Celebrating 50 Years of Women in Clergy Roles

This week our Conference will be celebrating 50 years of women being ordained as clergy in the United Methodist Church. December of last year I wrote a paper for my Women in Spirituality class....

Skirts in the Pulpit

A Woman’s Struggle to Answer Her Call

Kimberly Rae Cole

Experiential Studies in Women’s Spirituality

December 7^th, 2005

"I'm sure people in Chattanooga thought I was crazy and a bad mother, because I went to seminary in California, taking one of my sons with me while my other son stayed with my husband there," she said. "But I didn't listen to that. I just didn't think seminaries in the South were far enough along to understand feminist theology.” states the Rev. Sandy Winter, an ordained Presbyterian pastor. (Ricks, website)

“While responding to a community in grief at the loss of a student at a local high school I was blatantly confronted by the local Baptist minister by him asking, “What are you doing here thinking you can be a Pastor? What are you trying to prove? Are you one of those radical feminists?’ With that I just looked him straight in the eye and said that I would be happy to answer his questions at another time that was appropriate, that I have been called here to minister to others in their time of need.” Rev. Rebecca Goodwin of the United Methodist Church of Rancho Cordova, California is quoted as saying during a personal interview. Rev. Rebecca Goodwin is also known to my family as Pastor Becky; she is a friend, minister, and community leader involving social justice.

These two women, on opposite coasts of our country have something in common; they are both clergywomen, Ordained by God, and recognized as Elders in their respective denominations; and they both continue to face the disapproval and discrimination that women still to this day find in the “modern” Protestant churches of America. As American’s we have seemingly kept up with the times, female astronaut captains, Condeleeza Rice as Secretary of State, and even women in the Grand Prix circuit of car racing. Yet when it comes to answering the call to ministry, many women in America are getting the door slammed in their faces, if not blocked, by those who feel that women should not lead in a Pastoral clergy role.

To those on the outside of the church community it may seem like it is wholly a feminist issue, it is not. For women who have clearly felt called by God into ordained ministry, it is belonging to the right denomination that will allow them to proceed in their continued discernment and calling. For women like Reverend Winter and Reverend Goodwin, they don’t look at their calling to be a platform for some radical feminist agenda; is the most personal and spiritual time in anyone’s life, man or woman.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 28:v. 18-20, Jesus says to his disciples, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…..” What isn’t clear here was who all his disciples truly were. There has been over many years, great controversy stirring over the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary, The Disciple of Jesus. That Mary Magdalene was an actual disciple of Jesus Christ. If this is such the case, then it sheds a different light on the scripture referenced in Matthew. It sheds a different light on everything, including some Protestant denominations claims that women in clergy leadership roles are deemed as Biblically unsound. The scriptural references that have been used in the past by such denominations are now unraveling in the discoveries of new translations, and the discovery of the Gnostic texts which include the Gospels of Mary and the Gospel of Thomas; found in Egypt at Nag Hammadi.

In Marvin Meyer’s English translation of the texts that are known as the Gospels of Mary, Karen King states beautifully the role of Mary the Disciple, “The portrait of Mary Magdalene offers and alternative sole reliance on apostolic witness as the source of authority. Although she too, knew the historical Jesus, was a witness to the resurrection, and received instruction from the Savior, these are not what set her apart from the others. Mary is clearly portrayed through the Gospel as an exemplary disciple. She does not falter when the Savior departs. She steps into his place after his departure, comforting and strengthening the others. Her spiritual comprehension and spiritual maturity are demonstrated in her calm behavior and especially her visionary experience. These at once provide evidence of her spiritual maturity and form the basis for her legitimate exercise of authority in instructing the other disciples. “. (Meyer, p. xvii)

The most used scripture by the opposition to women in clergy is 1 Tim 3:14,15; 2:11-15. I have heard this ring in my ears many times, especially from the mouths of those whom I have told that I am planning a lifetime of ministry in response to my call from God. They say (might I add with finger wagging within three inches in front of my face.) “These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. [What follows are God’s instruction for a woman’s functioning in the formal services of the local church, which would include Sunday school]... Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I [Paul, as an Apostle of Jesus Christ, with full authority of one inspired by God] suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. [A woman cannot teach with authority; e.g., in Sunday School classes, Bible conferences, etc. When a woman stands before a mixed crowd that includes men and opens the Bible and preaches or teaches, she is taking authority.] For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

[The woman was created after the man to be his helpmeet, not his head. Obviously, this is NOT a cultural matter, but is based upon the order of creation; this establishment of the principle of order transcends culture!] And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived [“quite deceived” (NASB—Gen. 3:13)] was in the transgression. [Therefore, the woman was not spiritually qualified to teach because of (1) the order of creation, and (2) the facts of the Fall.] Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, [i.e., she will be occupying herself with the duties of the home and family (as evidence of her salvation given through the birth of the Messiah), and will receive her fulfillment/purpose in life in that arena] if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety [“self-restraint” (NASB)]. (New American Standard Bible, Tyndall)

This piece of scripture has been scrutinized on both sides of the argument. "I think the attitude against women as pastors mostly comes from a lack of knowledge," Rev. Winter is quoted as saying. "A lot of conservative churches are opposed to it because of their interpretation of the Bible. But there is solid biblical scholarship that refutes that interpretation." In the “Women’s Bible Commentary” scholar Joanna Dewey’s studies state that First and Second Timothy are called the Pastorals because they contain the instructions for pastors of congregations. They claim to be letters from Paul to two of his colleagues, Timothy and Titus; however they are neither true letters or written by Paul for that matter. Instead they have been discovered to be handbooks written for church administration in the early second century, decades after the death of Paul. As you have read in the previously quoted scripture from Timothy, that women are the source of evil and temptation and should be silenced in the church that this letter was written by a man. (Newsom, Ringe, ed p.353). Arleta Riley, minister of new members training at Cornerstone Full Gospel Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, said many use that Scripture to support the beliefs and traditions that have been impressed upon them throughout their lives. "Women pastors are not a Biblical issue," she said. "It's a tradition issue. It is amazing to me that as a denomination, Baptists still struggle with this issue of gender, while the Methodists and the Presbyterians covered it years ago. " (Ricks, Website).

So who should we believe? What is true and what is not when it comes to this centuries long controversy? You must take into consideration that the Bible is a group of collected works, written by men, and women that was inspired by their faith in God as well as faith in the Holy Trinity. Inspired. It did not suddenly fall from the sky into the pulpit wrapped in a pretty ribbon saying “To the World, From God”. Although some may argue that as well. Especially our Jewish brothers and sisters.

We must keep in mind that in the early years of Protestantism, women were rarely educated, period. Only the wealthy and some daughters of the greatest thinkers were even taught to read. The patriarchal dominance of society had its feet firmly planted in what I see to be a place where all should be equal, man and woman, of all races. Jesus wanted us all to be ministers, not just men. He preached to the children, to the lepers, He ate with sinners. He saw a woman as a woman and a man as a man, but he saw neither as dominant over the other, I have found nothing in the New Testament that states such interpretation; and that’s exactly what it comes down to, a matter of interpretation. We can either chose to believe certain things and stay cemented in the suppressive past, or break free and accept the love for all that Jesus intended for us to have.

Today, many denominations are making the way clear within their doctrines to ordain women to Pastoral Clergy, to join their brothers in Christ in the pulpit to teach the word to all, and to minister to those in need. The first woman to be ordained as Pastor was Antoinette Brown, of the Congregational Church in 1853. Although she was removed from leadership just months later, the historical significance of her ordination at that early time in America was not lost on those who struggled to fight the barriers that prevented them from answering their call to God.

Since that date women have become ministers, deacons, and even bishops. The California Nevada Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church has a female bishop, her name is Beverly Shamana. I have had the privilege of meeting with her on several occasions, the first one was when I served as escort for our Youth’s Confirmation Retreat. The last session of the retreat for each group is a question and answer time with the Bishop. This just blew me away when I heard it. Growing up, the hierarchy of the church governing body that I belonged to always seemed unapproachable and out of reach; as if they were too good to associate with the congregation, let alone a kid. Bishop Shamana is very far from that description. I learned that day that Shamana was not her original last name, nor was is a name from marriage, but it was a name that she created for herself before her ordination, it was a combination of shaman, and manna. I sat and listened to her tell that story with childlike wonder, listening to her warm as honey voice, and watching her broad smile as the answered the curious questions from the youth. Early in my faith journey as a teen, I made the infamous mistake of putting our Pastor on a pedestal; thinking he was Godlike. Well, he sure did put the fear of God in me; then like Adam in the Garden, he fell. Pastors are only human, man and woman, we are all fallible. Just because a Pastor is a man doesn’t make him any better than a woman or vice versa. We are all God’s children.

Watching the Bishop interact with those kids, to sit amongst them in the bonfire pit the previous evening and share of her love for creating with gourds and craving for tacos, brought me closer to God in a way I never thought possible. It showed me that we are all equal, and that no matter who we are, we are deserving of God’s love and acceptance. We are all equal in God’s eyes; man, woman, white or black. Fiftry years ago Bishop Shamana would have had to sit in the back of the church, or not attend my church at all. Bishop Beverly Shamana is not only a woman, but an African American woman. She has had to break through many barriers to become who she is today, not only with the struggle of gender, but of race as well.

Then why are there barriers to answering God’s call? Why are there barriers for being able to do what you are called to do by God? Isn’t it God that is guiding you on your path? Even though there is still opposition within the ranks of the major church denominations, there has been a significant rise in the enrollment of women in theological seminaries across the nation. Though overall numbers of Protestant clergywomen are unavailable, the Association of Theological Schools reports that the number of women seeking masters of divinity degrees in member seminaries has multiplied nearly seven times in 30 years, to 32 percent in 2002.

The Rev. Ann Svennungsen, president of The Fund for Theological Education in Atlanta, said that up until the late 1990s, theological education was dominated by men, but today a third of all theological students are women and in mainline protestant seminaries, nearly half of all students are women.

"That's a dramatic shift," she said. "It's as dramatic as anything since the reformation to go from no women in seminary to a third of all students and half of all mainline Protestants in seminaries being women." (Ricks, Website).

Contrary to popular belief, not all male church leaders are opposed to women as ordained clergy, Dr. Tom Butler, Ph.Div., has written a book entitled “Let Her Keep It”, a testament of courage on his part, as well as a testament of faith and belief that Jesus did intend for women to be ordained as clergy and leaders within the church.

“Whenever I hear my brothers and sisters in Christ saying that nothing in Scripture can be found to support the idea that Jesus intended for women to be ordained as priests, I feel pain. For centuries women have been instructed to deny what they feel in their souls for that reason….” says Dr. Butler, he then goes to pose the question, “Could it be that the Holy Spirit is working to break down the barriers that we Christians have erected between ourselves and God?”. (Butler, xiv) These barriers aren’t just the walls of church policy and doctrine that have been put up keeping women out of ordained ministry, it also includes the social barriers as well.

In my interview with Rev. Rebecca Goodwin, I asked her if she ever felt discrimination as a female pastor. Her response was that it wasn’t as blatant as the Baptist minister, but it was subtle. Subtle being the lack of being taken seriously; meaning that if a male pastor had requested what she had, it would be done already. Along with comes a tense undercurrent of dissention that sometimes occurs if there is lack of respect of authority. There are still some in our church that are uncomfortable having a women in spiritual leadership, they won’t outwardly say it, say’s Rev. Goodwin, but she can see it in their actions towards her.

When I say authority, I don’t mean that she’s a dictator, but the role of the pastor is also to insure that the laws and discipline of the church’s doctrine are being followed, along with tending to the spiritual well being of the congregation and surrounding community. Being a pastor isn’t just a Sunday job, it’s a 24 hours a day seven days a week job. Not only is she responsible for her congregation she also shares the responsibility of her family. Being a pastor to her is like being a mother, it isn’t what she does, it’s who she is; a beloved daughter of God and sister in Christ.

As long as there are those who chose not to educate themselves and continue to live in the shadow of patriarchy, persecution, and blindness, women will struggle to answer their call. With faith, hope, love, and knowledge on our side we persevere; walking hand in hand with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and continue to reach out to those who try to turn us away.

Selah.