A Voice for Women

Tonight was the night!  After I gave the following address in regards to the Advisory Committee for Women's Ministries, I received several others sharing their stories.  One man told me about his spouse,  who is an example of what I was talking about.  As a pastor she left the RCA and serves in the UCC, where she is the senior pastor of a very large multi-staff church and is affirmed by the UCC as an exceptional leader.  Sounds like we missed out on quite a bit... 

Here is my full address:

When I was first asked to be a moderator, I agreed without hesitation. When I was given my advisory committee assignment, I protested, "Isn't there another one you'd rather have me moderate?"

Yes, I am an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament and I am a woman. So, "Why?", you ask would I protest.... because it is a matter that is too near and too dear to my heart and it brings with it a certain amount of pain, frustration, and exasperation.

I am extremely fortunate that I currently serve in a congregation that has allowed me to fully utilize my giftedness and flourish in leadership with them as well as in other community and regional roles. Many other women are not as fortunate. My story before arriving in my current location, however, is one that reflects the experience of the majority of other female ministers and includes exclusion, discrimination, devaluing, dismissal, and rejection based on gender. While many women feel that this is happening, but cannot prove it, I am in the unique position to be able to prove it. My husband and I are both pastors. In gifting and skill sets, we are examples of opposites attracting. We were very candid with our gifts and passions on our profiles. During our long search process, Mike had many churches that were talking to him while none were talking to me. In more than one interview, as he reviewed church profiles of what they said they were looking for and had conversations with them, he expressed that he was not who they wanted and asked with frustration, "why aren't you talking to my wife?" The answer became obvious by their responses.

Likewise, one of the churches that lured us to an onsite visit with promises that they were willing to "work with both of us" showed us exactly what they meant by that when they drove us around the neighborhood, stopping at the local nursing home, exclaiming directly to me that "they were always looking for nurse's aides".... a noble title which was given slight mention on my resume, before my B.S. in Biochemistry and involvement with Chemistry research, before I was a Manager, before I was a Director, I was a chaplain... before I became a pastor.

I am here to tell you that I know personally good, qualified, RCA women who have not been able to find a call in RCA churches. One woman I know has gone through the search process three times only to land in other denominations each time because of lack of a call from the denomination she loves and longs to serve. Many women are on the brink of leaving the denomination. The ELCA, UCC, PC(USA) and para-church organizations benefit from the RCA's failure to RCA women. I am not talking about Formula Of Agreement sharing, I am talking about leaving.

But the story is much broader than solely Ministers of Word and Sacrament. I am a child of two churches that did not ordain women to the offices of elder nor deacon.

Regardless of your views of women's ordination to an office, it is abundantly clear that women are represented in gross disproportion in our assemblies (l0% this year at general synod while 67% of the membership in our churches). We have read (commission report) and have heard the numbers and statistics (see the Commissions for Women's report). We do not have a lack of gifted, qualified women eager for service; we have a lack of avenues for full inclusion.

This past year has been a very difficult one for women in the RCA that has evoked great emotion. "It is happening AGAIN," I have heard exclaimed repeatedly, sometimes through tears. "We are losing our voice." We are no longer "at the table."

The intention that the Office of Women coordinator be a self-funded position when it was created in 2000 was so that it could not be cut, however, this logic has ironically led us to the sad predicament we are in today. Nevertheless, we are now presented with an opportunity to make it right.

Given the deep disparity in women's membership in comparison to representation in the many levels of our governance, the questions are asked, "Why should women have to pay to be at the table? Why should fundraising have to be a part of this position's already full agenda? Other similar positions do not have these strings attached to them."

We celebrate 30 years of women's ordination, yet many of us either sneer or role our eyes when it is said, "look how far we have come." Don't misunderstand me, there has been significant progress, and we are thankful for those women and men who have gone before, suffering to pave the way for where we are now; but how far have we come compared to where we need to be?

My friends, we have a long way to go. This is a matter of justice! Ensuring women have a voice is a matter of justice! Empowerment and affirmation of women is essential to the future of the RCA and if we do not do something to change our trends now we risk much, including the further loss of some of the most gifted pastors and leaders our seminaries and churches produce.

But women are hopeful, or there would be even less of us here. There is hope, or there would not have been such a strong and widespread response over this past year on behalf of women's ministries. Rev. Madeline Fuentez, the first RCA female church planter, has been working for 18 years in planting Iglesia Trinidad in Milwaukee which is a multi-cultural, multi-lingual congregation dedicated to working among the poor and in the community. I do want to be clear, however, that we are not solely talking about women in the offices of deacons, elders, and ministers. Great things are happening in local church women's ministries. In Canada, I am told, "We are just starting to really get organized, build enthusiasm, and are starting to make progress in our women's ministries with the support of the Office of Women." I was told with a plea that the General Synod "not cut us off again."

With this the Advisory Committee recommended an amendment to the proposed R-40, strengthening R-40... which asked "for General Synod Council to develop a plan for a future Office of Women that would not be charged with raising its own support, enabling the RCA to live out its stated commitment to the full inclusion of women at all levels of the church's leadership and ministry; and further to have a staff member in place by January 2010, or as soon as possible thereafter."

Reasons:

1. The RCA has regularly affirmed the need for a strong and active advocacy role for women in the church.

2. The current self-funded model has had the opposite effect of its original intention, which was to ensure the continuation of the Office for Women.

3. Fundraising would be burdensome and would take away from the important ministry responsibilities of the office.

4. The current momentum around women's ministries and the tone of many of the overtures call for immediate attention with regard to continuation of the Office for Women.

5. Full inclusion of women in the life of the RCA continues to be an issue of justice.

6. The General Synod Council has initiated a consultation process that will include wide denominational representation and give direction to the future of the Office for Women. This advisory committee affirms this consultation process with a sense of urgency.

7. This assessment increase would provide funding comparable to the current funding for each office of the RCA's racial-ethnic ministries.

Many gave voice to their own personal struggles and how this issue has touched them. A few spoke in opposition to women in office.

I am very pleased to announce with a much larger margin than anticipated and ZERO objections to the assessment increase of $1.30, amended R-40 passed!

Comments

[Kristin]

Beautiful description of the situation and as a woman in ministry, I pray that what you and so many of us have experienced is not passed on to future generations. I am not from the RCA, but the story is the same almost anywhere you go.
May the good news of peace be KNOWN.