Forty years ago a major decision was made at General Assembly. After days of debate, the question of the ordination of women as elders and as ministers of word and sacrament was put to a vote. Despite a number of recorded dissents, the recommendation passed and women were able to be ordained.
As a woman finishing her Master of Divinity in the early part of the new millennium, I am aware that the playing field is completely different than it was in the 60s and that it has not yet been completely leveled.
In the early days of exploring my call, my father asked me if I thought God could call women to the ministry. My eyebrows snapped together and I answered, “Of course.”
He offered a kind smile and said, “You misunderstand. I’m not suggesting that God does not call women, I’m asking you to provide theological and biblical insight to why you think God calls women ministers. You will be challenged on this during your ministry and you need to know what answer you will provide.”
I had no idea how right he was. A few weeks later, some well-meaning Christians from the Southern United States quoted scripture to convince me the Bible is clearly against the idea of women ministers. I became well acquainted with those two famous passages (1 Corinthians 14:34 and 1 Timothy 2:12) as I searched for a response that remained biblical but supported women as ministers and elders. I studied scripture carefully as I prepared a reply to those well-meaning American brothers and sisters, and I have continued to keep my eye on the issue throughout my time at Knox College.
At the end of three years of theological education, I can say I am convinced that Christ valued the input and talents of women and that the wider biblical narrative argues for redemption regardless of gender. I believe that God calls whom God will when God wills and our responsibility as believers is to answer that call.
The fact remains that within Christianity, and even within The Presbyterian Church in Canada, there are those who would prefer that their minister be a man. Rumours of those who are not convinced of women in the ministry have reached my ears in various congregations that I have been acquainted with throughout the years of my education. My male peers at Knox have often been surprised when I have discussed this reality with them. But I highly doubt there are any women in ministry who have not come across the occasional naysayer.
Nonetheless, I have often found it more of a barrier to be a single person (as in, not married) in the ministry than a woman. This is good news, on one level: it demonstrates the change that has come about in the last 40 years. I can honestly say that I have never felt my gender was an issue at school or during the discernment process. On another level, it leads me to ask why there is not a greater focus on the problems that single people in the ministry might face and the unique aptitudes they might bring to it.
In The Presbyterian Church in Canada in the year 2006, it is a certainty that women in the ministry are not the controversy they were 40 years ago. However, there are still challenges to be faced. I believe that the best way that women seeking ordination in the Presbyterian church can face these challenges is to seek a balance between being unapologetic about our femaleness and making no issue of it. In the end, we must be strong in faith, convinced of our call, and rely utterly on the One who has called us.
