In an age when men can be nurses or stay-at-home dads and women can be pilots or business managers, there are few areas left where gender alone determines what a person can and cannot do.

Yet different models still exist in Christian ministry. Some denominations contend that certain areas of church life should be the preserve of men alone, while others allow full access to all areas for both sexes. But which is right?

In this compelling email exchange, Lis Goddard and Clare Hendry search the Scriptures for guidance on the roles of women and men in church leadership today. Against the busy backdrop of everyday life, their conversation covers all the key passages, leaving no tricky verse unexamined. Passionately arguing their respective corners, they pinpoint where they disagree – and agree – all the while modelling Christian debate and friendship.

Points to ponder helpfully enable readers to explore their own conclusions.