"Concerns?" Really?

Whitehouse Presbyterian is still recovering from last week’s drama surrounding the election for moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. My supervisor/friend/role model, the Rev. Liz Hughes was nominated and lost for the second year in a row. PCI has never elected a female moderator. The good people of Whitehouse sympathized but also sighed their relief that they would not have to surrender Liz for the year. That could have been the end of it, but the next day several prominent Presbyterian clergy expressed their "concerns" about having women in any ordained leadership position in the church. The sound bites and clamorous radio discussions demonstrated clearly the divisions, identity politics, and belligerency within the church.

I will make my comments personal rather than theological. I have heard that about 6% of teaching elders in PCI are women. Imagine being brave enough to respond to a call to pastoral ministry, to endure years of training and coursework when half of your instructors sincerely believe that you don’t measure up to the boys. Then, after decades of working with congregations, building relationships, serving the community, and performing pastoral duties faithfully, a colleague speaks up to say that women should not be ordained? For women ministers it must feel that their identity and history is under attack. I imagine it might really hurt.

I think also of the young women I work with at Whitehouse. They are all thoughtful and friendly, and I can imagine that some may by discerning a call to ministry in a few years.  I would hate for them to be discouraged by a man’s thoughtless comments. When the church fails to affirm the gifts of a young person, it should be no surprise when his or her engagement with the church community diminishes. The events of last week challenged me to recommit to making church a place where all young people can cultivate their mental and spiritual gifts without discrimination or judgment.



A positive welcome at the doors of Whitehouse Presbyterian