Determining “where” women should cover their heads is one of the more difficult and less-clear aspects of the passage. As we’ve articulated here, we believe that the symbol is meant for corporate worship. But how broad or narrow should we define corporate worship? Is this just the Sunday church meeting or does it have application for other settings? In this article we’d like to provide some thoughts to help determine if a woman should cover her head in a particular context.

Before we talk about specifics, it’s important that I first share my guiding principles. These are the questions I ask myself about a situation to determine if my wife should cover her head (and if I should remove my hat).

1) Is this meeting of believers under the authority of the elders/local church? If so and if there is corporate participation then I’d say yes it is corporate worship.
2) Does this meeting pattern itself after a church gathering (praying and singing together, preaching etc.)? If so, I’d say it is corporate worship.
3) Will there be corporate singing to the Lord together? If so, that’s a strong indication that it may be corporate worship.
4) Would it be appropriate in this setting to take part in the Lord’s supper? If so, that’s a strong indication that it may be corporate worship.
5) Would it be inappropriate for a woman to be the speaker/leader of this gathering of Christians? If so, that’s a strong indication that it may be corporate worship.

The more of these elements that are present, the more sure I am that a woman should cover in that setting. Read more