When it comes to women caring for women in our churches, Alongside Care seeks to provide a framework that honors God’s Word and His prescribed order for gender roles and church leadership. There may be differences in the terminology we use and the specific ways we implement such a ministry. Some churches may not need for a formal ministry like the one described in this book. I can understand how Alongside Care could prompt thoughtful dialogue about how to care for women in a biblical, complementarian context.

When I was diagnosed with a rare cancer in 2010, our church family came alongside us and cared for us through several months of treatment. That experience made me passionate about how the body of Christ bears one another’s burdens and cares for the suffering. Our PCA church is seeking to do this more intentionally, so I was eager to read Alongside Care: A Vision for Churches to Care for Women in Crisis. As I read the book, I shared portions of it with my husband, who serves as a ruling elder, and we talked about how this type of ministry could be implemented in our church.

So when I read Ann Hall’s review of Alongside Care, I was surprised by her reaction. I firmly believe that authors are accountable for their words, and that we should always read with discernment. However, I was disappointed to read a review that takes quotes out of context, misrepresents the message of the book, and doesn’t approach disagreements with kindness and respect toward brothers and sisters in Christ.

In this response, I hope to present a more balanced perspective of the authors’ message in Alongside Care and answer questions raised by Mrs. Hall’s review. While a detailed debate over women’s roles and responsibilities in the church is beyond the scope of this article, I hope to reassure potential readers that this book describes a specific type of women’s ministry that can be implemented without compromising our faithfulness to Scripture and PCA polity.

How does Alongside Care portray church elders?

Let me start by saying that Alongside Care, like any other book written by humans, should be read carefully and applied with wisdom. There are sentences, some of which are highlighted by Mrs. Hall’s review, that I would have worded differently to avoid confusion. Some of the churches mentioned in the book use the terms “woman shepherd” or “shepherdess” to refer to their alongside caregivers. I worry that these terms could be confusing to church members who don’t understand the PCA’s view on ordination. I understand that some of the descriptions of women and their leadership in ministry, especially when taken out of context from the rest of the book, could cause concern in our complementarian circles.

However, I disagree with much of Mrs. Hall’s description of the book, starting with the way the book portrays church elders. Mrs. Hall states that Alongside Care is “degrading” to elders and that the book depicts elders as “useless,” “insensitive,” “a hindrance to the church,” and generally incapable of fulfilling their responsibility of shepherding women. If this were true, it would certainly be problematic and worthy of the harsh criticism she gives.

But that is not the message of this book. While women are described as leaders in women’s ministry, the book never advocates a leadership role of a woman over the elders or even over other men. The authors constantly remind readers that women giving alongside care are not elders, do not replace elders, are serving the elders, and are under the authority of the elders. Consider these statements from the book:

• “Lastly, an Alongside Care Ministry is not a group of women elders shepherding the women of the church. An Alongside Care Ministry seeks to be a resource to the ordained elders of the church, coming alongside them in their responsibility to shepherd the flock of God. It does so under their authority” (Alongside Care, 19).
• “The spiritual authority and pastoral responsibility remain with the ordained leaders. God has set them apart as under-shepherds. Therefore, pastoral decisions must remain with them, as the Lord will hold them accountable for how they care for the people God has given them ( 13:17)” (Alongside Care,p. 49).

These sentences presuppose that elders are caring for the congregation, because it has been repeatedly stated in the book that they have been appointed by God to do so. (See pages 44-45 on the shepherding responsibility of elders.) The book assumes churches have elders committed to their God-given role.

However, Mrs. Hall doesn’t believe the authors when they repeatedly affirm the responsibility and authority of ordained male elders. She writes: “Alongside Care pays lip service, almost as if AI-generated, to the idea that yes, God placed ordained men to be elders and to lead his church—it’s just that they aren’t constituted to do it very well.”

I don’t know why Mrs. Hall chooses to not take the authors at their word regarding women’s role in the church. With this quote, she accuses them being insincere and poor writers, and she could even be implying they plagiarized from AI. Either way, it seems that anytime the book mentions women as helpers, Mrs. Hall believes this undermines the role of the elders. This brings us to our second key question.

Does receiving help undermine the role of ordained elders?

In her review, Mrs. Hall highlights a quote from page 17, which quotes Susan Hunt’s book Spiritual Mothering: The Titus 2 Model for Women Mentoring Women. This quote makes a true statement that men haven’t experienced certain things that are unique to women, such as childbirth and menopause. Mrs. Hall claims this reveals the book’s “hidden feminism.” She implies the authors are saying women cannot be shepherded by men and asks if we should “lesbianize the church” so women can be understood.

She also highlights quotes from Alongside Care which mention the burdens of elders, their busy lives, and the idea that some of the emotional issues related to ministering to women may be overwhelming or cause them to feel inadequate. We should note that these sentences from page 45 of the book were penned by a man, not by a woman who finds men to be inferior or ill-equipped.

In this same chapter, Dr. Stephen Estock traces the word “helper” throughout Scripture to show that helpers are not only beneficial but essential in ministry. Titus 2:4-5 confirms that ordained leaders are not the only ones teaching and training in the church: older women are to teach and train younger women. When elders call on spiritually mature, specifically-trained women to assist, they are not calling their own qualifications into question or setting aside their God-given responsibility. They are showing wisdom, knowing they are not infinite, omniscient, or omnipotent.

God has called elders to lead, shepherd, teach, and exercise church discipline, among other things. But He has not called them to meet every need in the church. There are certain tasks which elders must carry out alone; there are others that can be wisely delegated or for which they can receive assistance.

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