to take up leadership, courage and moral strength as spiritual duties. This offers clarity and purpose in an age of confusion and threat to Church and family.

Only as men undertake to fulfil their masculine roles can we begin to reclaim the Church and society.

(Prophecy Today will be following up this article with one offering an alternative viewpoint, also based on biblical teaching)

Rev Dr Campbell Campbell-Jack, 12/11/2025

Feedback:

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	Alice H (Guest)	14/11/2025 13:23
Agreed but can the church be too family oriented so that it's not about God and Jesus Christ anymore but it's all about the family? Is there a lack of balance in the church today? What about the many who don't have any family?
	Bob Mills (Guest)	14/11/2025 13:37
Great article. Where are the Men of God? Where are the God ordained preachers of the gospel? The church needs leadership not management. Please Lord raise up a nations of Godly men who love you and will not be compromised by the powers of evil. Repentance and forgiveness should be high on the agenda, Loving Almighty God with all our hearts first and our neighbours second will set the road to revival and a passionate God fearing nation of disciples.
	Gillian Stead (Guest)	14/11/2025 14:40
I have always recognised the authority of men in leadership roles and had no choice but to leave my evangelical church to the wishy-washy gentle gospel and now attend an Anglo Catholic church led by men with superb and challenging teaching
	Michael Petek	14/11/2025 15:45
In answer to Peter, the word "priest" is a contraction of the word "presbyteros". This word in the NT is used more frequently to refer to the members of the supreme court of the Sanhedrin than to refer to anything else. To serve on the Sanhedrin, or on the Lesser Sanhedrin of 23 (the court that sat in each place outside Jerusalem) a man (and only a man) had to have been ordained in unbroken succession from Moses. "Priest" has a transferred meaning as "sacerdos" in Latin, "hiereus" in Greek, and "kohen" in Hebrew. This refers to one who is a "citizen" of the Sanctuary, and he might be an officer of public worship, or a common citizen. The "kehunah" of all believers belongs to all, but only the first-born sons of Israel were set apart as sacred ministers until - by reason of the sin of the golden calf - the sons of Aaron were substituted for them. The fact that the child who opens the womb is holy to the Lord if male is the reason why women may not be appointed to this role. Legally, Jesus is the High Priest and the only first-born Israelite in active ministry - but he exercises that ministry on earth by agents known as "sheluchim" in Hebrew and as "apostoloi" in Greek who have a share (kleros - cf. Acts 1:17) in the powers of his office. This is the only way to fulfil the scripture at Isaiah 66:21.
	Dorothy Wigley (Guest)	14/11/2025 16:18
Brilliant article, I totally agree, Adam was created first.
	Carol (Guest)	14/11/2025 16:19
While there is much to be commended in this article, there are also a few points that perhaps require nuancing, eg. 'Men who prefer action-oriented worship or intellectual engagement can be turned off by what is perceived as feminine, touchy-feely worship'. That may well be true, but speaking as a woman, I've always consciously looked for and responded to worship that engages my intellect, and one of the most scholarly, Biblical and intelligent preachers I've ever come across was a woman. We need to ensure that we aren't stereotyping when addressing this urgent issue. Throughout the history of Christianity women have shown qualities such as sacrifice, courage both moral and physical, and leadership when required in extreme circumstances, for example on the mission field (where females have frequently significantly outnumbered males). Such qualities in such circumstances are evidence of Christian character whether in man or woman.
	Sue Sanderson (Guest)	14/11/2025 16:29
It is obvious in current society that women are increasingly stepping into roles that men should be sharing in. But what about women “who believe themselves called by God” in the church?
	John Shipton (Guest)	14/11/2025 21:28
Where are the men of God? Long time passing! Most are paid hirelings. Others are using their roles as a profession. Not many are considered as shepherds of the flock as they are trying to keep their heads down. While others go elsewhere when the tough gets going. The men of the cloth called clergymen only go through the motions as and when, hence sound biblical teaching lacking. Thank you brother in Christ for writing the article. Surely a wake up call when the female Archbishop of Canterbury takes to the throne of the Church of England whose bishops are in a quandary over Christian doctrine where erroneous practices have not only entered through the front but continually seen coming through the back door of religious institutions. For is it the blind leading the blind as the world goes round on the round about!
	(Guest)	15/11/2025 10:54
From Jenny Yates: I wholeheartedly agree that a church dominated by women is not healthy, and we certainly need more strong, spiritually mature men to take on leadership roles. However, although not explicitly stated, I cannot avoid the impression that the author believes women should never hold a position which involves leading or teaching men. As a 're-tyred' female pastor who continues to teach and preach in various settings, I could write a lengthy, biblical refutation of that view, but I'll wait until I've read the article giving an alternative viewpoint, as promised above by P.T. I will just say this in response to Michael Petek: The hierarchical order under the Old Covenant was radically transformed by the coming of the New Covenant, so is no longer relevant, e.g. Matt. 23:8-12. I do agree with Carol that we should not stereotype people. There are plenty of exceptions to the "women enjoy 'touchy-feely' worship while men prefer to be intellectually engaged." As a woman, I very much want to be intellectually exercised, not only during a 'worship service' with the gathered community, but also in private and group Bible study.
	Michael Petek	15/11/2025 13:58
You're reading more into Matthew 23:8-12 than is there. Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach." Jesus was speaking to the crowds and to his disciples to impress on them that no man on earth was their father and teacher of them all. All of them would have had human fathers and teachers, and siblings would have shared the same father. But none but God was the father of them all and none but Christ the only teacher of them all. So, no one in the Church is a teacher unless an agent of Christ, and there are many of these the first of whom were the eleven Apostles.