Conference turris::womannotes-v2

983.0. "Equality in Church?" by MSTIME::RABKE () Mon Feb 12 1990 18:10

    **  Moderator please move to a more appropriate subject if any
    
    
    
CHURCH WOMEN PUSH FOR RIGHTS  Congregations Hear Calls to Throw Off the Yoke
	By Viginia Culver -- Denver Post Religion Writer

Feminism is a dirty word to many conservative women Chritians, but a growing
number of them across the nation are rising up to throw off what they consider
an oppressive yoke in conservative chruches.

The movement of women's rights "is gaining speed, even if the churches aren't
ready for it,"  said Alice Matthews, assistant to the resident of the Denver
Seminary and a founder of Christians for Biblical Equality.

Men and women from a dozen denominations in Colorado & several other sites have
joined Christians for Biblical Equality to push for women's rights in the same 
way women in mainline Protestant churches did years ago.

Conservative Christian feminists want the right to ordination, membership on
congregational and national demonminational boards, the right to teach men &
women in their churches, and the right to be senior pastors, not just associates.

They believe such euality is supported in the Bible.  They contend that conser-
vative male Christian pastors teach that women should be submissive to their 
husbands at home and in the church.

"Women who fight the discrimination are considered rebels against God, and 
are told their rebellion will lead to the breakdown of society," said Matthews,
a Conservative Baptist.  "They are to be silent in church, not teach men and 
not have authority over men," said the Rev. Ed Nelson, pastor of the South 
Sheridan Baptist Church.

Conservative feminists pushing for change come from such denominations as 
Southern Baptist, Conservative Baptist, Evangelical Free Church, Mennonite 
Brethern, Adventist, Convenant, Evangelical Presbyterian and the Presbyterian
Church of America.  The latter 2 are splinter groups from the nation's largest 
Presbyterian Body, the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.

Christians for Biblical Equality which is 3 years old, is headquarters in St. 
Paul, Minn.  It will have its national meeting in Denver in 1991.

Officials for the organization say calls to the headquarters from prospective 
members have increased from about 300 a week to 500 a week in the past 6 months.

Both in the national and local chapters also have growing mailing lists for 
their newsletters.  In the Front Range chapter, 30 hardcore members belong, but 
200 are on the mailing list.

And, there has been an increase in the number of books being written on the 
subject.

The battle hasn't been easy, however.  Many of the male-dominiated churches 
"don't even have the issue on the table yet," said Matthews.

And some conservative Christian women "are scared and back away" from the 
feminist movement, believing - as many conservative male pasters have taught
- that feminism is something radical & will destroy the family, encourage 
divorce and leave teenagers free to roam the streets because mothers work 
outside the home, said Julia Castel, a Christian feminist, a member of the 
Evangelical Free Church, and a consultant for international businesses.

Some things have change.  Women are no longer an oddity on conservative seminary
campuses.  But many seminaries won't prepare women for ordination.

When Castle went to seminary 20 years ago, she had a male professor who never
spoke to her and would crowd her off the sidewalk if their paths crossed.

"He's dead now and gone to glory and knows better," said Castle.

Women in the movement don't plan anything radical, such as self-ordination.
Instead, the fight will be carried out with words from the Bible.

The Rev. Mark Olson, an Arvada pastor, said the Bible teaches against ordaining
women or allowing women to teach Sunday School classes that include men of boys.

He doesn't believe women should be submissive to their husbands, and said 
husbands and wives should be equal in the home.  But if there is an impasse, 
the husband has the final say.

"When women take their God-given place, they are happiest," said Nelson.

And the place for women, he said, is "to love their husbands and children and 
be keepers of the home."

Feminists claim Jesus and St. Paul taught equality, and that Jesus gave women 
in important roles in teaching and ministering.  They also note the Bible says 
that, after the resurrection, Jesus appeared first to women.

Male leaders "have distored the truth of the Gospel," said Maria Boccia, a 
member of the Evangelical Free Church and a biomedical researcher at the 
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

She and other women believe prejudice against women in conservative churches is 
based upon men not wanting to keep power.

Matthews, 59, founded Christians for Biblical Equality after spending a lifetime
in conservative churches "and bumping into blatant male chauvinism."

"The smoldering fires within" the mother of 4 were fanned after she read
literature about Biblical support for equality.  She was then ready "to
move out and become a noisy, obnoxious troublemaker."

    

    >>> "He's dead now and gone to glory and knows better."
    
    I love it!

"She and other women believe prejudice against women in conservative churches is 
based upon men not wanting to keep power."
    
    Huh? "not"??
    
    ed
    

    	Such timing.
    
    	We had a guest preacher at church Sunday who spoke about
    	this topic (and other things).
    
    	I don't believe the Church of Christ will ever change its
    	stance on this topic.
    
    	Scott [ex-Church of Christ minister]

    RE: 983.2  
    
    an obvious typa   ;-)

    Try the Unitarian Universalists, they don't have this Male_Oriented
    junk.
    
    /s/ Jim Williams

    Or you could try the Church if Religious Science (Science of Mind). 
    Most of the churchs can be found in the west (primarily California) but
    there are a few scattered all over the country.
    
    Nanci