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Daughters of Destiny (Revised Edition)

Copyright © 2013 by New Spectrum Media Concepts

ISBN 13: 978-0-9851176-4-1

ISBN: 9780985117696

Published by New Spectrum Media Concepts

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Visit our Website at www.newspectrummedia.com

Printed in the United States of America

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Correcting our Theology

Confronting our Traditions

Conveying the Truth

Comprehending The Text

Contextual Accuracy

Classification Accuracy

Clerical Accuracy

Canceling the Tug of War

Is the Head of Every Woman a Man?

Should a Woman Obey her Husband Unconditionally?

Should a Woman Keep Silent in the Church?

Should a Woman be in Ministry?

The Eagle’s Story

Acknowledgements

I dedicate this book to the remarkable women who have helped me be the man that God has called me to be:

To my mother, Gladys Hilliard, who first showed me the value of a godly woman! Her strength in the difficult days and her godly resolve remains an inspiration to me.

To my sister, Brenda Hilliard-Mitchell, you have been one of my biggest supporters and I am blessed to know I can count on your prayers.

To my wife and best friend in life, Pastor Bridget, you are a model example for women in ministry. I am so glad that I learned how to love you like Christ loves the Church! You are the inspiration for this book!

PREFACE

Recently, I celebrated a significant milestone in my life. I reached 50 years in the preaching ministry. While so much has changed from when I stood and preached my first sermon, unfortunately, there is so much that has not changed.

To be sure, progressive theological concepts like the Holy Spirit, Word of Faith and Total Life Prosperity are more widely accepted than they were when I first started. Worship traditions and styles have also changed. From a church dominated by traditional hymns and music that were played on an organ and piano, we now have full bands including guitars, brass and stringed instruments, dancers, lights, smoke machines, and contemporary music. It is undeniable that times have certainly changed for the better.

This is not a criticism of the previous generation but recognition that, as in all things, the church must adapt to speak to the current generation. In so many areas, the church is the model for how to remain relevant and relatable in the current age. One area that the church has not consistently shown improvement is in its acceptance of a woman’s Biblical right to serve in all aspects of ministry, and her God-given position, as equal to man.

In 2004, I wrote the book Daughters of Destiny because God charged me with promoting a Biblically sound approach to women in ministry. As I look back over the years since I first published that book, I see great improvement. However, with an honest assessment, I really thought we would have progressed further; which means, I have an unction from the Holy Spirit to champion this cause!

When you look at women’s rights around the world, you will see that there is a lot of work left to do in the secular community. And, if you look within the Body of Christ, you see the same level of inequality expressed against women. I will admit that there are many more women functioning in the five-fold ministry but there are still too many churches that limit the role of women.

My specific calling is to present the Biblical revelation that freed me from my chauvinistic ways. Yes! You see, I was raised as one who believed that women were inferior to men and most certainly, they should not ever be allowed in the pulpit to preach or pastor. I was a product of my time and environment. Because I had been trained to believe this, I needed a revelation from God to open my eyes.

I have always been one to quickly embrace what God shows me from His Word as truth. From my own study of the Scriptures, I began to see repeatedly the important roles women held in the faith community— even during a time when men dominated the culture! In fact, what I found was in direct contradiction to what I heard preachers say women could do! I knew that I had to really study so that I could have a Biblical picture of God’s view of women; and, it became an enlightening process. I began to see that women served in all manner of positions from Genesis to Revelation.

What you hold in your hands is my research on this topic. I believe that you are a seeker of truth and not tradition. My prayer has been that those who pick up this book will allow God’s Word to open their eyes to how God sees women and their involvement in family and ministry.

For my brothers, my prayer is that you become a champion for women being used by God however He sees fit and then that you would become an advocate for this truth in the Body of Christ. For my sisters, my prayer is that, once you have read this book, you will be free from any form of insecurity and will stand confidently to pursue God’s purpose for your life.

I have been privileged for over 37 years to have Pastor Bridget partner with me in both marriage and ministry. I know from experience that women have a distinct calling on their lives to touch the family of God and the lost. I have seen her bless thousands of men and women as modern day proof of the Word of God.

Standing for Truth!

+ Bishop IV Hilliard

CORRECTING OUR THEOLOGY

So much has been written over the years to keep women in a theological and social box! Unfortunately, most of this, even though it is proof-texted from Scripture actually is an attempt to read cultural standards into a book that transcends one specific culture. God was so wise that even though He entrusted various people to write the Scripture under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, He knew that it had to speak to all generations. This is the flaw I committed because I was raised with very outdated views of women in the home and in the church.