Women's Ministry (was Re: MY Call? Shouldn't it be GOD'S Call?)

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[Bro. Frank]:
>>What is clear is that they are permitted this activity as members of the
>>body of Christ. We read numerically of more female prophets
>>in the New Testament than male. Also the ministry of prayer is open to
>>them.Women may also function as deacons. The word used of Phoebe in
>>Romans is the female form of the Greek word for deacon. I believe this
ties in
>>with Paul's discussion of the widows' order in the Patorals, but more
about
>>that later.

<snip - It's later!>
>>Paul, i 1Timothy 5:3-16 and Titus 2:3-5, outlines God's plan for
>>women's ministry inside the church.

Is it only "widows"???  I am niether "elder" nor "widow", yet I feel a very
strong burden of God toward a particular large-scale ministry.

<snip>
>>Yet this is ignored in the Pentecostal church today, while the
>>paying of pastors gets a fair bit of attention.

<snip>
>>It is organizational sin on the part of the modern Pentecostal church
>>to allow this portion of New Testament truth to continue to fall by the
>>wayside.
<snip>
>>Ladies groups do not meet this need. They are comprised of all ages and
>>are not supported. [financially]

I never thought of this before.  How can women be expected to fulfill this
ministry if they spend 90% of their time fund raising for other causes?
Women, I think, have been conditioned to be deaf to or to let go of the Call
of God.  I can concur with Bro. Frank that the reason for this is
finances/lack of support and encouragement.

I have felt called for quite some time to start an Apostolic Community
Services organization in my city.  What's stopping me???  Money.  I would be
so exhausted from trying to raise funds, get grants (and dodge the red-tape
that comes with them), etc. that there would be very little of me left
(mentally and physically) to actually DO the ministry.  This is all assuming
I will have volunteers from other local (and not so local) Apostolic
Churches to help.  We would all just be too tired.  Maybe this is why the
RCC has such a stronghold in my city.  Their "Social Services" are supported
not only by donations, but are also recognized as an official branch of the
Catholic ministry to the poor, etc.

In the Apostolic Church, great(er) steps are taken to financially help and
assist new pastors or missionaries abroad than are taken to support a
ministry at home that involves a few ambitious women.  I'm not saying we
should "rob Peter to pay Paul", just that something needs to be done about
this.  (Maybe I can talk to my pastor...he is the Presbyter of our Section
in Ohio...)


Anneliese