When Sally meets Sylvia: a Christian trend

Is it sexism? In the midst of the worldly trendiness slithering into the church in recent years is the separation of the sexes. It happens by way of (non-biblical) social events by gender.

Someone, somewhere, came up years ago with the idea of having separate church socials for guys and gals – or should it read gals and guys? It was perhaps done to bring variety to the church “programs.” Or was it to stop the young men chatting up the young women? Then the idea snowballed until it became trendy, but it is self-defeating.

The church puts on a monthly Men’s Breakfast, lunch or dinner exclusively for men. Then likewise the women will congregate at the church or local café for a “Women’s Morning,” or otherwise-named “don’t invite George” event.

We all know that women are from Venus and men from Mars (figuratively speaking), but all this exclusivity simply makes the chasm between Steve and Sue even wider.

Like many of the “activities” seen today, this is not found in the Good Book. Nowhere in the Bible do we read of such happenings. Jesus spoke of unity between believers, and these man-made ideas are not helping the Master’s cause.

Even at the unisex post-service Sunday morning coffee time, the opportunity for better understanding is lost. Oftentimes the women gather in one corner and talk about their children, fashion, cooking, sewing, while the men huddle in the other corner talking their football, baseball, handyman project, cars.

We should all make an effort to avoid those tendencies. On the contrary, right now we have a deliberate splitting of the sexes in what passes for “church fellowship”– by decree!

This trend of separate men’s and women’s functions is surely working against Christian unity. Every man and woman needs to know more about how to relate to the opposite gender. We need communication so that Gary better understands Gisele – or vice versa; especially in marriage, or those contemplating it. Isn’t that what Christians should be working towards?

What about the woman anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive oil? (John 12:3) Now that was intimacy – but pure. Then there was Jesus in deep dialogue with the woman at the well (John chapter 4). In verse 27 we read: “the disciples…marvelled that he talked with a woman.” What about Martha serving tables when the Lord was in her home? (Luke 10:40) Jesus called her from her “women’s business” to listen to something more important.

We can see from the preceding that mingling of men and women was common in Jesus’ time in this world.

The only way Christian unity between the sexes will occur is intermingling socially - which in turn brings better understanding. In this the church should be taking the lead - rather than going in the opposite direction, putting on socials which divide.

It’s time for church leaders to think about what they do, and not blindly follow what is fashionable. Let’s have an end to this silly trendiness and return to the Bible. Let us do what it says: that and that alone.

Jesus said: “I will build My church.” (Matthew 16:18) The problem is we want to build ours, not His!