Straight from the source (her own website):
http://www.joycemeyer.org/AboutUs/AboutJoyce/
The very first sentence says "Joyce Meyer is
one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers."
And at the end of the page, it presents all her PhD's in theology.
The page says nothing to indicate that she just does women's ministry.
So I sure do get the impression that she has set herself up, or allowed herself to be set up, as "one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers", to people in general, both men and women -- not a woman's ministry.
Look at two scriptures here.. one about what women should
not be trying to do, and another about what women
should be doing instead.
Here's the one regarding what they should
not be doing:
1 Timothy 2:
11A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.
Now, even if she's not doing it in an official "church"... is there really much difference at all?
And look at this scripture, which tells what mature older gifted women
can/should do -- this is true "women's ministry":
Titus 2:
3Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
Now take an honest look at those two poles:
1 Timothy 2 which says what Joyce Meyer should
not do: she should not try to teach the Bible in general to men and women (setting herself up as "one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers"), or having any authority over men (which she inevitably does, being "one of the world's leading" Bible teachers, and being the head of this huge ministry which is not specifically for women)
and Titus 2 which says what she
should do: she should teach younger women
womanly things (including, loving their husbands and children, being subject to their husbands, etc.). And by the way, there is a HUGE need for women in today's society to be taught and encouraged in these things.
Now tell me, honestly, which pole is she closer to? The one regarding what she should
not try to do, or the one regarding what she
should do?
And by the way, looking at her article database at
http://www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/EverydayAnswers/ I cannot find some of these womanly topics that she's supposed to teach (like Titus 2 says), such as women being subject to their husbands, loving their husbands, being busy at home, etc. (help me find it if you can). I find every other topic. (Yes, I know there are many other practical things for women to deal with but still the main ones that Titus 2 mentions seem to be oddly missing, at least from the list I see on her site.) Joyce Meyer could do a world of good if she would focus on teaching women, and teaching those womanly things that are so sorely neglected today. Instead of trying to be "one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers", teaching men and women all of the Bible.
And look at this: if this doesn't settle the question, I don't know what will. Straight from her own website:
Joyce Meyer began teaching the Word of God in 1976 and entered full-time ministry in 1980. She started by developing, coordinating and teaching a weekly meeting as an associate pastor in a church in St. Louis, Missouri. After 5 years she established her own ministry called Life In The Word.
So, she began as an associate pastor of a church, teaching a weekly meeting. Are you telling me that she wasn't teaching and having authority over men? Then she basically moved up to doing it on a much larger scale, actually.
And here:
Is Joyce Meyer an ordained minister?
Joyce was ordained over 25 years ago. She has a worldwide congregation through the Enjoying Everyday Life television and radio programs. Joyce speaks regularly at public conferences in the United States and around the world. She also preaches occasionally at the St. Louis Dream Center church, an inner-city outreach of Joyce Meyer Ministries.
So, she was "ordained" to be a pastor over men and women, became an associate pastor of a church, with authority over men, and even now she occasionally does the preaching at a church (but not every Sunday because she's too busy being "one of the world's leading" Bible teachers, to her new "worldwide congregation" of both men and women). So, these are some facts. So there's no question about her violating the very scripture that she's teaching -- if you take 1 Timothy 2 to mean what it says. And all that, my friends, is not setting a good example for other women to follow.
So can we just be honest here. If you don't apply 1 Timothy 2 to mean what it sure seems to mean, then just say that. But please don't say that Jocye Meyer just does women's ministry, and does not teach and have authority over men.
God bless you all.