This is a friendly counter to a recent OPC article about why we have a ministerial shortage. I agree performative masculinity is a trap for young men; however, an effeminate ministry is still a pressing matter. Pastors should command attention, exercise responsibility, and stand faithful against all odds. The article starts out with a question: "We need to ask why fewer young men are being formed into men capable of embracing costly, durable, public, spiritual responsibility." Answering this question requires understanding how the feminist culture and ways have seeped into the lives of young men and the church: 📷Manhood is declared "toxic" by society 📷All-male spaces are almost gone 📷Mother's Day vs. Father's Day sermons 📷"Always-believe-women" is promoted... 📷Tone-policing Church is too often a safe space for broken women, and men are purely decorative (see The Feminization of American Culture). This is not only my observation of nearly 30 years as a church officer but of others as well. The claim that the ministry is "masculine" is partly correct. That it is only for men is clear enough in Scripture; unfortunately, "maleness" and "masculinity" are being redefined in real-time. Often, churches and leaders pick up on the Current Thing™ without conscious thought. Thus, they rework Scripture to fit such things, and sometimes in fanciful ways, such as the anti-patriarchy article that was withdrawn from the OPC officer journal. This is itself illustrative of being too soft, for the article was never publicly denounced, and even another OPC church officer has defended its publication. On the other hand, sermons about submission are being attacked, like in the case of Rick Appleton of the PCA. And a straight-forward passage on women being the "weaker vessel" is presented as a Christ-and-the-church metaphor, yet similar passages on male-responsibility are taken at face-value. Interestingly, the author’s description on the manliness of the ministry includes Psalm singing. If such were a constant sign of manliness, then the RPCNA’s Testimony on Gender would be the most masculine work produced: “Society needs men and women who (like the biblical patriarch, Jacob) possess personality traits that break with gender stereotypes.” These described outward methods of the ministry—preaching techniques, catechizing, comforting, and the like—are also done by apostate churches. But their content is wrong. The masculine way of doing such things is what makes them male-acts as opposed to female doings, even if saying the same thing. Just compare a female “pastor” sermon found on social media with sermons by men. The issue then is what masculinity entails. False versions, as the article lists, should be avoided, yet the list offered is skewed. After all, assertiveness, aggression and physical dominance are part and parcel of manhood. Their misuse does not eliminate their proper function. Christian men are still men. And men are physically larger and stronger than women, hands-down. Adam was created of the earth and for manual labor of taking care of the garden. Our bodies reflect this, and so our acts and mindset should use this difference for the good of others and God’s glory. Unfortunately, this is the problem. More and more churches, parachurches, leaders and speakers ignore or downplay the physical and biological differences. Yet these also show up in personality distinctions between men and women as well. Our differences are not random but given with a purpose: men are to lead, protect and provide. And we should avoid the means, causes, occasions, appearances and provocations that would undermine this. I believe young men are seeing cracks where others see soundness. Some of it may be shrugged off as merely “appearances”—yet what else can a man go by unless he lives with the pastor at home? Performative masculinity is a serious concern, filling a void. In response, we need to look inward, examining our unspoken assumptions about manhood. One hundred years ago, there was a battle over the basics of Christianity which formed, partly, the OPC in 1936. And now the battle is an attack upon the basics of creation. The dearth of pastors from an ever-shrinking pool of young men is the evidence.