Editing Open Brethren (section)

===Separate roles of men and women===
No distinction is made in Brethren teaching between men and women in their individual relation to Christ and his "vicarious [[Atonement in Christianity|atonement]]" for them on the cross, or their individual position before God as believers. However, in most Brethren meetings the principle of "male headship" is applied in accordance with teaching found in several passages in the Bible, including 1 Corinthians 11:3, which says:

<blockquote>But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.</blockquote>

<blockquote>1 The Head of every man is Christ—no equality. 2 The head of the woman is the man—equality and subjection. 3 The Head of Christ is God—equality, yet subjection.<ref name="Crawford, N. 2003 p.76">Crawford, N. (October 2003). Gathering Unto His Name. Gospel Tract Publications. {{ISBN|0-948417-07-2}}, p.76</ref></blockquote>

Thus most Brethren meetings reserve public leadership and teaching roles to men, based on 1 Timothy 2:11,12 ... :

<blockquote>A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.</blockquote>

Also, 1 Corinthians 14:34,35 states,

<blockquote>Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. (The reason for this has to do with acknowledging Headship: Headship and the head covering are seen by many as inseparable since the head covering is intended to teach the meaning of headship. See below for information on the head covering).</blockquote>

From this, Brethren teaching traditionally (though with regional exceptions) outlines a system in which the men take the "vocal" and leadership roles and the women take supportive and "silent" roles. Traditionally, women have not usually been permitted to participate in individual speech during the "Breaking of Bread" meeting. In most Brethren groups women would be heard to sing the hymns along with the group, but their voices would not otherwise be heard during the meeting. Often the men are, practically speaking, the only ones involved fully and vocally in all discussions leading up to administrative decision making as well. There were some local exceptions in the past, with some women preaching in Brethren circles in the United Kingdom in the 1860s and 1870s, but these events were isolated and short-lived. A number of assemblies in the south of England, under the influence of [[G. H. Lang]], permitted women to participate audibly in worship (but not to preach) as far back as the 1930s, and a large network of assemblies in India, connected with the ministry of [[Bakht Singh]], did the same from the 1950s onward. But these innovations had little impact beyond their immediate geographical areas. In the last two decades, however, a large number of assemblies in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as some in North America, have modified or abandoned this rule. Other assemblies, however, have reacted by placing more emphasis on this traditional teaching and by formalising what was previously an unwritten rule.

====The head covering====
As to the reason behind [[Christian head covering|women covering their heads]] at meetings in traditional Open Brethren services, {{Bibleverse|1 Corinthians|11:5-6|RSV}} says:

<blockquote>But every woman that prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman is not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.</blockquote>

Open Brethren traditionally interpret this verse to mean that during prayer, a Christian women is supposed to have her head covered; this has been the historic practice in all of Christendom.<ref name="Gordon2015">{{cite web |last1=Gordon |first1=Greg |title=Are Head Coverings Really for Today? |url=https://evangelicalfocus.com/yourblog/929/Are-Head-Coverings-Really-for-Today- |publisher=Evangelical Focus |access-date=2 May 2022 |language=English |date=31 August 2015 |quote=Hippolytus an early Church Father wrote, “Let all the women have their heads covered.” Others who taught this practice in the Church were, John Calvin [father of the Reformed tradition], Martin Luther [father of the Lutheran tradition], Early Church Fathers, John Wesley [father of the Methodist tradition], Matthew Henry [Presbyterian theologian] to name just a few. We must remind ourselves that until the twentieth century, virtually all Christian women wore head coverings.}}</ref> For this reason, Brethren meetings will be characterised by the women wearing head coverings ("loaners" in some assemblies are available at the back for women who have come without a covering). Head coverings typically take the form of a [[hanging veil]], [[mantilla]], [[shawl]], [[Tam cap|tam]], [[beret]] or other headcovering.<ref name="Loop2020">{{cite web |last1=Loop |first1=Jennifer |title=Why I Keep My Headcovering |url=https://www.ntwrightonline.org/why-i-keep-my-headcovering/ |publisher=[[N. T. Wright]] |access-date=9 April 2022 |language=English |date=12 May 2020}}</ref>

While that is an overly simplified view of the head covering, the traditional Brethren understanding of the purpose for the head covering comes from their interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:3&4, which says:

<blockquote><sup>3</sup>But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. <sup>4</sup> Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonours his head.</blockquote>

Here is the "picture" that the head covering is understood to display: the Head of the man is Christ, so the man's physical head needs to be uncovered to honour his Head, Christ. The head of the woman is the man, so the woman's physical head must be covered, men are not on display in the church. The woman's head covering and silence in the church shows that the men participating are not on display but rather that Christ is on display.<ref name="Crawford, N. 2003 p.76"/>

This practice is not as widely held by Brethren as it once was. Many assemblies throughout the world have developed to leave questions of head coverings, levels of female participation and responsibility to the discretion of the individual. But there are still some Brethren assemblies that seek to be completely untouched by changing attitudes within society regarding the role of women. They view the abandonment of the traditionally practised doctrine of [[Headship]] as evidence of an overall [[apostasy]] (or moral deterioration) within Christendom and as leading to disorder and eventual anarchy within their fellowships.