I have just been reading the Baptist Times report on the BUGB Council at which the thorny topic of women in ministry, even in leadership, was discussed. There is a lovely, one sentence, paragraph (reformatted here for effect) which somehow says it all whilst saying very little...
Obviously, the reasons why
women are less likely to sense a call to ministry or be encouraged to pursue it,
find it harder to settle in churches when they have concluded their training,
tend to minister in smaller churches or as junior team partenrs in larger ones,
are under-represented in senior roles across the board,
and almost all have stories to tell abour being sidelined, denigrated or insulted,
are very varied.
Mark Woods, Baptist Times March 26 2010 p.8
Obviously!
Scary isn't at, almost a century after Violet Hedger held a pastorate in Derby.
Scary when we have almost a century of being blessed by women holding pastoral responsibility, planting churches, training our men ministers (!), etc.
Scary that 'almost all' tell such tales.
So, what can be done the article asks... not a lot seems the loud reply, lest we appear heavy-handed or limit the independence of local congregations.
What is truly sad, for me, is that we don't hear of the majority of male ministers who are so incredibly supportive and encouraging of/to us girlies. My own story bears witness to support of my college tutors (mostly men), Regional Ministers (predominantly men), peers (at least half of whom are men) and ordinary members of ordinary churches. To them especially, I'd like to say 'thank you.'
Of course people must be free to disagree, and I have deep respect for some individuals I know who oppose the ordination of women, but overall as a tradition that proudly boasts how long it's been ordaining women, BUGB really 'must try harder' (something I can say now I'm BUS accredited, and on so-doing boosted their percentage significantly!)