Before: They are invited to be a part of the life and ministry of the church, but they are limited in the capacity in which they can be involved. Whereas men can hold any position of power (or lack thereof) that they wish in the church, women are only allowed to engage to a certain degree. This gendered inequality in church participation has been addressed in some modern Christian denominations, but for the most part, women who wish to serve a church as an ordained leader in a church are turned away because that is not their place.
After: They are invited to be a part of the life and ministry of the church, but they are limited in the capacity in which they can be involved. Whereas men can hold any position of power (or lack thereof) that they wish in the church, women are only allowed to engage to a certain degree. As a woman aspiring to enter into some form of ministry myself, I have been told by numerous people that I am Biblically forbidden to lead a church. I can teach Sunday School or I can lead a children's ministry, but I cannot be a senior pastor and lead an entire congregation because of my womanhood. I had a friend tell me once that he thought this was fair because he was not saying I could not hold leadership positions in the church, I just cannot lead a church on my own; it was simply a difference in the roles of men and women. Men are made to be senior pastors, women are made to be children's pastors. But there is an inherent inequality in this statement because men could still decide to be a children's pastor, even if it is unconventional, whereas I am forbidden to decide that I want to be a senior pastor in many Christian contexts. Men can participate fully, even if their participation is unconventional, but women are only permitted to do so much. This gendered inequality in church participation has been addressed in some modern Christian denominations, but for the most part, women who wish to serve a church as an ordained leader in a church are turned away because that is not their place.