He’s Egalitarian?! Pastor Jason Meyer Leads Ordination for New Female Minister
In 2012, Jason Meyer succeeded John Piper as the pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church. A graduate of the church’s Bethlehem College and Seminary, he was voted in with a 784-4 margin. He resigned in 2021 amid accusations that he was leading the church in a progressive direction and capitulating to the spirits of the age, seen in the church’s treatment of COVID-19, the way they treated the death of George Floyd, their response to Black Lives Matter, and the establishment of a Racial Harmony Task Force.
Notably, the church brought in Kyle J. Howard, a racial and spiritual trauma counselor and notorious racist to assess racial imbalances within the congregation.
In his resignation letter, Meyer categorized the accusations against him as claims that he had “(1) subordinated the gospel, (2) empowered victims (‘coddler’), and (3) allowed compassion for others to steer and dictate my leadership direction.” He would rejoin with, “I believe our leadership culture has taken a turn in an unhealthy direction as we try to navigate conflict and division,” citing this as a key reason for his departure.
Following his exit, Meyer became the lead pastor of Urban Refuge Church, a “gospel-centered, multicultural, non-denominational church” in south Minneapolis.
On June 1, he and church leadership conducted an ordination service for Katie Brown as the new Family Life Minister.
Commenting on the nature of women in ministry, Meyers encouraged his congregation not to dimiss her or treat her with suspicion.
“It becomes easy in these settings as women are looked upon with suspicion or a patronizing pity for their voice to not be valued- but dismissed, disregarded, and looked upon as a burden.
…what happens is that women are always treated and viewed in a demeaning, dismissive, patronizing, suspicious, resistant, reluctant way, but not expectant.
That’s what I want this morning to be. That’s my charge to you as a congregation. To not be dismissive. To not be patronizing, To not be resistant or reluctant but expectant that God is going to speak, that God is going to use Katie.”
He conlcuded by declaring that “We are here this morning to celebrate and to affirm and to recognize that God does call women into his harvest field and he will use them, he will speak through them, and he will be honored in it.”
Following her ordination, she led the administration of the Lord’s Supper. The next week,
she preached a sermon to the congregation for their “Summer in the Psalms” series.
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