HotHot ButtonsButtons inin thethe ChurchChurch’’ss HistoryHistory WomenWomen andand OrdinationOrdination PalmPalm Sunday,Sunday, 20132013 AdultAdult ForumForum –– St.St. AnneAnne ChurchChurch Personal Journey • Personal Experience • MO Synod – no women (not even on church council ‘til late 60’s) • Conservative ECUSA parish (1928 BCP, please) • 1978 – seminary entry – out of 65 students, 15 women The women students: • Super-seminarians – Airline hostess & Actress (among 1 st accepted as UK Anglican priests) – Psychologist (now retired bishop) – Published musician/charismatic (ret’d Navy Chaplain, Desert Sand) – Published teacher – Social worker – Ex-nun – Southern belle (co-rector with spouse) – North shore matron (ass’t rector, North Shore) Timeline of “Conversion” • 1979 – “you can say prayers over a fence post, too” • 1979 spring – the first ladypriests; self-exclusion from communion • 1979 summer – CPE fellow student • 1980 – conversion complete • 1981 – parishioner/chaplain – Linda Smith • 1982 – preacher for classmate’s ordination • 1991 – Sr. Warden: “It took a woman to replace you!” • 1992 – Lady Deacon • 1993-2007 – 7 women deacons (2 men) – Teacher/Deacons’ School; Supervising Mentor of 8 deacon students over 12 years prior to St. Anne • 2005 – called female assistant (ev. priest) • 2006 – sponsorship of Rachel Gregory • 2008 – arrival on our scene of Jackie Williams & Carol Christian, then Vicki Zust+ • 2010 – pursuit of and arrival of TJ Azar • 2011 – arrival of RevDeb+ at the closure of St. Phil’s • 2012 – sponsorship of Terri Poxon-Pearson as aspirant to orders The Tradition (History) • Ancient Church: Phoebe, Dorcas, Lydia • Gospel of Mary: Magdalene, by exhortation, encouragement, rousing sermon revives Apostles (Apostle to the Apostles) • Greek Island, Thera: epitaph for Epiktas, presbytis (3rd , 4th c.) • The Mediterranean Culture: public speak/places = sole prerogative of males; private spaces (i.e., household) = proper sphere for women’s activities • Societal rules: respectable woman to be concerned about reputation for chastity and seclusion in household; modesty and reticence accepted as testimony to sexual restraint; public activities/roles deemed incompatible with modesty Three city examples • Philippi: Paul and Lydia (Acts 16) – Paul worship on Sabbath at proseuches (not synagogue) – Lydia – a God-fearer/Gentile convert/ businesswoman – Her household baptized together with her – Paul’s base in Philippi was Lydia’s home (hints of stature) – community’s gathering place – Later – Euodia, Syntyche, syzuge (partner) • Corinth: ecstatic prophecies (blessing, commendation, revelation, words of wisdom) of women “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy…and upon the men who serve me and upon the women who serve me I will pour out my Spirit and they will prophesy” (Acts 2:17-18) • Rome: – Phoebe ( diakonos)/minister of congregation at Cenchreae, carried Paul’s letter to the Romans – Joanna, wife of Chuza (a steward in Herod’s household) – Luke 8:1-3, travels with evangelists accompanying Jesus from village to village – Prisca, Junia, Mary , Tryphaena, Tryphosa, Persis addressed as co-workers (Romans) • Mary, mother of John Mark, presides over house church of Hellenistic Jews in Jerusalem (Acts 12) • Apphia, Colossae ()Philem. 2) • Nympha in Laodicea • Lydia in Thyatira • Mary Magdalene’s model for discipleship (not Peter) in John’s gospel • Basilica of Pudentiana and Praxedis – Mosaic: 4 figures – 2 patronesses, BVM, a 4 th woman whose “hair is veiled and whose head is surrounded by a square halo” – “Theodora Episcopa (c. 820) – http://www.religioustolerance.org/ord_bibl0.ht m Theology & Timeline I. Cultural/Theological considerations ~ rejection of women’s ordination A. men “naturally” resemble Christ, who was male; imago Christi B. little tradition of female-ness affirmed by Christ by male authorities and theologians C. scriptural proof-texting re: women’s unfitness for church leadership (e.g., 1 Cor 14:34 - women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as the law also says. , 1 Tim 2:11- 12 - Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent.) D. in ECUSA 1. 1871: W.R. Huntington: began revival of women order of deaconesses (defunct s. 11 th c) with resolution at General Convention (Huntington) 2. 1919 vote against women’s right to vote in church assemblies; subsequent explicit exclusion of women from church governance 3. women not allowed to serve on vestries until 1950s, not allowed to preach, administer Communion, usher, or serve as rep at annual diocesan convention until ‘60s 4. (Form follows function; Roman vs. English law) every meeting of General Convention from 1943 to 1964 turned down resolution to allow women to serve in House of Deputies 1958: reorganization of Women’s Auxiliary into General Division of Women’s Work; Episcopal Church Women 1970: women eligible for election as convention deputies; same year, deaconesses declared deacons and eligible to seek ordination/”doors opened” for women to be ordained deacons; ordination of women to priesthood defeated, however (139-40) D. resolution in 1973 failed because of technicality, though majority of lay and clergy deputies voted in favor III. The Philadelphia 11: Specifics A. July 29, 1974; feast day of Mary and Martha of Bethany; Church of the Advocate, Philadelphia B. 11 women deacons ordained by 2 retired and 1 resigned Episcopal bishops; 1500-2000 people present C. Presiding Bishop Allin’s response: ordinations invalid; Episcopalians asked not to recognize ordinations D. infighting among (male) ordained clergy E. ordination in 1975 of four more female deacons IV. Legislative Aftermath A. crisis now to determine ecclesiastical status of women priests at next convention B. ordinations recognized at 1976 General; the 15 required to be “regularized” at public service in separate resolution (ECUSA Archives) C. as of Jan 1, 1977, women eligible for all three ordained orders; Convention Resolution Number 1976-B005 (Canon III.9); 33 bishops, led by Bishop of Eau Claire, gave statement of protest D. by end of 1977, about 100 women priests actively functioning; by 1979, nearly 300 serving in 72 of 93 dioceses E. 1988 Convention: Convention Resolution Number 1988- B022—“Establish Temporary Provision for Episcopal Visitors” F.Committee on the Status of Women put forward resolution at 2006 General Convention that was adopted: 2006-A139, “Celebrate Women in Ministry” G.Barbara Harris elected suffragan bishop of MA in 1989; Mary Adelia McLeod first female diocesan bishop, Vermont, 1993 http://www.religioustolerance.org/femclrg14. htm http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/history -episcopal-church V. Nuances and Complications A.Pauli Murray quote: similarity of exclusion of women in church to racism B.ordination of Ellen Barrett, lesbian, brought questions of homosexuality into sharp focus; 1979 decision distinguishing homosexual orientation from activity and prohibition against ordaining those having sex outside marriage (143-44) C. subsequent ordination of gay priests; focus now on polity VI. Implications A. ordination of women caused continuation of decline in numbers of women involved with other areas of service (decline began with in missionary work and number of deaconesses, continued later with church educators as women began, slowly, to make inroads into church leadership B. criticism that “middle-class white women ‘rode into power on the back of the civil rights movement’” 1. Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964: women were able to include themselves for special consideration along with other disenfranchised groups 2. ironically, Title VII “had been added to the law in a cynical but unsuccessful attempt by conservative politicians to defeat the civil rights bill in Congress.” 3. “Since the mid-1960s they used the unhappy plight of black men and black women to gain entrance into the same structures of privilege long enjoyed by white men. Although white feminists have often claimed that they share a common oppression with people of color, gender has proved to be far less of an obstacle than race to those seeking advancement in American society. ” • proponents in current debate about homosexuality have argued that the rights of gay and lesbian Episcopalians are no different than the rights of women re: ordination; the “ecclesiastical disobedience” of the first ordinations of women was echoed in Gene Robinson’s ordination to the episcopate in 2003; Darling argues that the two issues are inextricably intertwined and constitute a “great divide of consciousness” • ordination of women and of homosexuals threatens relations with other churches of the Anglican Communion and with other denominations (Prayer Book Society, Evangelical and Catholic Mission/Episcopal Synod of America, et al) • …implications for Christians living within radical/conservative religious cultures (e.g., those governed by Sharia law) E.few young women are coming into the ordination process: as of 2006, while “more younger males are being ordained, women ordinands continue to be older” (Crew) F.ongoing frustration with the problems of pronouns and other barriers to more inclusive language and a less restricted notion of God G.symbolic power of ordination and the implications for continued pushback against subtle and subversive misogyny; authority is central issue .