Churches have to be able to answer "Yes" to this
It's simple and it should not be controversial
My family moved through a handful of religious faiths when I was growing up. Luckily for me it was something that I never once bought into, but it did expose me to a variety. The one that my family stuck to longest, probably 5 or 6 years, was the LDS church, so I had a pretty good look at that too.
Though I never adopted the beliefs, my experience there was positive. I didn’t want to be there, but the other guys in my group were cool, and we all became good friends, and I’m still in touch with a few to this day. I remember the good times playing sports and hanging out with my friends much more than I remember the dreary Sunday school classes and priesthood classes. (I probably just sat in the back and did my Rubik’s Cube.)
Current news items, however, prompted me to try to remember who taught those classes. The priesthood classes were taught by some guy who would have been an Elder — they had to be, genders were strictly separated in the LDS church (the girls all went to something called “relief society”). But the Sunday school classes, unless I’m remembering this wrong, were co-ed, and probably taught by a woman. Those were informal classes, basically just Bible study; and I believe anyone was able to teach them, no need to be an Elder. That’s good, because in the LDS church, women cannot become Elders. They cannot hold the priesthood at all (which is the Mormon version of being a pastor, minister, etc.). This comes primarily from quizzical passages in their Doctrine and Covenants, sections 84 and 107, the texts of which I will not inflict upon you today.
You may have seen the news that Saddleback Church in Orange County, California, was booted out of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) for having women as pastors. In the Baptist statement of beliefs, “the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture,” apparently because Jesus. That misogynist bastard.
It was these two limitations upon women that reminded me of a conviction I have long held, and that I believe should be universally held.