Sliding Backwards

A trend in churches which we must be attentive to is that when a denomination grows older it loses some of the emphasis on basics of the Christian faith. Some of its morals and ethics lapse. For instance, there are several major denominations right now fighting such issues as recognition of gay clergy, acceptance of couples ‘living together’, emphasis on biblical authority and other actions which until the last few decades would have been simply put down as sin. Such denominations are in a life and death struggle and risk becoming theologically liberal at the least and apostate at the worst.

Other denominations fight different battles, but none the less significant. The slide back into the bondage of fundamentalist theology is fueled by lack of education and understanding of some basic theological issues. Women in the clergy is one such issue the Church of the Nazarene faces right now. History shows us that the Church of the Nazarene and sister denominations like the Salvation Army have a proud lineage of women in the pulpit. As a matter of fact, in “1908, one-sixth of the 178 ordained ministers in the Holiness Church of Christ were women” (1) , the Holiness Church of Christ being one of the formative branches of the Nazarene church. As a matter of fact, “as late as 1955, women pastored 230 Churches of the Nazarene." (2) The sad fact is that fundamentalist influences caught up with Nazarenes in the 1960’s and years following, and combined with a lack of good teaching on the subject resulted in a tragic decrease in women in ministry. “In 1985, the number decreased to 52” (3) , that is women pastoring Nazarene churches. “Dr. Stan Ingersol, director of the Nazarene Archives and author of a biography of Mary Harris Cagle, says it is because holiness churches have tried so hard to blend in with the evangelical “mainstream,” which has tended to oppose women in ministry” (4) .

We do the church a great disservice by not recognizing the call of women into ministry. Women have always been part of the church and, if not for women, it is likely that the church would not have survived to where it is today. Great women have been teachers and preachers, like Gen. Catherine Booth, Phoebe Palmer, Hannah Whitall Smith, Amanda Berry Smith, Susan Norris Fitkin, Gen. Eva Burrows and Nina Gunter. On our own New England District we have the first black woman to be a District Superintendent, Dr. Jossie Owens. And yet, on our District of one-hundred plus churches we have a tiny percentage (between 7 and 8 percent) of Senior Pastors who are female (depending on how you cut the numbers).

Education about women in ministry is certainly going to be a key item to getting more women into senior positions, but so is some boldness. The Gospel tells us that we must stand up for the truth and champion those who need it. David Thompson of the Wesleyan Church puts it well when he says, “…the problem is not lack of biblical warrant, but lack of leadership and conviction. We have to take responsibility in local churches for calling, and at district levels for appointing to leadership ministries, the women whom God is gifting and calling for those ministries in The Wesleyan Church. And we must do it now.” (5) We need to take a stand for the women among us who are called by God (note…by God, not by men!), given undeniable gifts and graces, and find opportunities for them to minister in the way God wants them , not relegated to conveniently out-of-sight, back-room ministry.

1 http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/ssm/adult/women/clergy/history/display.aspx
2 http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/ssm/adult/women/clergy/history/display.aspx
3 http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/ssm/adult/women/clergy/history/display.aspx
4 http://www.whwomenclergy.org/article68.htm
5 http://www.whwomenclergy.org/article5.htm