How does the unite methodist church justify female ministers and use the Bible to back up their belief?
Answer Dear Judy: The United Methodist Church looks to the first book of the Bible, to Jesus, and to St. Paul for its celebration of women as pastors, superintendents, and bishops. In Genesis, chapter 2, v. 27, we learn that human beings, male and female, were created equally in the image of God. So both sexes may represent Christ as ordained pastors. Jesus Christ welcomed women as followers (see Mark 15:40-41), and treated them with respect in a time when women were often looked down on. And Paul consistently affirms women as co-workers in the ministry (for example, his list of women and men at the end of Romans–chapter 16). It seems plain that God calls all human beings to all forms of God’s service.
