Women and Church
The Stained Glass Ceiling of Women's Ordination
Oct 28, 2008 Kathy Schlossmacher
Women serving within denominations complain openly that there still is a stained glass ceiling that they cannot break through. Some are barred from becoming bishop, some complain of an incidious sexual harassment that goes with being a woman minister. Roman Catholic women are not even allowed to get their foot in the door of the old boys club, and some doubt that they ever will.
Women's Call to Ordination
Women feel and where possible respond to the call to serve in their congregations. For women who seek ordination, most attend divinity schools or seminaries, read, write and work with some of the most progressive theologians and then are sent out into communities that do not want the status quo upset. Often their very presence as women preachers is enough to upset a congregation and pastors despite the fact that these churches have been ordaining women for quite a while.
Types of Discrimination
The women who successfully jump through the hoops of ordination often report that things are not what they seem out there in the real world when they complete school and start looking for assignments. Women preachers and pastors still face discrimination and even ridicule as they attempt to do the job they are called to do.
Sarah Sentilles in her work entitled A Church of Her Own interviews women pastors near and far and finds that many share in the same list of grievances despite where they serve. She writes in the work that the complaints are not limited to but include female ministers have a more difficult time getting a job, receive lesser pay than their male counterparts, are more likely to be passed over for senior positions in favor of associate positions and report that many women can only find part time work while male ministers easily find full time congregations. Couple this with male dominated symbolism, and male god language and it becomes pretty easy to feel on the margins of your own profession.
What are Women Doing about These Issues
Many women continue to fight systems in which they remain second class citizens. They remain in the traditional church model that has ordained them and put up with the sexist language and discrimination so that they can continue to act as priests. Others however have found creative ways of circumventing the system in order to serve, but retain a sense of dignity in being a female priest or preacher. Some run campus ministry programs or act as Chaplins at colleges, others serve as chaplins in either hospital or prisons. Still others find a place in the academic world.
What Should Happen
Churches need to be held accountable for their behavior. Any Fortune 500 company would suffer grave consequences at such sexual harassment and discrimination. Yet, churches still get away with it simply because they are churches. This gives a sense of the sacred to the discrimination, furthering eroding women's self esteem and role within these churches. Since churches in America already hold many special privileges like tax exempt status, maybe it is time for the government to step in and say you can believe what you wish but we draw the line at illegal discrimination. Otherwise, it becomes questionable as to whether or not the last boys club will finally be conquered.
If you would like more information about women priests try www.womenpriests.org.
woman priest consecrating Eucharist
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