Several years ago while I was working for a state Baptist
convention, I received a phone call from a woman who had been recently accepted
the call as pastor of a church that participated in the convention. She was about to attend her first annual
meeting of the convention. After
receiving a less than hospitable welcome from the local Baptist association,
she was concerned about her messenger credentials being challenged on the floor
of the convention. Someone had suggested
that I might walk her through the constitution and by-laws and identify any mine
fields. We had a pleasant conversation,
and she thanked me for my guidance. My
response was, “Don’t mention it. In
fact, please don’t let anyone know that we talked.” Not my finest hour and certainly not a “profile
in courage.”
The results, at least, were positive. She did attend the
convention, was introduced as a new pastor, and experienced no problems to the
best of my knowledge.
About five years ago, I was visiting with a friend who was
associate pastor of an African-American church in our area. She was actively seeking ordination and the
opportunity to pastor a church. Her
national denomination would soon be meeting in her city, and I asked if she
planned to attend. She responded very
quickly, “I don’t go where I am not accepted and respected.”
She did become a senior pastor shortly afterward, but she
had to move to another denomination first.
Juxtaposing these two conversations, separated by about
twenty years, helps me to reflect on how women who are called to ministry
respond to their circumstances and what it means to the denominations that
birthed them.
In the first instance, I believe that the pastor who went to
the state Baptist convention was acting out of hope (perhaps with her church’s
encouragement) that the system could change and that women would be welcomed as
pastors in a traditional Baptist convention.
Eventually, this woman found that this was not going to happen and she
left to join another Baptist group. But
she tried.
My friend of recent years had invested herself in a
traditional Baptist denomination, pushing the edges of acceptance, and had
finally come to the same conclusion. She
moved on.
What does this say to us about the possibilities for women
in ministry today? First, I believe it
says that we still have a long way to go.
Even moderate Baptist churches who voice support for women ministers are
slow to consider them as “senior” pastors—that is, the person who preaches from
the pulpit and is head of staff. Second,
the lesson is that there are alternatives of women called to preach. They may have to leave and join a more
progressive Baptist group or another denomination in order to fulfill their
calling but the option is available.
Both of these observations create some frustration on my
part. On one hand, moderate Baptists are
making progress, but it is painfully slow.
On the other hand, moderate Baptists lose out when our gifted women must
leave the churches that nurtured them in order to live out their call.
At least I am grateful that both of the women cited in my
stories have gone on to fruitful ministries but I am sad for those they left
behind.
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