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Lay People Can Open Opportunities for Women in Ministry
CHICAGO, IL (November 9, 2005) - Lay people wanting more women in ministry
will have to take the lead in some churches because their pastors are
scared to broach the subject.
That was the consensus among members of the Covenant's Commission on
Biblical Gender Equality and students of North Park Theological
Seminary. They met during a recent lunch forum at the school.
The gathering discussed how to overcome a number of obstacles -
including at the pastoral level - that have continued to inhibit the
number of Covenant women in ministry. Although the Covenant has been
ordaining women since 1976, only 36 are senior or co-pastors, according
to the Department of Ordered Ministry.
"We still have a long way to go," said Dave Kersten, executive minister
of the ordered ministry.
The discussion is more than theoretical for students at the seminary.
One third of all Master's of Divinity students are women. In total, 51
percent of students are women. (Not all of the women are Covenanters or
seeking M.Div. degrees.)
Grassroots change needs to happen if any more progress is to be made,
says Catherine Gilliard. Gilliard, who facilitated the seminary
discussion, is pastor of Commissioned Disciples Covenant Church in Stone
Mountain, Georgia.
Pastors sometimes don't lead on that journey because they fear an
adverse reaction from the congregation, said commission members. When
lay people say they would like to discuss the issue, pastors will feel
more permission.
Objections to hiring women are varied. Many people are hesitant to
accept women in ministry because they have never known a female pastor,
students said. Students encouraged the commission to include women
speakers at conferences, as well as regional and national meetings.
The denomination already has begun to undertake that step, said
Gilliard. She related the story of two children who came up to her and
could not believe she was a pastor. They wanted their picture taken with
her because they had never seen a woman pastor.
Students also suggested that more women be promoted as guest speakers as
local congregations. After the meeting, a commission member told the
story of being told she couldn't preach at a Covenant church because the
congregation would not approve. She was allowed to teach a Sunday school
class and gave a brief talk during the worship service.
The commission member said that she basically shortened a sermon she had
given. She received applause from the congregation, and a year later the
church enthusiastically accepted having a woman as a guest preacher.
Search committees also are being made more aware of women ministers,
said Kersten. Every committee receives at least one profile of a female
candidate.
Some Covenant pastors continue to object to women pastors on what they
say are biblical grounds. They invoked the ethic of Covenant freedom to
disagree in the local congregation. Kersten told the students that
freedom does not apply.
Kersten reasoned that opposing women in ministry denies female
colleagues the respect they deserve and goes against a definite position
the Covenant has taken on the issue. Pastors and churches seeking
affiliation with the Covenant but oppose women in ministry are rejected,
he added.
To further promote discussion in churches, the Covenant recently has
published several works. The commission has published study and leaders
guide for a seven-week curriculum entitled Called & Gifted, which
focuses on the different positions around women in ministry. The
curriculum is a companion to the "Called & Gifted" statement published
by the commission.
Jay Phelan, president and dean of the seminary, recently authored All
God's People: An Exploration of the Call of Women to Pastoral
Ministry. Phelan also signed copies of the book, which was given
free to the students.
Copies of the Called and Gifted materials are available from
Covenant Bookstore online at www.covenantbookstore.com or by calling
1-800-621-1290.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
