Women Ruling Elders -- They Rock!

When I was in law school, I occasionally was asked, “So – you want to be a lady lawyer?”

I never really knew how to answer that question.  I wanted to say, “I wasn’t aware that a sex change was necessary in order to be a lawyer.”

But in fact I encountered very little discrimination as I in fact became an attorney,  perhaps aided by the fact that I was lucky enough to get a job right out of law school with BNA, Inc. – still my employer – which is a remarkably diverse and inclusive place to work.

And I haven’t encountered much discrimination in my work within the PC (USA). I think in part that’s because I’m a ruling elder, not a teaching elder.  Women teaching elders still, in my opinion,  have a higher bar than male teaching elders in seeking out and obtaining calls.  How many tall steeple congregations have a woman teaching elder as head of staff?

All of that is to say that I was humbled last week to meet with five women ruling elders in the Presbyterian Church in Guatemala. These women have had to struggle and fight every step of the way to be accepted within the church. One told of persons refusing to accept the bread and wine from her when she was helping to serve the Lord’s Supper. Another talked of her continuing effort to encourage the use of inclusive language. Each of them still faces the reality of being ignored by the male leadership within the church.

I met with them at a remarkable place in Guatemala City – the Centro Evangelico de Estudios Pastorales en Centro America – known to one and all simply as CEDEPCA. In its modest yet functional offices (thanks to the Presbytery of the Peaks for helping to make that happen), CEDEPCA, which is an independent, ecumenical ministry and a validated mission partner of the PC (USA),  seeks to encourage and inspire women’s leadership in the church, as well as to provide men and women in Central America with a flexible, inexpensive approach to theological training. In addition, it designs and hosts mission and work teams, bringing together people from different cultural backgrounds to focus on issues such as health, education, free trade agreements, and the situation of women in church and society.

I am uplifted by what these five women ruling elders have accomplished. 

 

Comments

[Merritt Schatz]

Cindy, this is an inspirational story, and I know that seeing you - a female ruling elder who is Moderator of the denomination - was an inspiration to them! Thanks for doing what you do so well.

[Louise Winfield]

Cindy. are you aware that Jennifer Thalman Kepler,a Wesley Seminary graduate and a PCUSA candidate for teaching elder,has had a remarkable ministry of as much as five or six years - maybe more - in Guatemala with a drama group of women who encourage growth of self-confidence and self awareness among all people, including girls and women? Jennifer has forged a strong link with women elders - teachig and ruling - there. She now lives in Louisville and is a new mother.