I know of a young pastor in the Midwest who ran into a buzzsaw. The buzzsaw was a woman who was the matriarch of the church. By matriarch, I mean she ran things. Even though there were elders in the church, the woman in question wielded great power, such that the young pastor’s every action was scrutinized by her.

Besides his regular pastoral duties, he ended up painting most of the church's interior—yes, it needed to be done—but mainly because there was one person he thought he needed to please—the buzzsaw. With her constant criticism and demands, she was undermining his authority as pastor. Unfortunately, it did not end well.

You would be incorrect to think that this scenario is uncommon. It is all too common, particularly in small rural churches. In these churches, where pastors come and go, the church is often comprised of families that have been in the area for generations. The families have power, and women in these families may overstep their bounds in a desire to keep the church doors open.

Who was to blame? Everyone. The elders should have been leading and protecting. They should have protected this young pastor from the abuse of power. The young pastor was also to blame because he should have gently corrected the woman about his primary responsibilities. The woman was in error by her controlling attitudes and actions.

Rather than buzzsaws or women described in the Scriptures as busybodies, the church needs gifted and godly women. We do need matriarchs, gifted and enterprising women, to ensure the health and growth of the church. There can be no church without gifted and godly women. 

Who are the godly women to emulate in the Bible? The list is long. The matriarchs of the faith often made the same mistakes as the patriarchs. They were all human and sinful. But this only highlights the grace of God to use imperfect humans for His perfect plan, both then and now.

Without Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel, there would have been no Israel or Messiah. All were barren until God opened their wombs. In the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew, four women are listed: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. A little Bible knowledge tells you these women were imperfect but exhibited (except perhaps Tamar) a faith that God honored by His grace. And then there is Abigail, Esther, Deborah, Jael, Hannah, and many more—too many to mention. 

In the New Testament, the last woman named in the genealogy is, of course, Mary. Mary and Elizabeth occupy much space in Luke’s Gospel account. They were women of excellent character whom God chose to use to bear John the Baptist and Jesus, the Messiah, into the world.

Jesus did not just walk around the countryside with twelve guys. He chose twelve men to be Apostles, but many of his original disciples were women. They cared for Him and supported Him—they were there when He died, and they buried Him.

On the Day of Pentecost, many of the disciples who prayed in the upper room were women. 

The Apostle Paul took time at the end of His letter to the church in Rome to commend women by name: Phoebe, Prisca, Mary, Junius, Tryphaena, and Tryphosa. He did the same in Colossians (4:15) and 2 Timothy 1:5. Paul also spoke of several women in Philippi who shared his struggle in the Gospel and were “fellow workers” in the ministry.

As a young pastor, I was fortunate not to run into a buzzsaw. Instead, there was a woman of grace and dignity, godly and gifted, whom Tara and I once sought for advice. Though she was in her 80s and had not been a Christian that long, she had a remarkable ability to quickly understand scripture and combine that knowledge with eight decades of life lived well. We came away with sound Biblical advice. 

Growing into a godly woman takes a lifetime of living through the trials and tribulations of life. She is a woman of grace and humility. She holds firm to sound doctrine. She understands self-control and discipline. She is an encourager to younger women who often seek her out for advice. She’s the opposite of a buzzsaw. 

"She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." Proverbs 31:26