R. C. Sproul (theologian & pastor): “We are persuaded that the biblical mandate [of head covering] is still in effect... When Paul says the women are to cover their heads, he is basing that action on how God created male and female... If there's ever an indication of a perpetual ordinance in the church, it is that which is based on an appeal to Creation... I think that the symbol should remain intact as a sign of our obedience to God.” Published in: "Now, That's A Good Question" (page 347)
I was recently surprised to see that a Reformed pastor has taken the time to produce a carefully written 3-part series about his disapproval of The Head Covering Movement.
Of course, a number of Christians (mostly in the last century) have written commentaries, studies, and sermons that disagree with the modern day practice of head covering. But this is the first time I’ve seen someone write against the Movement. He even picked a creative title: “Uncovering the Head Covering Movement.”
After the initial feeling of surprise, my next response was gratitude. The Head Covering Movement must be making a splash that’s big enough to be noticed by those who haven’t yet embraced the practice. Whether that splash is happening due to the “Movement” itself or due to God’s overall work in returning His people to 1 Corinthians 11, praise the Lord!Read more
So this “head covering movement thing” — what’s it all about? Find out the specifics you’ve been wanting to know in this conversation with HCM Co-Directors David and Jessica. You will also hear about how each of them first came to believe that head covering is for today and became involved with HCM.
>>We now have an official Head Covering Movement Podcast on Spotify!<<
Name: Mary Beth Voelker | Age: 59 | Location: Central North Carolina | Date started covering:Maundy Thursday, 2023
1) Please introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a writer, stained glass artist, and deli clerk. I’ve been married for 35 years and have 4 children and 2 grandchildren. Over many years of doing many different things, I’ve been granted the understanding that God put me on earth to make stuff and feed people. I’ve lost count of the number of hobbies and crafts I’ve tried, but stained glass is the first one that shows a real prospect of turning into a profitable business.
2) Where do you attend church? Tell us a little bit about it. Do others practice head covering there?
I attend Grace Church, a large non-denominational, evangelical, contemporary church in central North Carolina. My husband and middle son are employed as tech staff, primarily serving at one of the multi-sites where our youngest son also volunteers as tech crew and I serve on the hospitality team. My job is feeding the volunteers. It makes for a long day, especially for the tech-and-worship workers, as they don’t rotate out between services (unlike the greeters, ushers, and the children’s team).
We’re a Gospel-focused church with the formal mission to “Fill the city with Jesus.” We’re very conservative in many ways, such as only ordaining male ministers. But in a racially and ethnically diverse area where we focus on reaching those who don’t know Jesus at all, we’re very casual and low-key about dress code expectations and other trappings that would be familiar to people who grew up in mainline churches.
I may or may not be the only person covering among 200-300 people attending either the multi-site where I serve or the Thursday night service I sometimes attend. I don’t know about the 800-1000 or so people on Sunday morning at the main campus since I haven’t been there in a number of years, though I do remember one particular lady in the children’s ministry who always wore cute hats. I don’t know if she was covering religiously or just liked cute hats.
Head covering is not a topic that has ever been addressed from the pulpit. I hate to say it, but getting the young guys out of their ball caps might be more of a priority if the topic were to ever come up.Read more
Greetings to the worldwide members of the Head Covering Movement!
We hope this year has been going well for you!
We’d like to provide an update about what the HCM Team members have been working on lately, and today seems like an appropriate day to do that. So without further ado…
David (Co-Director): By popular demand, David has decided to take a leave of absence in order to start the Head Uncovering Movement for men, especially aimed at male worship leaders who wear ball caps or beanies while singing to the Lord. He’ll also be focusing on the spiritual issues (non-legalistically, of course) behind men wearing skinny jeans and/or pink ties, but is still searching for proof-text passages to use for that.
Jennifer (Facebook Moderator): At her own invitation, Jennifer has graciously accepted the position of “HCM Matchmaker” for our HCM Facebook Group. Her focus will be on the women and men who just “happen” to casually note that they’re single, usually mentioned somewhere within their first (and second and third) post. Her services are free for the first 3 months, but matches that end in marriage will require a mandatory freewill donation.Read more
“Covering While Praying or Prophesying: So, Exactly When Is That?”
You may view/download a PDF version of this article here.
INTRODUCTION
In the eleventh chapter of First Corinthians, the Apostle Paul explained the Christian practice of head covering. The first article in our 3-part series considered the context for when that head covering practice was to occur. It found that Paul taught Christian women to use a covering while praying or prophesying (in other words, while communicating to God or from God). Christian men were to uncover their heads during the same activities.
The article pointed out that Paul did not mention the Sunday morning church service during his instructions about head covering, nor state that the local church gathering was the only location where coverings were to be worn. Instead, he gave clear indications that head coverings were also intended for use beyond the congregational church assembly. Further, Paul’s specific reasons for covering did not exclusively relate to church gatherings. Instead, his reasons for covering applied wherever prayer and prophecy occur.
The article concluded that the Bible provides an open door for the use of coverings beyond the Sunday morning assembly. After all, Christian women often pray outside of church services! However, there is more to this discussion that’s worth examining. Those who advocate for “church-only” covering often base their position on four main arguments. The previous article in this series did not consider or respond to those arguments. It’s only proper that we carefully consider other perspectives, and that’s what this article is all about.Read more
“Covering While Praying or Prophesying: So, Exactly When Is That?”
You may view/download a PDF version of this article here.
HUMAN QUESTIONS & BIBLICAL ANSWERS1)The main goal of this article is not to outline the full range of situations where a head covering is biblically required. Instead, this article simply argues that the Scripturally intended range of situations includes more than the local church assembly. A future article in this series will further discuss the exact contexts that the Apostle Paul had in mind. The purpose of this article is only to see that although Paul’s instructions about covering are certainly applicable to the Sunday church service, they are not limited to it.
Both the Apostle Paul and the First Century churches promoted the standard use of head coverings by Christian women (1 Corinthians 11:16). However, in our modern era, a follow-up set of practical questions is often asked: “During what times and in what situations does God intend for a head covering to be worn?”2) And similarly: “When and where does God want Christian men to take off their hats?”
I believe that there are two primary reasons why these questions often prompt curiosity and confusion. Read more
References
1.
↑The main goal of this article is not to outline the full range of situations where a head covering is biblically required. Instead, this article simply argues that the Scripturally intended range of situations includes more than the local church assembly. A future article in this series will further discuss the exact contexts that the Apostle Paul had in mind. The purpose of this article is only to see that although Paul’s instructions about covering are certainly applicable to the Sunday church service, they are not limited to it.
2.
↑ And similarly: “When and where does God want Christian men to take off their hats?”
Here at the Head Covering Movement, we’ve started something new! In addition to our regular content, we’re adding some head covering poster art: “Engaging Advice in Just 4 Frames.”
