As I mentioned in my last post, I had the privilege at Annual Conference this year of being part of a panel-discussion workshop with my own Bishop Fisher, conference preacher Bishop Judy Craig, and Rev. Betsye Mowry. Betsye, who is appointed to the other UMC in the town where I serve, Oneida. Betsye is the oldest female elder in our conference with the most years of service, and I am the youngest elder.
We spent a couple of hours answering questions about women in ministry and what our experiences have been, how are experiences have changed. Bishop Craig talked about being accepted as the 'exception' - churches that would not accept female pastor "except her," as if somehow she didn't really fit into that category.
A dear friend of mine, Rev. Carlton VanOrnum, pastor emeritus at the church where I grew up, was in attendance - he is in his eighties, and had been a DS at one point in his (retired-but-still-in-ministry) ministry. He was called on to give insights about his thoughts about what it was like when women were first entering the ordained ministry - he responded that his father was a pastor, and when unable to serve for a year, his mother served as the pastor of his father's charge for the interim. He said "I have to say, she was a better preacher than he was!" Obviously, his remarks delighted the audience!
All three of the other women strongly encouraged the importance of clergy women being supportive of one another, networking, encouraging, and lifting up. Bishop Craig was especially clear in encouraging women to be advocates for one another in their careers, and both Bishops mentioned that sometimes women have been suprisingly hard on other women - lay women hard on women as clergy, clergy women hard on female bishops. If you are a clergy woman, do you have ways of networking/supporting/having conversations with other clergy women? In my own district, we have a monthly lunch together for clergy women. It is one of my favorite things - ministry can be so isolating, and I really love out get together. Informal, but fun, and nurturing.
Someone asked about issues that women face today in ministry. I said that I think we can figure "we've arrived, we're here, we're finished, we've reached our goal," and thus become too complacent about our status. I think discrimination, sexism, can become more subtle, less overt, and so very dangerous. If no one thinks it is a problem anymore, no one pays attention to it, and keeps watch. I've been curious, after looking at the latest set of Judicial Council decisions - I want to do a little research - do female bishops have their decisions questioned more frequently than do male bishops? Is their authority questioned more regularly?
Also mentioned, of course, is the continuing problem of salary inequality, the "stained-glass ceiling" of size of appointments, etc. Someone asked about "reverse sexism." Has the tide turned and are clergy men now discriminated against? Bishop Craig responded to say that questions about "reverse ____ism" usually happen at about 15-20% of whatever issue - 15-20% of ordained clergy are women - and now the backlash begins. Still a long way, she said, from a minority becoming a majority. (Think of recent hoopla over the growing Hispanic population. 2004 statistics say that the US population is about 14% Hispanic - 67% White non-Hispanic. And yet, such fear of the majority losing 'status'.)
Personally, I've had few overt experiences of sexism - some people wondering, at my charge, what a woman would be like, since they'd never had one before. Some less excited than others to have me coming to them, but upon meeting me, were completely welcoming and supportive. I've experienced more often sexism from those not in the UMC - those from other faith traditions where women as pastors are not accepted. I actually had two people walk out of a soup kitchen once because I, the female pastor, was going to say grace. But perhaps today it is not at the beginning of ministry when female clergy face the most challenges. Maybe today women find more opposition (from men, from women) when they push at the upper levels, push for places of power that are still so often occupied by men.
What do you think?
7 comments:
I think your last point is right on Beth. My experience has been that as long as women take the smaller, multi-point rural pastoral charges with lower pay, everything goes along smoothly. As soon as we challenge the church to consider women for the big cathedral churches and positions of power, and demand the same compensation that our male colleagues receive, then the troubles start.
Men in the church are seen as ambitious when they aim for positions of influence, while women are still viewed as *itches who are taking something away from men.
We're better than we were. And that's the good news! We can continue to improve women's status in the church for the next generation of women pastors. Thanks for your post.
Coming from a males perspective, I think far too much is made of the gender differences. I've known pastors both female & male who couldn't lead a horse to water let alone convince it to drink. On the other hand, I know pastors both female & male that I turn to for advice and wisdom.
I sometimes wonder if we'll ever see the day when "there is neither male nor female."
I think it varies a lot from Conference to Conference, and also congregation to congregation. Being a lone pastor is NOT easy whatever your gender. Here in Finland the congregations are small, most with only one pastor and same salaries - albeit with increments for years of service.
What IS scary is the minimal salaries they are trying to pastor on in the former soviet countries of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. The cost of living is NOT cheap yet their salary is around 153€ a month! - we are trying to find churches to work with them (pastors' support fund) and help improve their salaries to a massive (!) 400 €.
The church is growing - in Latvia a young female pastor (finished seminary this June) planted a church a year ago and it's thriving. But to survive she'll have to hold 2 or 3 jobs. I'm all for bivocational pastors - for many reasons - but not just to put bread on the table.
sorry this is off topic. women of God like E in Latvia are making a difference. let's celebrate that :)
I am serving in the conference where Bishop Craig served before being elected a bishop. She has spoken about the early days of clergywomen gathering at someone's house for a sleepover. Everyone fit in one room! Clergywomen do not gather together anymore. Women in the district don't meet and the annual conference luncheon never has everyone there. People are just too busy and think that theological differences are more important than connection. We need to be together. Ministry is hard and we need to support and encourage each other.
The three pastors with the highest salaries in our Conference were not given their churches. All three took medium sized churches, less than 300 at worship, and have grown them to at or over 1000. Their salaries grew with the congregation.
The fastest way to salary equity is to grow the churches you are in.
As for positions of power, count the positions of power in your Conference. In my Conference the Dir.of Congregational Transformation, the Communications Dir., the Dir. of our Foundation, The Dir. of Pension and Health Benefits, the Dir. of Human Relations, two of six DS's, the chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry, the Conference Lay Leader, are women. If your Conference does not have this kind of track record, that's a problem. My question is, who are in the actual positions of power and what are the percentages?
hmmm, the trouble with small churches in the UK is that many members will not accept women. I am undergoing Ministerial Training (Seminary) at the moment and was told by one lady today that she would never accept the Eucharist from my hands!
Apparently ST Paul said it was wrong!
The Advance 14706A allows anyone to make a monthly gift to the Latvia Pastor's Salary project. With the devaluation of the dollar and rampant inflation in Latvia, the pastor salary situation is serious. Send this information along to anyone who might be interested.
givetomission.org
http://friendsoflatvia.com/
Randy Tolleson
Post a Comment