Should conservative churches appoint women to the offices traditionally reserved for men? Many writers are calling for such changes; others oppose them. Are these proposals inspired by a deeper understanding of the gospel of Christ as their defenders claim? Or, are they inspired by contemporary secular philosophies as their opponents allege? Ron Highfield explores these and other questions in Four Views on Women and Church Leadership. In this book, Highfield stages a discussion in which three fictitious characters explain and defend their viewpoints and critique opposing views. The three views are Secular Feminism, Evangelical Egalitarianism, and New Complementarianism. In a fourth view, Highfield charges that the entire debate is based on a defective view of the church. He challenges the gratuitous assumptions that make the discussion necessary and meaningful: the church is a public institution, the ministry is a profession like other professions, and believers assemble to experience a performance. This book's brevity, non-technical nature, and its questions for discussion at the end of each chapter make it ideal for private study, small group discussions, Sunday school classes, and undergraduate courses.
 ”Ron Highfield has given a fair statement of different views, their strengths and weaknesses, on the important and controversial topic of female-male relations. His work is a reminder that more is at stake than the correct interpretation and application of Biblical texts, as important as those are. The theology of human nature has philosophical and practical implications for individual human life, the future of the human race, and human society at large. Out of the countless books and articles on women in the church, this book for its sound common sense and Biblical and theological depth is a must read.”
 —Everett Ferguson, Professor Emeritus, Abilene Christian University
 ”This book is an interesting treatment of the various viewpoints concerning women as leaders in the church. It may surprise you and make you think differently about the issue. It may also help you better define your own feelings about the issue. I highly recommend it.” 
—Jane Petty, Dickson, TN
 ”I learned from both Major League Baseball and Orthopaedic Surgery that the importance of following soundly established principles and best practices cannot be underestimated. The contemporary church is embroiled in a battle with our dominant Western culture in no less significant ways than was the primitive and early church with its culture. Professor Ron Highfield cleverly investigates the contemporary church-culture relationship by examining the current debate concerning the proper and acceptable role of women in the practice, preaching and leadership of today’s church. Ron uses an imaginary debate between three fictitious characters as a literary device to tease out the issues involved. Each of these characters represents a different contemporary position and idea on the role of women in today’s church. In the imaginary debate, he allows the reader to work through the issues and principles that are involved. The perceptive reader will see that the issues are fundamentally very simple; yet, they are profoundly important for today’s church. This very readable “little book” explores the nature of being human, the church and its authority. It allows the reader to see that progressive culture is fundamentally attacking one of the bedrocks of the church—especially, the inspired and authoritative Scripture. The role of women within the church is a symptom of the problem; it is not the problem or diagnosis. This is an important treatise for the church to read and understand.”
 Gail E. Hopkins, MD, PhD

Four Views on Women and Church Leadership: Should Bible-Believing (Evangelical) Churches Appoint Women Preachers, Pastors, Elders, and Bishops?

Religion & Spirituality

Highfield, Ron

Christian Books & Bibles

Keledei Publications

In this book, veteran Pepperdine University professor of theology Ron Highfield makes the case for the truth of Christianity and defends it from attack. But so do many other books. Why do we need another? Because there are also plenty of books that deny Christianity’s truth, attack it in new ways and from almost every conceivable angle! Hence the work of Christian evidences and apologetics is never done. Christian truth does not change, but contemporary culture and thought change almost daily. To communicate effectively with our contemporaries we must listen to them, come to understand their most basic beliefs and values and learn how to explain Christian faith to them in ways they can understand. This task is not easy to accomplish, and there is no shortage of failed attempts. Indeed, the Christian cause suffers almost as much from its friends as it does from its enemies. Many efforts to support and defend Christianity have done as much damage as good and created as much doubt as confidence in the Christian faith. Some arguments for Christianity overstate their case and understate the force of objections. Others try to prove too many things. Good thinkers from the time of Socrates until today know that making bad arguments in favor of a good cause is worse than silence. This book is full of good arguments. This is the second edition of the book.

Christianity—Is It Really True?: Responsible Faith in a Post-Christian Culture

The Church of Christ, at this present hour, is host to a multitude of frustrated and disenchanted ministers and scholars. From the inside of ministry, the veneer of our movement disappears and the blemishes take center-stage. Discouragement is common. In response to this state of affairs, we asked an eclectic cast of authors, ministers, and scholars to answer the question, "Why did you stay within our movement?" The result is a diverse set of answers which we hope will create some hope for the future of our people.Contents: Preface, Scot McKnightIntroduction, Benjamin J. WilliamsI Stayed for the Restoration Plea, Everett FergusonI Stayed for the Love of Scripture, Jeremie BellerI Stayed for the Christ in the Church of Christ, Matthew DowlingI Stayed for the Charity, Steven C. HunterI Stayed for the Water, Grant B. SullivanI Stayed for the Table, Scott ElliottI Stayed for the Singing, Benjamin J. WilliamsI Stayed for the Wild Democracy, John Mark HicksI Stayed for the Wedding, Chris AltrockI Stayed for the Light, Ron HighfieldI Stayed to Bloom Where I Am Planted, John WilsonI Stayed for the Inheritance, Chris Rosser

Why We Stayed: Honesty and Hope in the Churches of Christ

Williams, Benjamin J.

Second EditionAs a missionary to West Africa, Grace Farrar recounts the joys and frustrations of family life in the field and tells about the struggles involved in establishing the Nigerian Christian Hospital. She chronicles their work from 1964, when she and her husband, Dr. Henry Farrar, Jr., arrived in southeastern Nigeria with their five children, through the 1967 beginning of the Biafran War. Brimming with stories of faith, hope, and the daily puzzles and pleasures of living in another culture, Grace shares her letters and narratives. Her purpose in this book is to preserve history and to encourage potential missionaries who are thinking of taking a family into a developing country.Grace Johnson Farrar grew up on a farm in southern Indiana. Following eight years in a one-room elementary school, she graduated as class valedictorian from Orleans High School in Orleans, Indiana, and enlisted in the US Cadet Nurse Corps at Bethesda Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. As a registered nurse, she financed her BS degree in home economics at Harding College (now University) in Searcy, Arkansas. In 1950, she married Henry Farrar, a former Harding classmate, before he entered medical school. With her nursing income, they could meet his graduation debt-free—a rare accomplishment. Grace worked side-by-side with Henry on the medical mission field from 1964 to 2009 during the founding years of the Nigerian Christian Hospital and through its postwar restoration. Grace also served a brief tour in Cameroon, a year at the Chimala Mission Hospital in Tanzania, and a year as a visiting professor at China Medical University at Shenyang in the People’s Republic of China. She wrote for Christian magazines and gave many presentations at seminars, schools, and churches. She and Henry have six children (Paul, Martha, David, Hank, Lee, Samantha) and six grandchildren.In 2010 Harding University opened the Henry and Grace Farrar Center for Health Sciences, and the College of Nursing honored Grace as an Outstanding Alumnus.Martha Farrar Highfield PhD RN is Professor Emeritus of Nursing at California State University/Northridge, serves on the Board of International Healthcare Foundation, volunteers in Nigeria and Haiti, and is a nursing research consultant. She is author of numerous peer-reviewed publications and a forthcoming book on early Church of Christ missionary nurses in Nigeria. She is the daughter of Grace and Henry Farrar.

Stand By and See What the Lord Will Accomplish: The Story of One Family Serving the Lord in Nigeria

History

Farrar, Grace J.

World

There are hundreds of passages about prayer in the Bible: teachings about prayer, mentions of prayer, and, of course, actual prayers. These are excellent resources for learning about the types of prayers, styles, content, when and where, and so much more. This series, Praying Through the Bible, examines each instance of a prayer passage, looking at the historical and cultural background and the context, the meaning of the prayer, and then offering a brief idea of how it might be used as a model.Each short study is also perfect for a brief analysis, a personal devotional study, or a group or class study.This volume contains the 25 prayers located in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. There are also introductions and summaries of the prayers for each book, offering an overview and context to better understand the prayers within the story of the book. An appendix is included, listing all the prayers under each of nine categories: Praise, Thanksgiving, Petitions, Intercessions, Prayers of Confession and Repentance, Laments, Prayer-Vows, Blessings, and Curses.

Praying Through the Bible (Vol 4): Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther

McDowell, Markus

In thriving churches, the leadership would include ministers, but also might include medical doctors, attorneys, business men and women, teachers, carpenters, judges, accountants, nurses, bakers, and so on.For three years, the Thomas H. Olbricht Christian Scholars’ Conference undertook to ask fifteen well-respected senior leaders in the Churches of Christ to tell their own stories of their history into positions of leadership and influence. Each was also asked to articulate his or her vision for the future of Churches of Christ. All authors are beyond age seventy, all have terminal degrees in their field, and all have stayed within the fellowship of Churches of Christ. They include Fred D. Gray, Carolyn Hunter, Lynn Anderson, John T. Willis, and eleven others. These essays witness to the shaping work of God in the lives of notable church leaders, and perhaps also give hope to the readers for seeing God’s work in their own lives.

Staying the Course: Fifteen Leaders Survey Their Past and Envision the Future of Churches of Christ

Crowe, Gayle M

Olbricht, Thomas. H.

The Family Worship Guide is a call to rediscover and implement the biblical practice of family worship, a discipline that will encourage the development multigenerational disciples and strengthen the core of Christian families throughout the body of Christ. Christian parents have a special and profound calling to disciple their children faithfully and instruct them in the ways of Christ. In the past, family worship was a common practice, attested in the writings of the early Church, the sixteenth-century Reformers, the Puritans, and prominent leaders in the American Restoration Movement. Family worship today, however, is rarely practiced and many dedicated Christians have no understanding or experience of it. Designed to inspire and equip Christian parents, this handbook is a guide to take up that call by making family worship an established part of a family's routine. Readers will find this handbook both inspiring and useful, whether they be experienced worship leaders or Christian parents with little or no experience or knowledge of family worship. Christian homeschooling families will particularly resonate with its themes. Churches can use this material in parenting classes, give it to parents at baby blessings, and make available in church libraries.

The Family Worship Guide: A Handbook for the Christian Home

Williamson, Darren T.

A Great Awakening: How I left the church of Christ and found Christ in his Church

Burns, Andrew

In Rethinking Church, veteran church leader, theologian, and professor Ron Highfield tells the story of how he came to the conclusions that most institutions we call "churches" are really parachurch organizations, much of the "church work" we do focuses on making something happen on Sunday mornings, and much of the money we give goes to pay staff to keep the parachurch functions running. Highfield writes for older believers who feel burned out and disillusioned by years of institutional maintenance. He addresses young people who have never seen the relevance of institutional churches to their lives. To all who view institutional churches as self-serving, hypocritical, money grubbing, growth obsessed, clergy dominated, and backward, Highfield offers a different vision of church life. This church is simple, small, requires no money, needs no clergy, and possesses no property. It does not run like a business, is not organized like a corporation, and does not feel like a theater. It feels like a family, meets around a table, and focuses on the Lord. Highfield invites you to join him in Rethinking Church for your life. "The vibrancy of "church" envisioned in the Bible tends to happen in smaller settings, while traditional church is hamstrung by numerous programs and other commitments. Truth be told, for many who seek authentic and transformative fellowship, going to church is discouraging. Yet there is hope. Rethinking Church is a compelling and biblically refreshing read, penned by the clearest thinker (and most concise writer) I know.&#8233;"-Douglas Jacoby, Lincoln Christian University "The widespread frustration with, and apparent social demise of, the institutional church is of grave concern. And if you share such frustrations, it may be important to know that there are creative and faithful and compelling options for "being church." Ron Highfield's description of "simple church" is one of those options which takes church seriously without off-putting dogmatism. Realistic and practical, while also hopeful, this is a genuinely helpful resource for those who are looking for something different before they give up on "church" altogether.&#8233;"-Lee C. Camp, host of Tokens Show (www.TokensShow.com) "&#8233;With thoughtfulness and discernment, Ron Highfield deconstructs our expectations of what church must be, inviting us to expand our thinking by thinking smaller. In doing so he offers us a needed moment to take a step back and catch our breath. He beckons us to sit down and sort through our heavy suitcases and consider that traveling light might be a possibility for the family of God.&#8233;"-Amy Wilson Kendall, College Minister, Boulder Colorado

Rethinking Church: A Guide for the Perplexed and Disillusioned

This book helps readers develop the discipline of coming each day before the Lord in a quiet place for the renewal of their faith, hope, and love through the Lord Jesus. Drawing its title from Psalm 95.2 (“Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving”), it contains readings for 365 days of the year, divided into 52 sections (weeks). Each day’s reading includes a scripture from the Psalms or the Sermon on the Mount, focus on a specific topic, a discussion of its meaning, and a prayer. The topics addressed include “Trusting God”, “Nations”, “Parents”, “Babies and children”, “Heaven”, “Angels”, “Being Salt and Light”, “The Narrow Way”.\nAlong the way, Yann Opsitch encourages thanksgiving as a vital part of the life of the believer, as well as an openness to His Word and a desire to grow in knowledge and understanding of God’s Word.

Let Us Come Before His Presence: 365 Days to Learn, Meditate and Pray from the Psalms and the Sermon on the Mount

Opsitch, Yann

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