I have been going through the Real-Life Discipleship course, and it has been a big help. Just curious, there's no mention of genders when it talks about discipling relationships. Is it all right for men to disciple women, or vice versa?
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This is a loaded question. The real issue here is - can both people be involved in a discipling relationship without being emotionally and sexually involved. While we may want to give ourselves the benefit of the doubt, we can never predict what the other person is really going to do.
In 30 years of discipling others, I have only ever discipled one female; after she asked me several times for help and she wasn't able to find another woman to help her. I set up our weekly one-hour meetings to be at a public place and I had two meeting set up with guys both before and after my meeting with her.
I think if you talk with most pastors they are very aware of the problems that can come up with counseling someone of the opposite sex. If a pastor has a meeting with someone, they usually make sure the office door stays open and the admin assistant is present in the next room. Even with all these precautions, I know several pastors who became involved with women they were counseling.
I've heard that Billy Graham never allowed himself to be alone with any woman other than his wife or daughters. And Paul's writing always indicates that men are teaching men, and women are teaching women. These examples should give us wise instruction on how to avoid being entrapped in unsuspected problems.
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Hi Wesley,
This is a loaded question. The real issue here is - can both people be involved in a discipling relationship without being emotionally and sexually involved. While we may want to give ourselves the benefit of the doubt, we can never predict what the other person is really going to do.
In 30 years of discipling others, I have only ever discipled one female; after she asked me several times for help and she wasn't able to find another woman to help her. I set up our weekly one-hour meetings to be at a public place and I had two meeting set up with guys both before and after my meeting with her.
I think if you talk with most pastors they are very aware of the problems that can come up with counseling someone of the opposite sex. If a pastor has a meeting with someone, they usually make sure the office door stays open and the admin assistant is present in the next room. Even with all these precautions, I know several pastors who became involved with women they were counseling.
I've heard that Billy Graham never allowed himself to be alone with any woman other than his wife or daughters. And Paul's writing always indicates that men are teaching men, and women are teaching women. These examples should give us wise instruction on how to avoid being entrapped in unsuspected problems.
Bruce