What do you think about a Pastor and wife team operating in the church? Is it ok to have the Pastor and wife work together in the church? Can he be called the Pastor and she be called the Co-Pastor?
Answer
I am a firm believer that an elder’s wife is a most important part of his work in the church. There are times when it is his wife that may be the one who hears things he needs to know in order to properly shepherd the church. However, I find nothing in the Bible that refers to a title of co-elder (co-bishop, co-pastor). In his capacity as an elder, he and the other elders have the final authority, and although they have probably discussed some matters with their wives their authority is over their wives just as much as over the whole congregation. There may also be times when they have to keep things confidential, even from their wives, because of the nature of their jobs. So an elder/pastor/bishop (who is necessarily male) may not share authority with a wife. A man-made title of co-pastor or co-elder would imply that she shared his authority over the congregation.
A preacher’s wife is also important, and often performs many valuable tasks in a church. However, she is still prevented from preaching in the assembly or having authority over men in the congregation. (Many churches I know won’t let women teach in classes that have boys who may have been baptized.) A man-made title of Co-Preacher would imply that she could also preach in the assembly, and so would be misleading.
There is much that women do in a congregation, just as there are many things that men do without being deacons, pastors, or preachers. Doing these things without being singled out for a special position does not make them any less valuable. Not even every man is qualified to be a deacon or elder, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be important members in the church.