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Covering Testimony: Aliya Mathiesen

Name: Aliya Mathiesen | Age: 25 | Location: California | Date started covering: July 31, 2022

1) Introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a young wife and mom who is passionate about reformed theology, conservative politics, and holistic living. In my free time, you can find me spending time with family, looking for a good restaurant to eat at, or listening to audiobooks.

2) Where do you attend church? Tell us a little bit about it. Do others practice head covering there?

I recently moved, but plan to attend a reformed church called Fountain Of Life Fellowship in Fountain Valley. When we visited, I noticed that I’m the only person who covers her head there, but I honestly don’t expect to see people doing it anyway.

3) What led you to start covering?

First, I should state that I grew up in a church that didn’t teach head covering, so my stance over the years had been that it was a cultural command to the Corinthians. I never thought twice about my stance since every pastor I respected (and every church I had been a part of) believed the same.

Then I was exposed to Christians who covered, both through the Head Covering Movement and in real life. I was still on the fence about their arguments, but they made some interesting points. Read more

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Meet the New Co-Directors of the Head Covering Movement

Jeremy Gardiner, founder of the Head Covering Movement, recently announced that he’s stepping down as Director. In his leadership transition statement, he introduced us – Jessica Roldan and David Phillips – as the new Co-Directors. Read more

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Do Paul’s instructions about head coverings apply today, since he appeals to creation, not culture?

“We cannot assume a New Testament command applied only to the first-century church if the command is rooted in the order of creation itself. From one of our live events, R.C. Sproul considers the controversial subject of head coverings in corporate worship.”
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What Age Should Children Start Head Covering?

As the parents of five daughters (from 9 months through 12 years), my husband and I have had to consider whether or not we want them to wear a head covering to church — and if so, at what age they should start. I think this question is very common in families where the mother has started to cover. In this article I’d like to consider this question of age from three angles:

  1. What does the Bible say?
  2. What does this look like practically?
  3. What have we done as a family?

What Does The Bible Say?

When considering any sort of life change, it’s always important to observe what God Himself has said about the subject. So, does the Bible offer any guidance that would help us decide at what age females should start head covering? I believe that it does.

1 Corinthians 11:4-5 says:

“Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.”

So, every woman must pray or prophesy with her head covered, or else dishonor her head. But, since the New Testament was originally written in Greek, what does the word woman specifically mean in the original language? Could it mean all females, both children and adults?

An excellent Greek lexicon often utilized in New Testament scholarship is “A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature”¹ (often referred to as “BDAG”). It notes these three meanings of the word “woman” (or gune in Greek):

  1. an adult female person, woman
  2. a married woman
  3. a newly married woman

So, gune refers to either married or unmarried women, but it apparently does not include female children. In 1 Corinthians 11, this same word is used in verses 3, 5 (quoted above), 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 15. In other words, gune is used throughout the whole passage to indicate an adult woman.

According to Bible Study Tools (an online Bible study aid), this same word is used 221 times in the New Testament. In 129 occurrences it refers to “women,” and 92 times it refers to a “wife.” Never is it used in the Bible to describe female children.

Rather than gune, Scripture uses the Greek terms thugatrion (translated as “little daughter”) and korasion (“girl” or “little girl”) when referring to female children. For example, Mark 5:42 uses korasion to describe a 12-year-old girl that Jesus raised from the dead. Along similar lines, Matthew 14:21 lists “women” separately from “children,” indicating that the Greek word for “women” refers to adults. Read more

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What is the Head Covering?

Head Covering Sermon

Preacher: Rev. Armen Thomassian | Sermon Length: 54 min 20 sec | Preached: June 10, 2018

Born in Scotland and raised in Northern Ireland, Rev. Armen Thomassian was delivered from the folly of atheism and brought to saving faith in Jesus Christ at the age of 19. He was sent to Australia in 2007 by the Mission Board of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster to supply pulpits in South Australia and Tasmania. He returned in 2009 to commence training for the ministry, graduating in 2014. A few weeks later he received and subsequently accepted a call from across the Atlantic to Calgary Free Presbyterian Church and commenced his ministry there in January 2015. After ministering in Calgary for four years, he was installed as minister of Faith Free Presbyterian Church in January 2019.

SERMON COORDINATOR NOTES: This sermon provides a foundational overview of the topic of head coverings, providing exegesis on 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, and addressing popular arguments against the use of head coverings.

>> In addition to streaming this sermon or watching it above, you can also download it.

Heard a good sermon on head covering or biblical manhood/womanhood? Tell us about it here.

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Lectures on Head Coverings (Video + Audio)

Preacher: Dr. Finny Kuruvilla | Preached: 2018

Dr. Kuruvilla holds an MD from Harvard Medical School, a PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from Harvard University, a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT, and a bachelor’s degree from Caltech in Chemistry. Dr. Kuruvilla has been a practicing Christian for many years. He has a keen interest in biblical interpretation and church history, for the purpose of fostering a strong and vibrant church today. His interests include ante-Nicene Christianity, Reformation and Anabaptist history, and the Great Awakenings of the eighteenth and nineteenth century. He is the author of King Jesus Claims His Church. He is currently on the board of trustees at Sattler College.

SERMON COORDINATOR NOTES: In this series of lectures, Dr. Kuruvilla explains in depth the history, theology, and practical implications of the head covering taught in 1 Corinthians 11. His clear and precise manner of explanation makes this one of the most informative and understandable expositions of the text.

>> In addition to watching this sermon above, you can also download it in audio form: part one, two, and three.

Heard a good sermon on head covering or biblical manhood/womanhood? Tell us about it here.

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Covering Testimony: Laura B.

Name: Laura B. | Age: 50 | Location: Apex, North Carolina (USA) | Date started covering: 2007

1) Introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi, I’m Laura and I am in LOVE with Jesus! I love His Word, His constant companionship, and His sweet grace; I can’t wait to get to heaven and be with Him forever. While I am expectantly waiting for that day, I love to take good care of my dear husband of 29 years, our home, and our sweet dog.

I live in Apex, North Carolina, nicknamed “The Peak of Good Living” — and I agree with that nickname. I am 50 years old, have been a vegetarian for 35 years, and donated a kidney in 2016. Although I have a Master’s in Nutrition, I enjoy teaching piano and guitar to children. I also play & sing hymns, and teach the Bible to women in nursing/retirement homes two days a week. I am also active in my church where I delight in serving, loving on, and encouraging the flock of God, especially the seniors!

I did not grow up in a Christian home, though my family occasionally went to church. After my parents divorced in my teens, I decided I was an agnostic. I later married a Christian who was on a prodigal path — but after he rededicated his life to the Lord, my husband’s patience, love, and prayer were used by God to draw me into the Kingdom. We now love exhorting each other to follow the Bible in every aspect of our lives. We try to live according to Paul’s directions for believers in 1 Thessalonians 4:11: to aspire to live a quiet life, mind our own business, and work with our own hands.

2) Where do you attend church? Tell us a little bit about it. Do others practice head covering there?

I attend Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, NC. The teaching is refreshingly sound, and Pastor Stephen Davey has an international radio ministry called Wisdom for the Heart, which some may be familiar with. Shepherds Theological Seminary is another ministry associated with our church and is located on our church campus. The seminary professors teach the Bible classes on Sunday at church, so I am blessed to be under excellent teaching. There are probably 6,000 to 8,000 members, and as far as I can see, I am the only one who adheres to the biblical direction found in 1 Corinthians 11 to cover. Nevertheless, that doesn’t hinder me a bit. Read more

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