Lipscomb female in Churches of Christ pulpit causes controversy

Senior Lauren King caused an uproar in the Churches of Christ and Lipscomb community when a video of her preaching went viral. For some, the image of a female preaching on stage is nothing notable. For Churches of Christ members, the idea of a woman in the pulpit is an uncomfortable break from tradition. “For a lot of folks in the conservative side of our fellowship, this was shocking,” said Dr. Ken Durham, a Lipscomb Bible professor. “It is shocking that a Church of Christ had done it, and shocking that Lipscomb had anything to do with it. So one of the questions we’ve been answering, or trying to answer to the best of our ability, is ‘what role does Lipscomb play?’” King was preaching as part of an optional internship for the College of Bible and Ministry at Fourth Avenue Church of Christ in Franklin, Tennessee. A video was made of her sermon and put out by Wineskins, a Christian ministry. The video, which had over 55,000 views on YouTube, drew in many comments, some very critical of King. “This video and this congregation represent a lack of respect for the authority of God,” Audie Cherry said in a comment on Vimeo. “Let us look to Scripture to guide us, not our own feelings and emotions. They’re just that, feelings and emotions. The Spirit doesn’t guide us.” Despite the critical comments, King remained confident in her calling. “I am confident with where the Lord has called me, and I have no need to apologize for that, but I am sorry for the way that all of this has happened,” King said. “I...