Christian apologist and podcast host Alisa Childers is responding to criticism after publicly supporting comments made by Southern Baptist leader Albert Mohler regarding women discussing and applying sermons on official church podcasts.
The controversy began after Mohler addressed a question about a church podcast featuring a female staff member who helped explain and apply weekly sermons to the congregation. Mohler argued that such a role effectively places a woman in a teaching position within the church and raised concerns about whether it aligns with biblical teaching on church leadership.
After seeing widespread reactions online, Childers said she believed Mohler's remarks had been inaccurately portrayed. According to Childers, many critics claimed Mohler was suggesting that women should not speak on podcasts at all, a characterization she says is false.
Childers pointed out that Mohler has previously interviewed women on his own podcast, including prominent Christian voices, demonstrating that his concern was not about women appearing on media platforms. Instead, she said his comments focused specifically on women expounding, exegeting, and applying Scripture in an official church context.
The former ZOEgirl member acknowledged that she received significant pushback for agreeing with Mohler, with some accusing her of hypocrisy because she hosts her own podcast and YouTube channel. Childers rejected those claims, arguing that independent media ministries differ from official church teaching ministries.
According to Childers, she does not view herself as speaking from a position of pastoral authority. She explained that her content primarily addresses apologetics, deconstruction, and progressive Christianity rather than serving as authoritative instruction for a local congregation.
Childers also emphasized that applying biblical teachings on men and women in ministry is not always straightforward. Referring to passages such as 1 Timothy 2, she argued that questions surrounding authority and church governance often require careful discernment.
While identifying as complementarian, Childers admitted there are gray areas in how biblical principles are applied in modern settings. She cited Christian teacher Mike Winger's extensive research on women in ministry and agreed that many contemporary situations are more complex than Christians sometimes acknowledge.
As a result, Childers said she intentionally chooses to "err on the side of caution." She revealed that she has declined speaking opportunities in the past, including invitations that she believed may have been permissible, because she wanted to avoid crossing boundaries she believes Scripture establishes.
Childers reiterated that if she were asked to participate in an official church podcast designed to explain and apply sermons to a congregation, she would decline the invitation and view it as a concerning sign about the church's understanding of biblical leadership.
Despite the controversy, Childers stressed that her goal is not to diminish the value of women in ministry but to faithfully apply Scripture as she understands it. She concluded by asking supporters to pray that she would continue making decisions that honor God, build up the church, and remain consistent with her convictions regarding biblical manhood and womanhood.
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