Despite being told they are defying scripture, usurping the will of God, and are abominations, many women still become pastors. So what is it that drives them?
Since 1970, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has been ordaining women. Today, many women who have entered the ministry have met with little resistance. For others, however, it continues to be a constant battle of being ridiculed and belittled for answering God's call. Thus it begs the question, for these women who are constantly being questioned and derided, why do they continue?
Answering the Call
In general, the call to ministry is rarely an easy decision to make. Long hours spent dealing with one tragedy or another, the lonely and isolated life, and the societal stereotyping are just a few of the issues that a pastor deals with. Ultimately, the decision comes after a long period of discernment, encouragement, and prayer. For a woman, the process is no different. Pastor Barbara Bruneau reveals that it took her 30 years to eventually answer God's call.
At first, she states that she continually dismissed the idea. “My reasons were based in my perception of my gifts as compared to what I thought a pastor's gifts should be. I think that was probably about one part low self-esteem and two parts pastor-on-a-pedestal.” Eventually, the relentless suggestions by others turned into her friend/mentor stating that he was no longer suggesting she go, he was insisting. While she tried to laugh it off, she mentally reached into the back of her mind for her list of all the good reasons she should be an active lay member of a church instead of a pastor. "But the list was gone!" she says. "In an instant, I went from being a computer trainer to being a future pastor. It was a moment of complete clarity, no doubts, and the confidence that even if I didn't understand how this would happen, it surely would.”
A Selfish Desire?
Yet many Christians hold that 1 Timothy clearly indicates that a woman should hold no authority over a man, and therefore should never be allowed to hold the office of pastor/minister in the Christian church (see “Does the Bible Forbid Women to be Preachers?”). Thus women are frequently accused of becoming pastors to fulfill “a selfish desire." The accusation frequently thrown their way is they are apparently choosing to ignore scripture, that their "itching ears" have directed them to an interpretation that fulfills their "own desires." (1 Tim. 4:3) Yet, many women who have been called into the ministry would say that “desire” has nothing to do with it. These women compare their call to the calling of the “reluctant” prophets of old, such as Moses who flat out told God to send someone else. However, as Moses discovered, ignoring the call is not always an option.
The Reluctant Pastors
Linda, a second-career pastor within the ELCA and mother of three grown children, explains that she was more than just a little resistant to the idea of ordained ministry. “After years of trying to ignore it, God left me no other options," she explains. "He slammed doors shut and systematically took away all my excuses. I eventually surrendered kicking and screaming - silently and not so silently.” In addition to constantly being told she had no “right” to share the gospel of Christ with others simply because of her gender, she has suffered financial hardships in order to pay for the education necessary to become a pastor. “I knew I would use up my lifetime investments and home equity. I didn't need or want that at my age. So to be told I'm being 'selfish' by answering this call just makes me laugh."
Other women in the ministry share Linda's sentiment. They point to the fact that going to seminary and becoming a pastor was the furthest thing from their minds when the “call” came. Some had lucrative careers, owned homes, were not "overly pious" for most of their lives, and feel they would have been the last person anyone would have ever expected to go into the ministry. So naturally, they ran from it. Yet running away from God's call doesn't always work. "He won't let you NOT go into this once He starts working on your heart," says Linda.
Defying Scripture?
When asked if they felt as though they were defying scripture, these women answer with a resounding no. “I spent years struggling with those texts,” Linda explains. “It was a part of why I resisted for so long. I would never have been able to answer the call if I hadn't been able to reconcile those passages.” Others echo that sentiment saying the people who say they are defying scripture haven't been forced to delve into it as deeply as they have. Most people don't look beyond the surface, so it's easy to grab a piece of scripture and throw it in someone's face without spending time really delving into it if it doesn't directly affect them and the calling they have received. They claim the face-value interpretation is akin to those who utilized Paul's "face value" urging for "slaves to remain slaves" as an endorsement for slavery. "The people who condemn us rarely take the time to either get to know us and understand the spiritual discernment we've been forced to go through, or are unwilling to honestly open their hearts to even consider another interpretation of the texts they throw at us," says Linda.
At the end of the day, what it comes down to for these women is who they ultimately have to answer to. People can deride them all they want, but they see ignoring God's call as being a worse sin than submitting to people's interpretations that make these passages church-wide statements. “I'll answer to God for my interpretation of scripture and for following the call to share the love of Christ with others,” says Linda. “God has called me to this, and I am convinced by both scripture and my conscience that He will not condemn me for ministering to those who are in need of being ministered to."
The copyright of the article Why Women Go into Ministry in Protestantism is owned by Rebecca Craig. Permission to republish Why Women Go into Ministry in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
As the mother of a female pastor, and friend of a number of pastors, both
male and female, I'd say that anyone with the Call understands and those
without question the whole thing. Women don't go into the ministry because
it was the thing to do in their family, nor because their parents pushed
it. The Call comes, they resist, and then they answer. Just as men with
the call do. Sometimes other people are the first to discern the Call.
This is the same for men, its just that other people aren't as surprised.
I've been surprised and pleased that people of other denominations that
don't ordain women haven't showed surprise or displeasure on their faces
when I've told them what my daughter is doing.
Mar 9, 2009 8:18 AM
Guest :
I am excited about reading this article. I have had the urgency to serve
God's children for years. I have had many people tell me that I am going to
be a great leader after the have haerd me speak to groups of women. i
continue to have a passion for teaching the word to women, because I feel
that we have been left at the wayside. Sometimes when I am read the Bible I
get this insight of me preaching the word to God's children. I am a
Deconess and I am teaching Bible class to a group of women, I have for
years travel international helping poor women and children. I love my
church and I work hard making sure that I do all that I can do to help. My
Pastor has told me that he has been praying and The Spirit has told him to
ordain me as a minister. Here is my problem I feel unworthy of this
position, not because I am a woman, because I believe that God uses anyone
to bring his work. I do not have any formal training in the ministry(
eventhou Jesus did call many who were without formal education. I would
like to hear you response.
Mar 9, 2009 12:19 PM
Rebecca Craig :
If it makes you feel better, no one is "worthy" to go into
ministry. :-) The calling to ministry comes in many different shapes and
forms - and I believe God does not raise all people up to leadership in
exactly the same way. I personally would love to see more "lay"
people interested in becoming disciples in order to become leaders in their
congregations. (I always feel my job should be to work myself OUT of a
job!) :-) And quite honestly, I've known many "lay" people who
have a far better grasp and understanding of scripture than many pastors
who have HAD formal training do! I believe firmly in the "priesthood
of all believers" but also acknowledge that there is a time of
"discipleship" of some sort one should undergo first.
<br><br> If the issue you are personally having is receiving
the "proper" education for ordained ministry, I would love to
discuss with you in more detail the circumstances/requirements of your
particular denomination in pursuing ordained ministry. The decision to
ordain someone into ministry is not just a personal decision you alone are
making - but is a communal discernment by both you and your faith
community. If your community sees you as someone who has these gifts, I
would encourage you to pursue that if you also feel called to it. Some
traditions do require some form of "formal" training, but there
are options even within these traditions for pursuing ordained ministry
without necessarily having to go to seminary (in the ELCA, we have
something called TEEM - Theological Education for Emerging Ministries -
"who by reason of age and prior experience" are qualified to
participate in an alternative program of preparation for ordination).
Please, feel free to contact me privately by going to my profile page (just
click on my name in the by-line of this article) and click on the
"Contact me" link and I would be happy to discuss this with you
further in more detail.
May 31, 2009 3:16 PM
Guest :
A female friend of mine is wanting to become a female pastor in the near
future. Will she need to marry a male pastor before she can be a pastor?
Jun 1, 2009 3:49 PM
Rebecca Craig :
To the best of my knowledge, none of the denominations that ordain women
require that the woman be married, much less must be married to a male
pastor. Many times you find husband/wife ministry teams simply because they
meet and get married while they're both at seminary.
Jul 17, 2009 8:34 PM
Guest :
I am a young girl, 17 years old now. My parents have various aspirations of
what my future career should be. But for the past few months, I have been
having this feeling of unrest everytime I think about my future. For about
a month now, I have been feeling that God is calling me to the ministry.
Every Bible verse I read and my daily reading passages have supported this.
At times, I think the idea is ridiculous but other times, I feel very
strongly about it. But I'm afraid it might be something of my own
imagination. I don't know how to find out if its actually God's calling or
my own feeling. Could you help?
Jul 17, 2009 9:01 PM
Rebecca Craig :
I'd suggest a few things... first, maybe talk with your pastor. Second,
maybe visit a seminary and see if it feels right. Many have days for high
school students to come visit. Third... when you start voicing the idea to
others - listen to what their reaction is. I expected people who knew me
well to tell me that I was insane and to be all "you're doing
WHAT?" - but the opposite happened. They only validated what I was
feeling...which surprised me to no end! :-) I fully expected a different
response. And, you've got some time - continue to discern and listen to
what God is saying. Get through your undergraduate classes in college and
see whether the call is still strong before you make that decision.
Aug 26, 2009 2:20 PM
Guest :
Your article brought tears to my eyes. I too am female and have been
called into ministry, have been to Bible college, and have sought
"employment" only to find there is little out there. Most
positions for women are very underpaid receptionist type work or
"volunteer" work. THANK you for sharing your insightful views!
As I move forward, I know that God's will is my highest calling! Here is a
research article I wrote on the subject that may be interesting for your
readers that gives a few historical references. Again- THANK YOU! http://hubpages.com/hub/minister-female
Oct 11, 2009 7:36 PM
Guest :
Hello, I'm a 24 year old female and, I was thinking about becomming a
pastor however, when I discovered that In this religion there is a
disagreement, with a woman becomming a pastor I wondered why? And the
reason being is that, a man feels that a woman should not have control over
a man. Then I asked myself this "question" If that is true, why
are there so many women teachers? Being a Pastor is mostly about Teaching,
teaching the word of God Isn't It?. Many have questioned the bible for many
reasons, and many have got lost in what is truth, and what is not. I
believe that the truth was written in our hearts, because God knew that the
devil would try and make him out a lie, And If just one good witness man or
woman with a voice would just tell Gods truth, we will all be set free from
the burning flames of hell. The BIBLE is full of a lot of truth but some
devil had to go and try to change what The Lord has said, God will use whom
ever he pleases for his work to be done. Just because a woman is telling
the truth that is within the heart that the Lord wrote dosen't have
anything to do with her wanting to be in control of a man. It simply means
that If that woman is of the truth she is honstely sharing the love of God,
Its' not about control the Lord Is already In control, Its about doing what
you are told. Aurthor: GODSPRINCESS OCT,11,2009 10:42pm.
