Are Women Allowed to Be Deaconesses, Ushers or Bishops in the Church?
1) Direct answer
No. Women are not to serve as bishops or deacons, and “deaconess” as an office over the church is not Scriptural. Ushers are not a Bible office, but the work of keeping order and directing the assembly belongs under the deacons’ oversight and should be handled by qualified men. Sisters may serve in helps that do not place them in authority over men.
2) Scriptural explanation
- The Bible says, “I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man; but to be in silence” (1 Timothy 2:11–12). Church offices carry authority over men; therefore they are not given to women.
- For a bishop/elder: “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife… one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection” (1 Timothy 3:1–5; Titus 1:5–9). That language fixes the office to a man.
- For deacons: “Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well” (1 Timothy 3:8–13). Again, male headship is required.
- The church chose “seven men of honest report” to serve the tables and keep the order of the work (Acts 6:3). That’s the pattern for deacon-type service.
- In the assembly, “Let your women keep silence in the churches” (1 Corinthians 14:34–35). That forbids public authoritative leadership over men in worship.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- Now notice: a bishop must be the husband of one wife and must rule his house. How could that be a woman? It cannot.
- A deacon must rule his house and be a husband of one wife. That sets the office to a man.
- Ushers function under the deacons to keep order and direct the congregation. Since Scripture assigns that kind of oversight to men, ushering in the sanctuary ought to be carried by men as part of that deacon-led service.
- This does not make women secondary in value, but it keeps God’s order. Sisters are called to powerful ministry in their God-given sphere: prayer, testimony, music, hospitality, visiting the sick, helping the needy, teaching children, and older women teaching younger women (Titus 2:3–5)—all without exercising authority over men.
4) Reinforcing statement
It’s not culture; it’s Bible order. One God set one pattern: male headship in church offices, with women richly active in every good work that does not place them over men.
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What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 5:E-104
Following Anicetus was the wicked bishop of Rome called Victor. He introduced even more pagan festivals and ceremonies into the First Church, and also went about trying his utmost to persuade the true Christian churches to incorporate the same ideas. They would not do as he requested so he prevailed upon government officials to persecute the believers, hailing them into court, casting them into prison and even meting out death to many. Such an example of his vile deeds is found in history where Emperor Septimus Sev...
Questions and Answers, Part 2
64-0823E §76
QUESTION: Brother Branham, are women allowed to work in public affairs when they have a healthy husband and children? I am asking this question for someone else. Well, I don't know about that. I can't say. But I just have this feeling. Let me say this: I believe, if I was a woman and I knowed that my husband was healthy and had a good job, working, I believe it would be a great pleasure to me to stay home, take care of my children and make the ... and take care of my children and raise them up, and to love the Lord...
The choosing of a Bride
65-0429E §34
It is too bad that we ever got away from the real leader that God left us, to lead the church. He never sent state presbyters, He never sent a bishop, cardinal, priest, popes; He sent the Holy Ghost for the church, to lead the church. "When he, the Holy Ghost is come, he will lead you into all truth, reveal these things to you that I've told you, bring them to your remembrance, and will show you things that is to come." The Holy Spirit was to do that. Now, the modern church hates that. They don't like it. So how co...
Church Ages, part 3: The Ephesian Church Age
60-1205 §39
Christianity at Ephesus was where the Jews lived at Ephesus, and it was founded about A.D. 53 or 55. Christianity was planted there by St. Paul. Later St. Paul spent three years at Ephesus. Paul's teaching bore great influence to the believers at Ephesus. Next, Timothy was the first bishop of the church at Ephesus. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus. In Paul's time it was a great church. Ephesus means ... the very name Ephesus means "Let go. Relax. Backslidden." Called by God, "The backslidden church." God acknowl...
The Queen of Sheba
58-0503 §29
And this little queen hearing this, she said, "Oh, I wonder if that really is true?" So finally, she made up in her mind that she'd go and see for herself. I like that: just don't take somebody else's word about it; come, find out for yourself, like Nathanael did last evening in our message. So as the enthusiasm begin to draw her closer, the time come when she set that she was going. Now, remember, she had a lot of opposition against her. She was a pagan. And what do you think the bishop of her pagan church would s...