The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 1 Timothy 3:1-3

It was a subject and belief I avoided tackling. After all, I had been permitted to minister and to preach on a handful of occasions to a mixed congregation. I did not hold the position of a supposed pastor, but I was still permitted at times to release “prophetic words” and to even teach the congregation and other gatherings of professing Christians about the prophetic and demonology. It never bothered me or even crossed my mind that what I was doing was in rebellion against God’s Word. But that all changed several years ago, after leaving behind the doctrine of modern-day apostles and prophets with governing authority.

I remember seeing videos online addressing this very issue, and I would scroll past them as quickly as I saw them. Finally, I clicked on one of them and listened. I began to read Scriptures pertaining to this topic, and I was brought to repentance for what I had done, thanks be to God. Perhaps this is the reason why I am writing such a blog post concerning this very belief that is heavily perpetuated within this movement. Even when engaging other women who hold to being a pastor/overseer of a local congregation with Scriptures such as 1 Timothy 3, the result is overwhelmingly unwelcome.

However, the claim to being a pastor is now overshadowed in some circles by the title of apostle, and there is a popular online minister who claims to be an Apostle. Her name is Kathryn Krick, and she boasts of a large following numbering in the hundreds of thousands. She established a church in Los Angeles, California, where she holds the office of lead pastor/apostle. When looking on the church’s website, there is no mention of any other elders within this church. It is centrally focused on her leadership and ministry.

A few months ago, she ministered a word to the congregation titled Order in the Church. In this message, she established her rules of order within this local body, stating that things such as deliverance were to be done by her only. She stated that those who came to the church, as well as those online, were part of her domain in exercising her authority. She spoke of preaching from her book she had written about the anointing, and she told the people that their behavior was connected to God’s ability to move and to touch people. She taught them about apostles and the need for them today and how the church had been missing them. She concluded that deliverance and other realms of anointing had been limited in the church because of this absence. As an Apostle, those who came into her domain submitted themselves to her authority, and she was to be the one who would minister prophetically and cast out demons. Workplaces and the grocery store fell under the domain of those in the congregation. Any deliverance, prayer, or prophecy performed by those in attendance during the service was deemed out of order.

She instructed them in not being distracting during the corporate services, such as when it is appropriate to shout or to be exuberant. She told them to be careful in listening to others, and later in the service, she told them that when spiritual insight is given, the people need to rest while in the gathering. They do not need to discern and to be on alert as to what or who might be dangerous or out of order. Rather, she said that God would tell her and let her know these things. She ended with saying that spiritual direction and instruction were not to be done through the people, but through the leader. According to Krick, this is the new wine.

After a listener sent me a clip of this message, I listened to the entire sermon. I was saddened by what she was saying and doing, and I was concerned. It seemed as if she was shutting down critical thinking and proper Biblical discernment in the congregation, and it seemed as if she wanted the attention directed soley towards her. To be frank, there were undertones indicative of cult like behavior and teaching. However, there was great irony in what she ministered regarding church order because she rejected God’s order established in Scripture for the qualifications of pastors/overseers. She read 1 Corinthians 14:33 to the people, but when she realized part of this verse began verse 34, she stopped and skipped down to verse 40. (Verses 33b-35 say, “As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.”)

Scripture is clear in the qualifications and order God has established for leadership within the church (1 Timothy 3:1-3, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter 5:1-4). Pastors and elders are to be men, not women. This does not make women less valuable or unable to minister to other women (Titus 2:3-5). We also do not see any female apostles appointed by Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit inspired the apostles to write the Scriptures and what He wanted the church to know and to obey. We cannot afford to despise God’s written Word and His instructions. I am thankful God granted me repentance for my error and sin against Him in this matter. I pray he is equally merciful to Kathryn Krick and to those who follow her and who believe she and other women such as herself hold such authority in the church. We should remember that Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, and when we want to understand church order, we need look no further than what the Bible has to say. We can rejoice that He has established these boundaries and parameters, and as women, we can be at peace in ministry to the glory of God.

Articles of interest pertaining to this topic: Must Women Be Silent in Churches? (1 Corinthians 14:34) : 9Marks

Lesson 8: Who’s In Charge Of The Church? (1 Timothy 3:1 and other Scriptures) | Bible.org

Listen to this in-depth episode concerning Kathryn Krick and her teaching on church order: The Lovesick Scribe Podcast: A Krick in the Neck of Church Order on Apple Podcasts