The divide over ordaining women
The recent election of the Rev. Amy Butler as senior pastor of New York City’s influential and historic Riverside Church, as well as the installation of a number of other women at high-profile American congregations, has brought new attention to the theological divide among religious groups concerning the ordination of women.
While many major religious denominations in the United States now allow women to pastor churches and synagogues, only 11% of American congregations were led by women in 2012, according to press reports of an upcoming National Congregations Study survey. That figure hasn’t changed since 1998. Many of the nation’s largest denominations, including Roman Catholics, Southern Baptists, Mormons (Latter-day Saints), and the Orthodox Church in America, do not ordain women or allow them to lead congregations.
Other religious groups have taken small steps in the direction of female ordination. For instance, while there currently are no women in the U.S. serving as Orthodox Jewish rabbis, a number of women recently were ordained by one Orthodox seminary as maharats, or female leaders of Jewish law, spirituality and Torah – but they will not be given the title of rabbi.
A number of American churches, such as the United Church of Christ (whose members were once called Congregationalists) and the Universalists (who eventually merged with the Unitarians) started ordaining women in the 19th century. But it wasn’t until the decades following World War II that many of the larger and more prominent denominations began to allow women into leadership roles.
In 1956, the United Methodist Church and a part of what would become the Presbyterian Church USA ordained their first women ministers. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Reform Judaism, and the Episcopal Church followed suit in the early 1970s.
In recent years, women have ascended to a number of high-profile jobs in American churches. Many, including the Episcopal Church and the United Methodist Church, now allow women to be bishops and hold other top leadership positions. In 2006, for instance, the Episcopal Church, for the first time, elected a woman, Katherine Jefferts Schori, to be its presiding bishop, the church’s highest office.
Topics: Religion and Society
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David Masci is a Senior Researcher at the Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project.
Edward • 10 hours ago
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) has recognized women ministers for 360 years. Several of the groups that broke away from the Methodist in the late 1800’s had women as ministers. On the day of Pentecost Peter, quoting Joel 2, proclaimed that the day had come when both the sons and daughters should prophesy.
Robert Weitzeil • 10 hours ago
The Christain Church (Disciples of Christ) also ordains women and currently has a wiman serving as General Minister and President our highest office.
Bill • 1 day ago
God became a male only because, in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, only a male could accomplish God’s work. Jesus’ gender was only a culturally determined condition, and in no way a cause, of our Salvation.
Let us pray that the Church reflect on this truth — Jesus’ gender was not causal of Salvation — and eventually ordain women as well as men and thus proclaim it since is now obscured. And, yes, eventually, women bishops and cardinals, and who can suggest a good reason why there should never be woman pope?
Pastor Kay Rohloff • 1 day ago
Don’t forget Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America!
Rev. Peter • 2 days ago
They left out one very important person, Saint Paul he said that he did not allow women to become teachers but he said that they should be silent in the churches.
Bill • 1 day ago
Like many other statements in the Bible, this one is culturally conditioned. Further, it expresses what St. Paul says of his own personal convictions, not what the whole Church should always do.
OhYeah • 3 days ago
Don’t forget The Salvation Army!