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Women and Religions, by Susan Hyatt

by Geoff 20 May 2012 No Comments

Women and Religions

by Susan Hyatt

This report by Dr Susan Hyatt, describes her participation as a Pentecostal/charismatic women’s representative at the Colloque Femmes et Religions (Women and Religions Colloquium) in Brussels, Belgium on 11 March, 2001. The Colloquium was organized By Hervé Hasquin, Ministre-Président of the Government of the French Community of Wallonie-Brussels, Belgium. Susan is the author of In the Spirit we’re Equal.

Renewal Journal 18: Servant Leadership – PDF

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An article in Renewal Journal 18: Servant Leadership:

On February 21, 2001, I received an unexpected invitation from the President of the French Community of Belgium to be a scholarly voice for American Pentecostal Women at a one-day colloquium in Brussels on Women and Religions.

Since I have no desire to travel and since I am fully occupied with ministry at home, my first inclination was to decline. But as I sought the Lord, it became clear that this was not a luxurious privilege being afforded me. It was, rather, a responsibility that he would have me assume. So I agreed to go. I still held a secret hope that I would not be able to go because I did not have a valid passport. But when the Canadian Consulate in Dallas was willing to expedite the process in record time, I was left without excuse!

Obviously, the Lord had opened wide an effectual door for me in Europe and I would go as the single voice of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity. On Friday morning, March 9, I flew from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, just a stone’s throw from home. After 11 hours in the air, I arrived in Brussels on Saturday morning in time to adjust to the 7-hour time difference and attend the reception that evening.

The site of the event

As a guest of the Belgium government, I was treated like an ambassador. They provided splendid accommodations in Le Plaza Hotel, the site of the colloquium.

Renovated in 1976, this exquisite 5-star hotel provided luxurious surroundings for the event. Its classic banquet room was the site of the Saturday evening reception. Several breakout rooms, equipped with translation booths for English, Dutch, and German, accommodated our round-table discussions on Sunday morning. That afternoon, the 900-seat theater-television studio was filled to capacity for the 5-hour televised debate.

The colloquium was the idea of M. Hervé Hasquin, Ministre-Président of the Government of the French Community of Wallonie-Brussels, Belgium. Motivation for this intercultural dialogue came, in part, in response to the United Nations’ designation of 2001 as “The Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations.” A personal representative of the Secretary-General at the UN Information Center in Brussels carried greetings to the assembly.

The precise date of the colloquium, March 11, was chosen to coincide with the UN’s “Day of the Woman” (March 8).

The site of the event was strategic. Brussels is the headquarters of NATO, the capital of Belgium, and the capital of the new United States of Europe. In this age of globalization, what happens in Brussels ultimately affects the entire world.

In calling this “grand international colloquium,” M. Hasquin provided an important platform for Europe and the world to hear about the status and concerns of women from women of the world’s major religious groups.

The participants

Forty women from 20 nations participated in the colloquium. Of these, 9 represented Christianity, 15 for Islam; and 8 for Judaism. Three were agnostics, one a Hindu, and 2 were Buddhists. Two were simply listed as “other.”

The nine Christian women came from six different nations, including France, Belgium, Rwanda, Peru, Chili, and the United States (yours truly). Several were theology or history professors. One was a social anthropologist in South America. Chantal, an executive member of the African Alliance of the YMCA from Rwanda, explained that many in her nation have left Christianity as a result of the horrendous war. Indeed, how can “Christians” justify such racial and tribal hatred?

The most alive and friendly of the Christian women was “Sister” Noëlle Hausman, Mother Superior of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary in Belgium. She had entered the convent at 15 years of age by special permission of Léon Joseph Cardinal Seunens, the outstanding Belgian leader of the Roman Catholic Charismatic Renewal. I asked Noëlle if this meant that she were Charismatic, to which she replied, “Oh, no! I am afraid!” This, of course, opened the door for me to assure her of God’s love for her!

Generally speaking, the Moslem women tended to be strong, intelligent, and aggressive. Certainly, they were very different from the veiled Islamic women we see in American supermarkets! But I noticed that whenever I would pass by Hawa from Djibouti, she would draw her headcovering more securely over her head and face.

The eight Jewish women were typically confident and conversant. Some were history of religions professors. Others were leaders of national Jewish women’s organizations and directors of Jewish cultural centres. One high profile theologian from Germany, Ruth Lapide, once travelled America with her theologian husband teaching the Jewish background of the Gospels. She now works on ethical issues with the German government and has a German television program promoting the Bible.

Of the other women, three were agnostics: a professor of History of Religions at the Free University of Brussels, a secular feminist who is the French Community’s Director of the Office of Equal Opportunities, and the third was Belgium’s Minister of State.

The lone Hindu representative was the Director of the Centre for the Study of Social Development at J. Nehru University in New Delhi. Two others were Buddhist nuns, while two did not state religious preference, one a dancer and choreographer and the other a Tajikistan-born film-maker living in France.

The program

The program was conducted in French with translation into English, Dutch, and German. Although I am quite proficient in reading and writing French, unfortunately my speaking and listening/comprehension skills leave much to be desired! Even with the voice of good translators coming through my headset, I feel I missed much of what was being said!

On Sunday morning, we were divided into four round table discussion groups facilitated by TV news anchors and professional journalists. One group discussed the history of women in the various religions. Another group discussed the place and status of women in the different religions. A third group discussed the ways that religious women express themselves in their various cultures. Of the 10 participants in this group, none were Christians.

The fourth group, the one to which I was assigned, dealt with “where are we and where are we going.” Since the emphasis was political, the ambassador and cabinet ministers were part of this group.

After a brief lunch break, we convened to the theatre for the live, televised debate. I was impressed with the ornate theatre and I was surprised by the enthusiastic crowd of 900 men and women who had gathered for the event. I detected among these Europeans a greater concern and more genuine caring for women than I have observed in America!

As the debate opened, we were challenged to consider certain “underpinning principles” in the relationship between women and religion. These 5 basic opposing elements that exist together within each religion and that are common to all world religions, include the following:

1. All religions contain myths that posit the liberation of women against patriarchal militancy.

2. All religions claim texts that propose gender equality and texts that are gender-restrictive.

3. All religions display power struggles between male superiority, on the one hand, and so-called “mystical movements” ascribing equality, on the other.

4. Fundamentalism in all religions legalistically dictates that men must dominate while feminism calls for the creation of what is new, stating that the patriarchal text of fundamentalism is not appropriate.

5. Religion is seen as an obstacle to women’s liberation, yet religion often is the place where women find liberty.

The voices of women

Although I am aware of the injustices and inequities that women around the world are suffering, simply because they are women, what the various women shared served to remind and further inform me. Here is some of what I heard.

In Djibouti, most women are still illiterate. Women do not have equal educational opportunities and poverty continues to stifle any hope of progress toward a better life. Although genital mutilation has been outlawed, the practice continues.

In Algeria, access to education and increased civic power are seen as the only means by which women can combat the persecution and suffering they are experiencing under the Islamic fundamentalist regime. The Algerians have a saying, “Paradise is under the feet of women,” to which a well-educated Algerian refugee woman responded, “Then lift your foot, please!”

In Niger, more than 9 out of 10 women cannot read. The Islamic fundamentalism of Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, through the power of oil money, is gaining increased control. Many women simply accept this, refusing to take responsibility for their personal development and settling instead for submission according to the family code of Islam. This whole situation is contributing to the suffering of women in many ways. Girls are no longer permitted education. Women are required to “adore their husbands” and are no longer allowed to be “fashionable,” but must wear veils and long dresses. The Ambassador noted that women must take personal responsibility for improving their condition. In her opinion, the future of Africa is in the hands of women. Unfortunately, many who have the education to run for government positions no longer have the economic means to do so.

Melika Bosnawi, Islamic representative from Bosnia-Herzegovina, unleashed intense anger during the TV debate regarding the horrendous war crimes against Moslem women in her land. These atrocities, of which most of us are aware, reflect badly on Christendom.

The Minister of Culture of Senegal proclaimed, “Mohammed came and brought liberty to women!” The problem, she explained, is that few women in her nation can read and thereby interpret the Islamic texts in terms that would bring the equality that Mohammed intended.

Princess Maria Theresa, a Moslem and highly educated social scientist, said, “Equality of women represents the future.”

Hinduism, explained Madhu Kishwar, teaches a principle of feminine energy, a positive creative force which produces wealth. This leads to the possibility of two different kinds of women. One is a benevolent consort who is attached to a male and the other is a strong woman who is unattached to a male. She is understood to be seeking her own interests and men are expected to bow to her. Within the family structure, mothers and mothers-in-law can become commanding, even oppressive, figures while younger women are marginalized. There is a definite preference for male children. Girls are deprived of education and life expectancy is low. Interestingly, any progress towards bettering the life of women appears to be coming from the initiatives of men.

In Judaism, women are free and can enjoy independence both economically and socially. Today Jewish woman tend to seek responsibility in the community. They are demanding a rereading of the texts that have been used force them into secondary social and religious roles. Inequity in divorce is a concern since it is producing hardship for Jewish women in some nations.

As Chili makes a transition to democracy, human rights issues are coming to the forefront, but there is no women’s movement. Roman Catholicism is the majority religion which means that women are to be subject to men and socially secondary. In 1989, the government instituted a Ministry of Women’s Affairs, but women are still second class citizens. Divorce is not allowed. “Women work but men still rule,” said the Chilean representative.

In Peru, it was noted, Christian evangelism allegedly lowered the status of women in society. Now, with the re-establishment of Peruvian culture, two things are happening: 1. Women are emerging in areas of leadership; 2. Native religions are being restored.

Summary: It can be said that women, regardless of religion or culture, continue to struggle and suffer in ways that men do not simply because they are women. Illiteracy and lack of educational opportunities remain hindrances to progress. Religious fundamentalism is seen as restrictive and sexist. Many expressed the need for equity in divorce because of the hardship that comes on women who experience this tragedy. Several women noted that women themselves must take personal responsibility for equality with men, regardless of their religious affiliation or current cultural climate.

M. Hervé Hasquin’s Observations

In closing the debate, M. Hervé Hasquin, who also serves as a History Professor, summarized what he had heard the women say by making 8 observations.

1. The history of women and religions is a history of the silencing of women. It is time to break that silence. This is possible only in the context of political democracy.

2. In history, religion has always been a way of asserting ones identity when freedoms are denied. 2. Women seek refuge in religion.

3. Women tend to be in denial regarding the restrictions placed on them by religion.

4. Religion can be liberating for women, but restrictions normally arise based in tradition and fundamentalist expressions of that religion. Every case is unique but the economic and social context remains an influence on women’s freedom.

5. When women experience advancement toward equality, men tend to feel deprived and to exhibit the need to return to those things that are certain. This gives rise to an increase in religious fundamentalism, which is perceived as a necessary defence against revolution.

6. In evaluating history we must be modest. The writing of history is a constant rewriting because the questions we ask in writing history are informed by our own context and we therefore search history on the basis of context-driven questions.

7. Ultimately, a person’s relationship to faith is a personal issue.

8. The number of women in the colloquium from different backgrounds enabled all to express themselves without imposing their position on others.

M. Hasquin’s final statement — his thesis, if you like — was that, in his informed opinion, in spite of its imperfections, the concept of separation of church and state remains fundamentally the best way to organize society.

I had carried with me a copy each of Eddie’s book (2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity), my book (In the Spirit We’re Equal), and my teaching manual (The Spirit, The Bible, and Women—A Revival Perspective). As M. Hasquin was presenting his closing remarks, I felt that I should give him these copies. He graciously and enthusiastically accepted them.

My contribution

Generally, throughout the day, the voice of the Christians seemed to me to be dull and inconsequential. One Protestant representative was almost shouted down at one point, but she rebounded with, “Just because I am a Protestant doesn’t mean I should not be able to express my mind!”

Personally, I felt no such opposition. It seems, perhaps, that most of the people present did not know what a Pentecostal/Charismatic was and therefore, at least out of curiosity, gave ear to what I said.

The assignment given me was to state briefly “where we are and where we are going” as women in Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity. We know that a uniform trend is not obvious. Many Pentecostal-Charismatic women are embracing a traditional, subordinate role. But many, like myself, are unwilling to be disobedient to the Holy Spirit by obeying the dictates of distorted Christianity. We are discovering that Jesus taught the equality of men and women in every respect, including substance and value, privilege and responsibility, function and authority. We are uncovering the truth of biblical equality and we are proclaiming it far and wide by every possible means. Nevertheless, we are not driven by such a cause; rather, we are seeking to be led by the Spirit in all that we do. Following, then, is what I shared during the colloquium.

During the round table discussion, I was free to say whatever I wanted to say, and I had a clear sense of what that needed to be.

The moderator immediately opened the door for me to make a clear statement of the Gospel by asking me to define “Pentecostalism.” In the entire event, no one else was asked to clarify their “religion.” Again, at the conclusion of the round table, the moderator reminded me to reiterate the definition of “Pentecostalism” in the TV debate. In fact, his first question to me in the debate was, “What is “Pentecostalism?”

Here, in essence, is what I said.

“A ‘Pentecostal-Charismatic’ is a believer who has a born-again experience with Jesus Christ and an ongoing, dynamic experience of the presence and power of His Holy Spirit in life.

“In the history of Christianity, there have been 2 streams: Institutional Christianity and Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity. The institutional stream. has always tended to be hierarchical and to restrict women. The Pentecostal/Charismatic stream has always tended toward egalitarian relationships and equality for women.

“Due to the 20^th century global explosion of Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity, there are now 600 million Pentecostal-Charismatics worldwide. In the United States, 20% of women profess to be Pentecostal/Charismatic Christians.

“As a Pentecostal-Charismatic woman in America, I enjoy unfettered freedom and opportunity to advance the truth of biblical equality. Pentecostal/Charismatic women know in their hearts by the indwelling Holy Spirit that they are equal with men in terms of substance and value, privilege and responsibility, function and authority. However, because of cultural and religious baggage, most do not know this truth in their heads. This discrepancy between head and heart is the cause of many struggles for Pentecostal-Charismatic women. My job is to give the biblical truth that brings harmony between the head and heart.

“To this end, my husband and I teach, write, and operate a publishing company. His first major book, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, [I held it up for all to see] validates the existence of the Pentecostal/Charismatic stream of Christianity as opposed to the institutional stream. My book, In the Spirit We’re Equal, and course [I held them up for all to see] present an historical and biblical argument for gender equality.

“Others are also advancing this truth among Pentecostal/Charismatics. For example, the leading periodical for women in the movement in America is SpiritLed Women [I held up a copy for all to see]. You will notice a recent lead article entitled “10 Lies the Church Has Told Women” by a leading male Pentecostal/Charismatic editor and writer, Lee Grady. This is an example of an encouraging partnership that is developing among some Pentecostal/Charismatic men and women to bring about biblical equality for women.

“Also serving in various ways to advance the truth of equality throughout the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement are 2 different organizations: Christians for Biblical Equality and the Society for Pentecostal Studies.

“In general, we are seeing 2 important advancements. Slowly we are seeing a release from gender-defined roles for women to gift-defined living. And we are seeing a greater sense of egalitarian partnership between men and women.

“We are seeing an increase in Pentecostal/Charismatic women taking leadership positions in various areas such as communication and the arts, education (including theological education), business and technology, law and government. Pentecostal/Charismatic women are also increasing their influence in dealing with domestic abuse, pastoral counselling, and medical concerns.

“The one great stronghold of inequality among Pentecostal/Charismatic believers is the home. I, for one, am working to bring the equality Jesus taught to this important area.”

The TV Debate

During the TV Debate, the moderator asked me 3 questions.

Question 1. What is a “Pentecostal/Charismatic”?

My Answer. “A Pentecostal-Charismatic is a believer who has a born-again experience with Jesus Christ and an ongoing, dynamic experience of the presence and power of His Holy Spirit in life.

“In the history of Christianity, there have been 2 streams: Institutional Christianity and Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity. The institutional stream has always tended to be hierarchical and to restrict women. The Pentecostal/Charismatic stream has always tended toward egalitarian relationships and equality for women.

“Due to the 20^th century global explosion of Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity, there are now 600 million P/Cs worldwide. In the United States, 20% of women profess to be Pentecostal/Charismatic Christians.”

Question 2. What is the greatest area of struggle for Pentecostal/Charismatic women?

My Answer. “The greatest struggle for Pentecostal/Charismatic women is the process of renewing their minds in the knowledge that they are equal with men. Changing the mind is one of the greatest struggles we all encounter, and I would say that this is the crux of the struggle for both men and women in Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity, whether they realize it or not! What we think about women determines our behaviour in relation to womanhood.”

Question 3. George W. Bush, a professing Christian, has just been elected president of the United States. What is the position of Pentecostal/Charismatic women in relation to liberal and conservative, Democratic and Republican politics?

My Answer. “That is a question I do not feel I can answer adequately. I am a citizen of Heaven and a citizen of Canada who is privileged to reside in the United States. I know several Pentecostal/Charismatic women who are active at various levels in the political arena, but I am not adequately versed in that subject to be able to answer your question.”

Reflections

I have been listening to the Lord about why he had me there and what he would have me learn, say, or do as a result. Here are a few thoughts.

1. Christian women need to shake off the shackles of religion masquerading as biblical Christianity. So much of what is taught about womanhood among Pentecostal/Charismatic Christians is no different from what is taught in various other religions. For example, the idea of male authoritative rulership and female subordination, servanthood, and subjugation is a characteristic of religion. It is not a legitimate principle of biblical, Spirit-filled Christianity.

2. The favour of man over woman is typical of religion, but not of Jesus.

3. Spirit-filled women must take personal responsibility to develop their abilities, gifts, and talents, including their intellectual ability through educational opportunities. This is a responsibility, not a privilege, and must not be left to men alone.

4. Women in all religions are struggling because of doctrines that teach the primacy of the male. Marriage is, perhaps, the main stronghold of inequity. Divorce that favours men seems to be a global problem.

5. Women in all religions have gender-defined roles that provide them with social power of some sort. This social structure inevitably produces a climate of manipulation by women which produces power for a few and hopeless depression for many.

There is no reason why, in this era of Pentecostal/Charismatic outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit, that we should succumb to religion. We must realize that the Spirit of God does not come to confirm that what we believe about everything is right and that what other Christians believe is wrong. Rather, the Spirit comes to help us in our human weakness, to empower us, to comfort us. And the Spirit comes to guide us into all truth! That is to say, the Spirit comes to open our understanding and to help us change the way we think.

It is my prayer that we will allow the Spirit of God to change the way we, who profess to be “Spirit-Filled” Christians, think about womanhood. May we shed our religious thinking and think about womanhood the way Jesus wants us to think! According to the Gospels, accurately interpreted, that means thinking of women as equal with men in terms of substance and value, privilege and responsibility, function and authority.

An overlooked mission field

In my brief encounter with the French Community of Wallonie-Brussels in the new European Union, I sensed the dynamic power that always seems to accompany a new venture. The EU is in its formative years. It is looking ahead to what it can become. It is searching for the best way to order its society. This is refreshing! But are Spirit-filled Christians as aware and alert to the need and to the opportunity. Europe has had enough of the Christian religion. Now they must see Jesus!

I have often said that many Christians will go to the ends of the earth to reach the uneducated masses. This is good! But will they go next door to reach the educated feminist who is turned off by patriarchal Christian religion? I have no doubt that the EU’s French community in Belgium is genuinely concerned about women—including the feminist—and about what role religion should play in advancing the equality of women in their state and the emerging European Union. What a place for the Presence of God through people who can rub shoulders with the decision-makers!

Regardless of the teaching of some Christian prophecy teachers regarding the EU, perhaps the Church should embrace the fact that something that will influence the future is, in fact, emerging in Europe. And instead of smuggly dismissing the EU as an emerging evil empire, perhaps we should dismiss our own stagnation and take a lesson from our European friends.

Perhaps we should examine American Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity and realize that our methods need to be brought back to the standard and means of Jesus Christ. The fruit of our authority structures and spiritual formation methods reek of religion and have little scent of Heaven!

Perhaps we should be less concerned about music and entertainment, about flamboyant preachers with extra-biblical theologies. Perhaps we should be less concerned about funding TV programs and building cathedrals and networks of personal power.

I have no doubt that the Lord wants us to purge the message we teach and preach so that it comes into line with the Message of Jesus. I have no doubt that the only means the Lord would have us use is the power of the Holy Spirit. Everything else is secondary and superfluous—and often a hindrance.

I hope this report has troubled you, challenged you, and inspired you! And perhaps Mary’s words in John 2:5 can take on new significance for each of us: “Whatever He [Jesus] says to you, do it!”

If you would like to know what I am doing and become a part of it as the Spirit leads, please, let me know. And if you are reading this and are already taking action, I would be interested to know who you are and what you are doing.

Susan’s book, In the Spirit We’re Equal, is reviewed in this issue of the Renewal Journal. Her husband Eddie’s book, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, is reviewed in Issue 12 of the Renewal Journal. These books and other resources are available from them:
www.icwhp.org – International Women’s History Project and Hall of Fame
www.godswordtowomen.org – God’s Word to Women
www.eddiehyatt.com – Hyatt International Ministries
Mailing Address: P. O. Box 3877, Grapevine, TX 76051 USA

© Renewal Journal #18: Servant Leadership (2001, 2012) renewaljournal.com
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included in the text.

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Contents: Renewal Journal 18: Servant Leadership

The Kingdom Within, by Irene Alexander

Church Models: Integration or Assimilation? by Jeannie Mok

Women in Ministry, by Sue Fairley

Women and Religions, by Susan Hyatt

Disciple-Makers, by Mark Setch

Ministry Confronts Secularisation, by Sam Hey

Book Reviews:
Jesus on Leadership by Gene Wilkes
In the Spirit We’re Equal by Susan Hyatt
Firestorm of the Lord by Stuart Piggin
Early Evangelical Revivals in Australia by Robert Evans

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Women In Ministry, by Sue Fairley

by Geoff 20 May 2012 No Comments

Women In Ministry

by Sue Fairley

Dr Sue Fairley, (Ed.D., Griffith University), wrote as the Principal of Trinity Theological College in the Uniting Church in Queensland, Australia

Renewal Journal 18: Servant Leadership – PDF

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An article in Renewal Journal 18: Servant Leadership:

Cultural images do not change easily,
especially those weighted with the aura of sacred tradition.
(Carroll, Hargrove and Lummis, 1983:ix)

If there is one tradition that is heavily weighted with the “aura of sacred tradition”, it must surely be leadership within the church and whether women should be part of that leadership – especially in the ordained ministry.

The distribution of positions of formal leadership in the church has become the focus of concern for many women in recent decades. Women have sought – and in some cases obtained – access to the ordained ministry, a leadership position occupied almost entirely by men during most of church history.

Pentecostal and Charismatic women often demonstrated a biblical recovery of women’s leadership in ministry, both as individuals and also in shared ministry leadership either with a husband or in a team. Aimee Semple McPherson led the largest pentecostal church in the world in the 1920s, built the 5,000 seat Angelus Temple, founded the Foursquare denomination, and raised huge financial and material support for people during the depression and World War II. Kathryn Kuhlman pioneered a new era in healing evangelism from the 1950s. Janet Lancaster, known affectionately as Mother Lancaster, the first Pentecostal pastor in Australia, founded Good News Hall in Melbourne and published Good News for 25 years from 1910. Women have pioneered church planting and leadership in missions for over a century, including in Pentecostal missions.

Pentecostal/Charismatic attitudes

To pick up the perspective of Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity I would like to refer to an unpublished report that Susan Hyatt presented to Hyatt International Ministries in Dallas, Texas in March 2001. She suggests that there is no uniform trend in terms of where women in Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity are heading. Some Pentecostal/Charismatic women are embracing a traditional, subordinate role.

But many others are unwilling to be disobedient to the Holy Spirit by obeying the dictates of distorted Christianity. We are discovering that Jesus taught the equality of men and women in every respect, including substance and value, privilege and responsibility, function and authority. We are uncovering the truth of biblical equality and we are proclaiming it far and wide by every possible means. Nevertheless, we are not driven by such a cause; rather we are seeking to be led by the Spirit in all we do.

Hyatt then shared her own experience as a Pentecostal/Charismatic American woman:

“I enjoy unfettered freedom and opportunity to advance the truth of biblical equality. Pentecostal/Charismatic women know in their hearts by the indwelling Holy Spirit that they are equal with men in terms of substance and value, privilege and responsibility, function and authority. However, because of cultural and religious baggage, most do not know this truth in their heads. This discrepancy between head and heart is the cause of many struggles for Pentecostal/Charismatic women. My job is to give the biblical truth that brings harmony between the heart and the head. My book In the Spirit we are Equal presents an historical and biblical argument for gender equality. Others are also advancing this truth among Pentecostal/Charismatic. For example, the leading periodical for women in the movement in America is Spirit-Led Women. You will notice a recent lead article “Ten Lies the Church has told Women” by a leading male Pentecostal/Charismatic editor and writer Lee Grady. This is an example of an encouraging partnership that is developing amongst some Pentecostal/Charismatic men and women to bring about biblical equality for women.

In general we are seeing two important advances. Slowly we are seeing a release from gender-defined roles for women to gift-defined living. And we are seeing a greater sense of egalitarian partnership between men and women. We are seeing an increase in Pentecostal/Charismatic women taking leadership positions in various areas such as communications and the arts, education (including theological education), business and technology, law and government. Pentecostal/Charismatic women are also increasing their influence in dealing with domestic abuse, pastoral counselling and medical concerns” (Hyatt 2001).

Traditional church attitudes

The Uniting Church in Australia has practised women’s ordination since its inception in 1977. Acceptance of women’s ordination is, in fact, one of the “bases of union”, indicating that congregations will be accepted into the denomination only if they endorse women’s ordination. Persons being ordained within the Uniting Church must also accept that principle.

However, other denominations are still debating the issue and it is causing a great deal of controversy. Before I deal with some of the issues which face women in ministry today, I will explore some of the issues that have been identified in the literature.

The first issue is leadership and gender. In the past two decades the struggle to clarify the foundations for effective leadership in the church has been greatly complicated by the overlay of gender. When social scientists write about differences between men and women, popular culture presumes that these can be translated into gender-based leadership differences. The social science writings by scholars such as Mary Belenky and Carol Gilligan have focussed on the ways in which women differ from men in modes of understanding, psychological development, career paths, and frameworks for ethical decision-making. For many it is a relatively simple leap to presume that gender-based leadership differences exist. From that assumption they then work to develop gender-based theories of leadership.

Roels (1997) has explored a variety of gender-based theories of leadership and she believes that we “limit the flexibility of our responses to changing circumstances when we, first of all, label leadership styles as female or male…Every leader, whether male or female should be encouraged to build a full range of leadership strategies and responses…Both male and female leaders must struggle to find a biblical vision for leadership that diligently avoids the pitfalls of gender-based leadership (p.53). This biblical vision is expressed in Scripture passages such as 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul identifies administrative ability as a specific spiritual gift which is not restricted by gender.

A second significant issue is the controversy over women’s ordination which came to the fore in the last half of the twentieth century. This has occasioned increasing questions that have to do with women’s roles, female character, and sexuality. However, it was not always like that. Women’s leadership in Christianity is a dramatic and complex story.

Jesus himself challenged the social convention of his day and addressed women as equals. Many women were prominent members of his group. During the first and second centuries, when congregations met in homes, women were prominent as leaders. However, by the third century, the processes of institutionalisation gradually transformed the house churches, with their diversity of leadership functions, into a political body presided over by a monarchical bishop. This spelled the beginning of the end for women in church leadership.

Over the next two centuries, the legitimacy of women’s leadership roles was fiercely contested. Opponents of women clergy appealed to a gender ideology that divided society into two domains – the polis (city), a male domain – and the oikos (household), a female domain. This system gave a great deal of power to women in the household while attempting to segregate them from public, political life. This meant that women exercising leadership in churches were usurping male prerogatives. As the church became increasingly institutionalised during the third and fourth centuries, these arguments carried greater weight (Torjesen, 1993).

Understanding why and how women, once leaders in the Jesus movement and in the early church, were marginalised and scapegoated as Christianity became the state religion is crucial if women are to reclaim their rightful, equal place in the church today.

As the architectural space in which Christians worshipped became a more public space, and as the models for leadership were drawn increasingly from public life, women’s leadership became more controversial. Because the public-versus-private gender ideology restricted women’s activities in public life, the new leaders of the church were not as comfortable with women’s leadership in the churches.

From the fourth century to the twelfth-century councils struggled to impose celibacy on the clergy. As Christianity became a state religion and adopted the attitudes toward gender roles of Greco-Roman society, fewer women held church offices. During the medieval period the papacy’s struggle to assert its authority over the clergy let to a particularly perverse and destructive construction of female sexuality. Through the mechanism of the Inquisition a theory of sexuality was created that demonised sexuality be attributing the power of sexuality to demons. The resulting persecution fell more heavily on women than on men (Torjesen, 1993).

The struggle to impose celibacy on the clergy took more than six centuries! By the sixteenth century there was widespread consensus that the monastic system, which had formed a basic structural element of medieval society, had become corrupt. There was widespread disillusionment with monastic life, but out of this disillusionment there evolved a new theology of sexuality. Its most colourful proponent was Martin Luther, who initiated the German Reformation in the early 1500’s with a series of tracts addressed to the common people.

Luther’s argument was based on Genesis 1:27 which states that male and female were created in the image of God. If God created the bodies of male and female, then the body is good because it is a bearer of God’s image. And if the body is good, then sexuality is good (Schick, 1958). When Luther reflected on Genesis 1:28, God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply”, he understood that not only was sexuality good, but, more than that, it was a divine ordinance. Therefore, Luther argued, vows of celibacy were contrary to the will of God and priests should be allowed to marry.

In the end, Luther’s ideas on marriage and child-rearing led to the formation of a new denomination and the split from the Roman Catholic Church. The teachings of the Reformers on sexuality were radical and liberating for women. However, marriage was still seen as patriarchal and women were still deemed inferior to man by nature. When the Protestant reformers, (as they came to be known), abolished monasteries, they enshrined in its place the sanctity of marital sexuality. The new ideal of womanhood became domestic womanhood. The authority and the autonomy of the nun following the religious vocation were undermined. The only true religious role open to women of the Reformation was as a helpmate to a man (Torjesen, 1993).

Major cultural shifts

The reaffirmation of sexuality by the reformers did not restore women to a position of equality with men. It would take many more centuries for this inequality to be challenged. In fact, it was not until the 1960’s and 70’s that many of these issues resurfaced and, for the first time, were really challenged. Why did it occur then, and why did so many women choose to enter the ordained ministry as well as many other traditionally male occupations?

Carroll et. al. (1983) suggest that: “What made the 1970’s watershed years was the occurrence of major social and cultural shifts following World War II, especially during the 1960’s, making it possible for women to consider (or press for) ordained ministerial status as a way of responding to God’s call” (p.8). It is hard to believe that only in the 1970’s did significant numbers of women feel that they were called by God to be ordained. More likely, many women down through the years have experienced a call to the ministry, but have found the opportunity to respond by becoming ordained blocked to them. When ordination was not possible, many of these women expressed their calling to ministry as lay volunteers or in the church-related occupations that allowed women to participate.

Not only has the climate changed to make it possible for women to consider these traditionally all-male professions, but there has also been a major shift in attitudes about the female role. Prior to the 1970’s, and especially in the 1950’s and 60’s, a woman’s role was to be a good wife and mother. Now it is totally acceptable for women to have both careers and families.

A final major shift that has made it possible for more women to enter the ordained ministry is the sharply declining birth rate. Since the early 1960’s this has allowed women the freedom to explore career options that childrearing responsibilities previously precluded. This has meant that many women pursue ministry studies in their mid to late thirties and forties.

However, the shift that has allowed women to respond to a call to ordained ministry does not guarantee that other clergy will accept women into the profession. Neither does it guarantee that they will experience theological education in the same way as their male colleagues.

Women and Theological Education

Getting denominations to accept the ordination of women was one thing but changing the way women experienced theological education was a different matter. This is another significant issue. A quick review of the literature in this field will demonstrate this. In 1980 the Cornwall Collective, composed of women who were working in ongoing projects within theological education, published a book titled Your Daughters shall Prophesy: Feminist Alternatives in Theological Education, outlining feminist criticisms of theological education and proposing some basic revisions, including some alternative forms of theological education. The Cornwall Collective criticized theological education for its division of theory and practice, its organization of disciplines, its reliance on claims of “objectivity”, and its use of the model of university education, which lack any concern for integration or spirituality. They called for theological education to be more holistic, more aware of its political nature, more community-oriented.

Five years later, the Mud Flower Collective produced God’s Fierce Whimsy, a book dedicated to “help” theological education, because the authors of the book found that theological colleges are “arenas in which lukewarm truth and uninspired scholarship are peddled” (p.204). The Mud Flower Collective offers much the same analysis of theological education as does the Cornwall Collective (Chopp, 1995).

The difference between the 1980 Cornwall Collective and the 1985 Mud Flower Collective could be interpreted as revealing increasing frustration at the inability to get feminist issues heard within theological education. This increased frustration, suggests Chopp (1995), identifies as problematic the very same issues that the Cornwall Collective found prohibitive to good theological education. The Mud Flower Collective cites such issues as the politics of education, the role of cultural pluralism, the standards of excellence, the relation of theory and praxis, the role of community, the claims of validity in scholarship, and the structure of theological reflection as the problems for women in theological education.

Thus, the problems of women and for women in theological education are not merely women’s historical lack of participation, but how theological education is defined, formed and structured. Once a critical mass of women appeared in theological education, problems of the structure, purpose, and nature of theological education became more and more evident (Chopp, 1993).

This critical mass of women began to appear in many theological colleges around the world in the 1980s. As Chopp (1993) points out, once the students in theological education were white, young, and male, largely from working or middle-class backgrounds. Raised in the church, many aspired to serve God and become religious practitioners. Now these subjects are few and far between in our theological colleges. Many of the subjects today are women and men who are older and who have not been raised in the church. Lifestyle differences, theological pluralism, and cultural diversity are apparent in the student body of most theological colleges.

Women in theological colleges discovered very quickly that they were affirmed when they indicated a calling toward areas of service that parallel those assigned to the female by Western culture, while they were gently discouraged when they indicated they had other goals such as the ordained ministry. It takes courage to cross culturally established boundaries, and so many women put off “the call” as long as possible hoping it might go away.

The Old Testament provides many examples of people who struggled with the reality of their call to the service of God and the nature of that call. Women can certainly identify with that struggle. Behind them is a long tradition of the suppression of women’s gifts, and surrounding them sometimes is an atmosphere of questioning and suspicion. With few role models women often fight a lonely battle.

The years spent in theological college provide an opportunity for women to think and evaluate but not all women find that experience a helpful one. Some women found that on the whole, male faculty were warm and friendly, but some felt that male faculty were patronizing. It seems as if male faculty were more inclined to treat women seriously if they were academically superior. There was also concern expressed about the selection of textbooks and set readings that tended to be mostly written by male scholars, even though in many fields now there are renowned female scholars.

One of the most common complaints from women is the lack of women faculty. It is still rare to find women faculty members in teaching positions such as theology. This is true in my own experience – I am the only female on our faculty and my area is Christian education. Some women also felt that there is not enough being done in theological colleges to confront both men and women with the sex stereotypes that influence their thinking and acting.

A great deal of research is being done and pressure is mounting to make theological education a more inclusive experience.

In 1997 Kathleen Hughes was asked to present a paper at a meeting of Theological Schools in America addressing these questions: What changes can we expect from a program of theological studies? Is the student potential for change boundless or is it actually quite limited? Is it possible that in a course of studies students moves from very narrow and rigid viewpoints to broader understandings of the tradition of the church and so on? In considering the classroom as the locus of conversion of a person’s beliefs, attitudes, behaviours, values, viewpoints and perspectives, what is helpful in effecting such change?

Hughes (1997) found from her research with exiting women students that the change that happened in them was that all had learned to trust their own human and religious experience as valid and true. Further, they claimed that their intellects were stretched and their powers of discernment were sharpened. “Women regularly have a difficult adjustment to theological studies when they experience themselves as simultaneously a subtle threat to others even while they have little personal self-confidence that they can do theology, learn a new theological vocabulary, and so on. Each of these women said she began her studies wondering ‘Can I do it?’” (Hughes, 1997:5).

Many of the women also indicated similar questioning and doubt. “I am struck by what an awesome responsibility it is and wonder if I am equal to the task.” “I am deeply grateful to the faculty for their affirmation and belief in my call.”

These women actually helped each other to accept their own potentiality. As women students realised that faculty respected them and their opinions, and fellow male students were willing to dialogue with them as equals, their confidence grew. In our college many of the women students are actually the highest achievers.

General issues facing women in ministry today

Let’s turn now to some of the issues that face women in ministry today as we commence this new millennium. I would like to use a Scripture passage as the basis for my comments. It is from Numbers 13:1-2, 17-20, 25-28.

This report of the spies to Moses is one of the earliest “good news – bad news” stories on record. I will to use this passage to highlight some good news and some bad news in relation to issues that women in ministry are facing. We will use the terms “milk and honey” and “giants” to represent the good and bad news respectively.

Milk and Honey: The land now shows many positive aspects.

1. Women who have entered the ordained ministry are generally dedicated and competent individuals who have a strong sense of calling to serve God this way. In the past many of these women would have had to be content to serve as highly committed laity, frustrated perhaps, but resigned to their exclusion from the ranks of the ordained.

2. The situation of women being a curiosity in theological colleges has changed dramatically and most recently graduates found their experience of theological college to be positive. That is certainly true in my research.

3. The job market has improved although there are still some problems. The positive aspects deserve highlighting. Most recent women graduates have not found difficulty obtaining a placement and they have not been sent to declining congregations.

4. As women enter parish positions they are functioning competently as pastors and many have found that males who were not happy to have a woman minister in the beginning have changed their attitudes once they saw that the person was competent. Fears that having a clergywoman would bring on decline in the congregation are not supported.

5. Generally lay leaders have favourable experiences when their congregation is served by a woman pastor. This has had a spin-off effect for other women pastors.

6. Most women in ministry report generally positive relationships with other male clergy and church officials.

Giants: However, the land is not all flowing with milk and honey.

1. Clergywomen still face obstacles to their full participation in the ordained ministry of the church. In almost every instance of “good news” we could probably find a corresponding negative note. Women are less likely than men to be encouraged by either their parents or pastors to consider the ordained ministry. Cultural stereotypes continue to operate and deprive women of needed support at an important time of personal decision making.

2. In relation to the job market, there are still some giants to be overcome. The resistance of some church officials to women clergy in key leadership roles ranges from polite neutrality to refusal to allow women to participate.

3. There are still some lay people who struggle to accept women clergy and if they are the key leaders of the congregation, it can mean that a woman pastor will not be called to that church.

4. Single ordained women face some particular obstacles particularly in relation to suitable appointments. Many of the rural congregations find it more difficult to accept a woman – let alone a single woman. Single women clergy also often suffer from loneliness because of the lack of support from a spouse.

5. One of the biggest difficulties for married women clergy is the balancing of home, marriage and career. The temptation to be “superwoman” is strong. Some women feel that they have to conform to a higher set of expectations than men do. Even in more “modern” marriages where couples have worked to overcome traditional sex-role distinctions, combining fulltime ministry and motherhood poses a problem for a large number of clergywomen.

6. Linked with this is the problem of the spouse’s work commitment. Often this limits the possibilities of placement.

7. There is still the persistence of sexism in the churches as well as the culture, although now perhaps they are more subtle. For example articles written about the ordained ministry which only use the male pronoun; lists of successful clergy which are all male; typecasting women into particular kinds of clergy positions.

8. Climate of anxiety among laypeople in relation to declining membership and the future of the church. This anxiety fosters resistance to any innovation which might be suspected of further endangering the already fragile institution – women clergy are still seen by some as an innovation.

9. Resistance from the male clergy – some still believe that they are the only ones who should be ordained. The “sacredly masculine” image of the clergy is hard to shake!

10. The exercise of authority – the doctrine of the “priesthood of all believers” emphasises that ministry belongs equally to all Christians, although clergy have special functions for which they are set apart. These functions include preaching, teaching, administering the sacraments, etc. Clergy perform their special functions of ministry to enable laity to perform their ministry. Sometimes this can lead to a blurring of lines of authority which makes it difficult for any clergy person, but sometimes it is more difficult for women clergy, particularly if they have some very strong laypeople in their congregations.

11. There are not many appropriate female leadership models or mentors although this is improving now that some women have been ordained for quite a long period of time.

12. A challenge for Pentecostal/Charismatic women (according to Hyatt, 2001) is the process of renewing their minds in the knowledge that they are equal with men. Changing the mind is one of the greatest struggles we all face. What we think about women determines our behaviour in relation to womanhood.

How can we begin to overcome “the giants” and reach the promised land?

I want to mention three ways in which Tillich suggests the church has exercised leadership in social change.

1. Silent interpenetration. Women clergy in some denominations are now becoming what we could call a critical mass. Their silent or not so silent interpenetration of the church’s ordained ministry should reduce the present inequities and overcome some of the obstacles to full acceptance of women clergy.

2. Prophetic criticism. Active, vocal advocates both women and men, for full acceptance of women as ordained ministers are crucial if the process of change is not to be interminably slow. Advocates are needed to ensure the representation of women in positions of leadership within the denomination.

3. Direct political power. The present situation of clergywomen can be considerably helped if clergywomen are better prepared for the situations that face them as ordained pastors. Women need to understand the “land” they are trying to occupy. They need to have a realistic picture of what the current situation of ordained ministry is like. This needs to include an understanding of what the job situation for clergy is in their denomination, what salaries are reasonable to expect, how to use the denomination system and how it works. There is a better understanding of power and the political process within congregations. What are appropriate leadership styles in dealing with situations for which they are very few cultural models for women?

If these and other issues can be addressed then women will not merely have reached the promised land of full acceptance into ordained ministry. They will have contributed to the quality of life in that “land” for all who occupy it.

Conclusion

Returning to the passage from Numbers we know that the people did not occupy the land that flowed with milk and honey for a long time because they were too afraid of the giants that dwelt there. However, there were two spies who were courageous enough to encourage the people to overcome their fears – Joshua and Caleb. We can all be like Joshua and Caleb and encourage women to enter the promised land and with the help of the Lord to overcome whatever giants they might meet along the way.

Susan Hyatt (2001) points the way to this promised land:

There is no reason why, in this era of Pentecostal/Charismatic outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit, that we should succumb to religion. We must realise that the Spirit of God does not come to confirm that what we believe about everything is right and that what other Christians believe is wrong. Rather, the Spirit comes to help us in our human weakness, to empower us, to comfort us. And the Spirit comes to guide us into all truth! That is to say, the Spirit comes to open our understanding and to help us change the way we think.

To continue with our analogy, that may be our giant that we need to confront. It is my prayer that we will allow the Spirit of God to change the way we think about ourselves as women and men so that we can think of ourselves in the same way that Jesus did.

References

Carroll, J. ed. 1997. Being There: Culture and Formation in Two Theological Schools. New York: Oxford University Press.

Carroll, J., Hargrove, B. and Lummis, A. 1983. Women of the Cloth: A New Opportunity for the Churches. San Francisco: Harper and Row.

Chopp, R. 1995. Saving Work: Feminist Practices of Theological Education. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press.

Cornwall Collective. 1980. Your Daughters shall Prophesy: Feminist Alternatives in Theological Education. New York: Pilgrim Press.

Hughes, K. 1997. “Conversion of Heart and Mind” in Theological Education 33 (2): 1-10.

Hyatt, S. 2001. Report for Partners and Friends of Hyatt International Ministries, (unpublished) Dallas, Texas.

Mudflower Collective. 1985. God’s Fierce Whimsy: Christian Feminism and Theological Education. New York: Pilgrim Press.

Roels, S. 1997. Organisation Man, Organisation Woman: Calling, Leadership and Culture. Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Shick, G. 1958. The Estate of Marriage in Luther’s Works Vols.1 and 45. St Louis, Mo: Concordia Publishing.

Torjesen, K. 1993. When Women were Priests. San Francisco: Harper.

Susan Hyatt’s report, quoted in this article, is given in full in the following article, “Women and Religions”.

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