Women, Preaching and Pastoring

A discussion on this topic had begun in the comments section of the post about my boy planting a church in the A-T-L and I wanted to have this converstation in a broader context. The background:

jimmy said: "Since we are talking about Church planting, tell me what you think about women pastors and even women teaching the Church setting?"

rick said: The pastor of the church is also the leader in the home (1 Timothy 3:1-5). The scripture say how can a man led the church if he can't even led his home. Therefore, the issue is not about a woman's right to preach but a man's responsiblity to led.

My take:
I think there are two separate issues. a) Do women have the biblical authority to preach? b) Do women have biblical authority to pastor?

I think each of these begs a whole other set of questions. Here are a few:

1) The only offices of the church mentioned in the New Testament are elder and deacon.
Is this list prescriptive or descriptive?

For the sake of clarity, everyone needs to be on the same page as to what the terms that are used in this particular discussion mean. Pastoring is mentioned in the N.T. as a spiritual gifting. The term "pastor" now seems to be used in a colloquial sense as being analogous to the biblical office of elder. There are some who make the further distinction of saying that the office of "Senior Pastor" is equivalent to an elder.

2) So are we saying that women cannot be elders?

3) Or are we saying that woman cannot have the spiritual gift of pastoring?

4) Or are we saying that women do not have biblical authority to teach? (Notice I didn't say preach, because I don't find much distinction between preaching and teaching. If you give any sort of exhortation in your teaching, then you are preaching, regardless of the level of emotion involved the presentation.

5) Are spiritual gifts gender specific?

6) If woman can have the spiritual gift of teaching/preaching, how is this then “regulated”?

7) If a woman is not desiring to be an elder, but only to preach and is not allowed is this sexism?

Let the games begin...