Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, the influential 9,500-member Calvary Chapel church founded by Chuck Smith, announced Sunday its intent to begin ordaining women pastors, directly defying Calvary Chapel’s ministry distinctives and philosophy and putting them at odds with 1800 other churches in the Association
Pastor Char Brodersen, Chuck’s Smith’s grandson, shared the news during their church service yesterday, reading a statement:
“Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa believes and practices the ordination of both men and women to pastoral ministry as a recognition of the priesthood of all believers. And the unique gifting of individuals by the Holy Spirit to continue the ministry and mission of Jesus in the church and in the world.
We believe that both men and women are created by God, made in his image, and are called by God from the beginning of creation to partner with him in building for his kingdom. Both men and women are essential in ministering to God and to one another in the work of partnering with God in his redemption through Jesus Christ, serving and ministering to the church, to the home, and to the world.”
There has been division at the Calvary Chapel flagship church for a while. After Brian Brodersen, Chuck Smith’s son-in-law, took over Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, he began making some troubling changes. He resigned from the Calvary Chapel Association (CCA) Council and then launched his own competing network, the Calvary Chapel Global Network (CCGN), which led to a split within the movement. The CCA condemned the CCGN, arguing that the new network lacked commitment to Calvary Chapel core values and distinctives and that it would dilute the movement’s identity.
Char Brodersen continued to give an apologetic for why women should be pastors, repeatedly emphasizing that “this is a topic that falls under the category of secondary issues. It’s an open-handed issue that many faithful, Jesus-loving, biblically grounded and convicted people hold differing views on, and sometimes those views are held very strongly” and that “as a community of Jesus people, we want to avoid judging those who think and interpret these things differently, seeing them as being less spiritual, less committed to the authority of scripture or anything like that.”
We always hold secondary, non-doctrinal, non-salvific issues, topics, with open hands and with humility. As one wise Christian put it, in essentials, unity. In non-essentials, freedom, liberty. In all things, charity.
In response, the CCA Heartland Regional Team released a statement, saying in part:
Many of you have already heard reports of Pastor Char Brodersen and Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa’s recent announcement that they intend to ordain women as elders and pastors. This represents a significant departure from the biblical convictions that have historically shaped our Calvary Chapel family.
For those of us who have been deeply influenced by Pastor Chuck Smith’s ministry, this development is especially grievous. Through his leadership, Calvary Chapel became a central part of the Jesus Movement and established a strong example of teaching God’s Word simply, depending on the Holy Spirit, and eagerly awaiting Christ’s return. Costa Mesa’s present direction departs from important convictions Pastor Chuck faithfully taught and modeled.
and
As a regional team, we have serious concerns about the direction Costa Mesa has taken. This latest announcement deepens those concerns and underscores the importance of remaining anchored in Scripture as we lead the churches entrusted to our care.
Although disagreement over these doctrines does not, in itself, determine a person’s salvation, these are consequential matters of biblical interpretation, church order, and pastoral faithfulness. We do not affirm the ordination of women as elders or pastors as biblically sound or consistent with the Calvary Chapel distinctives upheld by the Calvary Chapel Association.
