Seeking Full Inclusion
Monday, June 1, 2009 at 8:17AM This week General Synod will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Ordination of Women in the RCA. More than 200 women have been ordained in that period, with approximately 60 serving as pastors and over 100 in specialized ministries and 30 without charge.
The Synod will also receive the report of the task force created by the General Synod Council on the instruction of last year's General Synod "to develop a plan for greater inclusion of women and people of color at all levels of staffing within the RCA and to develop leadership training opportunities consistent with this goal; and to develop and implement a process to recruit and train leaders who represent the array of the ethnicities and races that make of God's world with particular attention to gender inclusion, so that in the future the pool of qualified candidates for denominational staff positions, particularly at executive staff levels, better reflects the denomination's commitment to a multicultural and multi-racial future, and further to have such processes ready for report to the 2009 General Synod and for implementation no later than 2010."
These recommendations were adopted in response to the detailed findings of the Commission for Women in its report with respect to "the continued marginalization of RCA women" from leadership positions in the administration of the RCA in spite of the fact that women comprise 63 percent of all RCA members. (See page 252, Acts and Proceedings of the 202nd Regular Session of the General Synod.) The report states that of the 148 positions of leadership and decision making, 51 are held by women and 97 by men. In the Office of General Secretary (3 persons) none are women; often denominational directors, 1 person is a woman and 12 are men. Membership on commissions and boards are similarly one-sided, two-thirds men to one-third women (as of June 2008), just the reverse of the percentage of denominational membership.
In the light of this instruction of last year's General Synod it is curious that the General Synod Council this year decided to defund the position of coordinator of Women's Ministries, a seeming contradiction—in spirit at least—to the vote of General Synod. (The office was funded by a Women's Fund Drive, which raised $220,000 out of a goal of $500,000. Women's ministries in the RCA have historically been self-funded!)
It is critical that all who understand the importance of full inclusion of women in the leadership of our denomination demand the processes proposed be serious, concrete and comprehensive with an implementation plan that is specific. The RCA has an educated female laity, many of them products of our three excellent colleges. Moreover, the numbers suggest that the skills and spiritual commitment of ordained women have not been fully appreciated by RCA congregations or Board Office leadership. This is long overdue.
One small suggestion to start the process of inclusion would be to move toward full equity on all boards and commissions as current members complete their terms by naming qualified women to fill vacancies until the ratios are 50-50. Since twice as many women as men comprise the denomination's membership, this should be quite doable. With the denomination not growing in size, the fact that 2/3 of its membership has been marginalized or excluded entirely from leadership and decision-making means that a vast resource has been untapped.
How can a denomination continue to be vibrant and effective if the voices of its majority are unheard?
Barbara Harris
Classis of Rocky Mountains
Denver, Colorado
Reader Comments (2)
Dear Barbara: I am surprised that no one responds back to you. You are my sister in the Lord, thus , I will give what I have to offer as from a layman's perspective on Women in Church Leadership positions.
There have always been leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ who were women. From examples in the Bible such as Mary and Martha, Lydia and Chloe, Phoebe and Priscilla, to the many faithful and dedicated women of my home church, Westdale Reformed Church of Hamilton. Women will always play a vital part in giving leadership within the Body of Christ. In various capacities, whether worship, music, visitation, teaching, benevolent giving, both to young and old, women will always, by witness and example and hard work, display the love of Christ to the present and future generations. This has always been the case and is to be expected of all women who profess to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. Jesus Christ calls men and women, boys and girls to follow Him and be His disciples.
The question may then be asked, “Why are not women permitted to be ruling elders within the Body of Christ?” Women, like men, obviously become elders due to their age and accumulated wisdom, however, that alone does not constitute a valid reason for becoming a ruling elder, that is, someone with authority over another Christian man. Simply put, a Christian woman has not been given that authority by Christ. Neither by Christ Himself nor any of His Apostles is it ever implied directly or indirectly in all the New Testament Scripture. A woman can have power and influence over a man but she has not the authority granted to her by Christ to overrule or discipline a man. As a mother or Sunday School teacher she has the authority over children. As a police officer or other governmental position ordained by God to rule the land she has authority over a man, however, in the Church, the Body of Christ, she is not permitted even to speak (1 Timothy 2:12) especially when it comes to admonishing or rebuking a man. “As iron sharpens iron so does one man sharpen another.” (Proverbs 27:17)
A woman has authority in Christ to resist the devil (Jas.4:7b) and can be engaged in spiritual struggles as intense as any man might. (Ephesians 6:11-18) She has authority over Satan but not over a Christian man and for that main reason the ruling eldership in a local church must be comprised of men. Men need discipline to become disciples and it takes other men to do that. Young boys need discipline from both parents but men need it from other men.
Therefore, Scripture clearly teaches that Spirit-filled Christian men are given the responsibility and accountability for the oversight “of the house of God, which is the church of the living God” (1 Timothy 3:15) through the commission of Christ given to His disciples.
I hope Barbara, that this helps you to understand the spiritual conflict and dynamics that exist when a denomination that professes scripture to be the rule of faith, resists putting people in places of authority that they were not ordained to be in. Whether something is allowed in the world does not automatically mean it ought to be incorporated into the life of the Church and vise versa. May the love of God keep us faithful to Jesus Christ and to obey His command to love one another as He has loved us.
Klaas Detmar, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
I am encouraged that there is an outcry among the people (though small ) to get back to biblical authority. To obey the teaching of Scripture on the subject of women in office. We have rewritten the God ordained roles for men and women over the years in the family and in church leadership to conform to a world-view rather then a God-view of equality. Is it possible to go back to truth? As God has written it in the Bible?