Men women and teamwork

I've been writing a piece about men and women working together.

It prompted me to remember God's first team. 'In the beginning, God did not send a committee...!' Instead, he created a team.

It was a team of two, one man and one woman. Sadly, all too soon it went wrong, and where there had been perfect harmony, there was disharmony. I was reminded that we see glimpses of great teamwork in Deborah's leading with Barak, and in the New Testament, some of those great partnerships like Priscilla and Aquila.

It seems bizarre to me that in the 21st century the Church can't be setting the world an example when it comes to teams of men and women. Surely we can show that we can work together as brothers and sisters, without our relationships being sullied by assumptions based on gender stereotypes, or by moral lapses?

I wonder how you see it? I am disturbed by reports of how some Christian men seem to have capitulated to our sexualised culture and to see all close working with women as unhelpful. And it's funny how it always seems to be men who make up the rules, and women who suffer as a result.

I hope that we can soon come to a better place, and show how the Church is fulfilling that great prophecy in Joel, that God will pour out his Spirit on all people, and contrary to the cultural rules of 2000 years ago, 'your sons and your daughters will prophesy', and the Spirit will be poured out even on servants, 'both men and women'.

I think it's pretty clear, really. God meant everyone, men and women, to lead and minister together!

Women in mind

Today's a special day for me.

After lots of hard work by a couple of my colleagues, I'm finally launching two sets of downloadable studies to go with my book Growing Women Leaders.

With these studies, groups in churches who want to explore the issue of women as leaders, or groups of women who want to encourage each other and develop younger women as leaders, can get together and over three meeting can explore a number of areas raised in the book.

These studies can be downloaded free! Just click here for a link. You'll find two sets of downloads, one for mixed groups and one for women-only groups. There are separate sets of notes for leaders of the groups and for participants.

Do use them in your context - and let me know what you think!

Celebrating Women's Ministries

8th May is the Festival of Julian of Norwich.

On 8th May 1373, Julian suffered the illness during which she received a series of visions. She subsequently became a hermit at St Julian's church in Norwich, and wrote the book which has made her famous, The Revelations of Divine Love.

Tomorrow, 9th May is cause of another celebration, this time 40 years of Women's Reader ministry.

Reader ministry was revived in the Church of England in 1866, but it took until 1969 before women were admitted to the office of Reader alongside men. This weekend, churches are being encouraged to celebrate the ministry of women Readers (or Lay Ministers as they are called in some dioceses) and there are suggestions of special prayers on the Reader website.

I'm amazed that it took so long! I'm familiar with the long journey to women's priesthood, but Reader ministry is a lay minstry.

But as women Readers make such a significant contribution to the ministry of so many churches, this is indeed something to celebrate!

Women only?

I received an email recently from a woman who said she didn't like groups for women only. And to some extent I agree.

Gender is not the most important factor in life, and I'm not defined by it. Among my dislikes I would include some events which are advertised for women: gatherings of women for worship or Bible study, when they seem to constitute a parallel universe where women can operate.

One of my colleagues wonders why at Men's breakfasts (for businessmen), cooked breakfast is served, while for 'Ladies' breakfasts' (which are not usually for business women, but for stay at home mums), it's continental breakfast!

I've been reading an article which notes that often events for Christian women focus on fashion, women's emotions, crafts, diet and exercise. This is where I part company. I want to learn about leadership and vision, being a godly leader, Bible study, green issues, and how to think Christianly about our society.

I love Catherine Booth's characteristically blunt comment: 'It would be a happy day in England when Christian women turn their attention from poodles and terriers to the poor and destitute.' The things that matter.

What I sometimes need too, though, is a safe space to explore where as a woman I find the church, and sometimes other Christians, a challenge. I relish the groups where I sometimes feel I can be more myself, and find help and support from other women.

What do you think?

More good news about numbers

There's more good news this year about women being appointed to patronage churches.

Some of it's about numbers. May sound mind-numbingly boring, but numbers tell me that there is a slow trend in the right direction.

The percentage of women being appointed to CPAS churches in the last 12 months has crept up from 25% a year ago to 26% (10 women out of a total of 38 appointments).

And this brings the total of women patronage incumbents to 54 - out of the 454 churches where there is currently someone in post - that's nearly 12%. The 'patronage' system means that certain people or organisations has a right to be involved in the appointment of clergy, and there are 512 parishes where CPAS has this involvement. At any one time, some have a vacancy, hence the total of 454 clergy in post.

But of course this is a story about people. And I am really excited about one person, who was appointed last year to St Thomas, Blackburn - not a diocese known for it's support of women - in fact it is bottom of the 'league table' only to Chichester in terms of its percentage of full time stipendiary women clergy (as at the end of 2006).

Click here to read about Rosalyn Murphy. And you might want to pray for her as she continues to settle in to this demanding role - leading one of the largest churches in the diocese, with a over 550 worshippers.

I'm giving thanks for slow progress, but I'm not at all complacent. There are multitudes of obstacles facing women clergy in the Church of England (and no doubt in other denominations), not all of them obvious. And what we do, the things we say, the people we talk to, can all make a difference to changing the climate of acceptance, and ensuring that appointments are made on the basis of merit and not biased for reasons of gender.

What they are saying about the Church of England

'Read our shocking report.'

That's how the editor of Stella, the Sunday Telegraph's magazine for women introduces her main feature article, 'The Stained-Glass Ceiling'.

The contents listing adds: 'Stephanie Rafanelli finds that sexism is still rife in the Church of England, with one female priest telling her, "My only choice is to leave my parish or have a nervous breakdown."'

As part of my role, I do get to hear some horror stories, but I was still surprised by this. So what's it all about?

The trigger for the article is the recent decision by General Synod to take another step forward towards women bishops. 'So does equality reign among the clergy? Far from it.' The article starts by focusing on Rosie Woodall, an ordinand at Cuddesdon. She is aware that she is part of a new generation of women who will be ordained into a church where women bishops is a real possibility. Yet 'being a woman priest is still going to be a challenge'.

The article cites the fact that more than 1.000 parishes have passed resolutions which allow them to 'opt out' of having a woman priest, and quotes Christina Rees: 'The Church is institutionally sexist.... if you substituted the word "black" for the word "woman" you simply wouldn't be allowed to say these things.'

Also interviewed are Nerissa Jones, Lucy Winkett, Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, Viv Faull, and a woman whose name has been changed, Rebecca, who has experienced bullying and 'constant low-grade sexual harassment'.

All depressing stuff. The piece ends with some words from Lucy Winkett about the potential of Christianity to be a force for women's liberation around the world (as it has been in many places), and expressing hope that this can be - but that the Church needs to put its own house in order first.

A pretty one-sided view in my opinion, despite the truth behind some of what is said. OK, we can use the word discrimination, but there was no acknowedgement of theology.

But as the view of someone outside the Church, it is salutory. Do we expect people to understand our nuanced theology? Or do they legitimately write us off as sexist and discriminatory?

If this is what people think of us, no wonder evangelism is an uphill struggle. Fifteen years ago I wrote a booklet about the challenges feminism was posing to the church - and how we might respond. Now what was 'feminism' is a mainstream view.

I don't like the tone of this article, but much of what lies behind it is sadly true. How do we put our house in order and proclaim a gospel not of discrimination but of equality?

Just when I think we are making progress, I realise how far there is to go before I will see my dream fulfilled. How long, O Lord?

A hymn from the early Church

I recently read a fabulous hymn written by Ephrem the Syrian, quoted in an email from CBE.

Of all the literature produced by the early Syrian church, the most prized was composed by Ephrem the Syrian, often called “The Harp of the Holy Spirit.” One of his hymns memorializes the faith of the Samaritan woman whom Jesus met at the well and sent forth as a missionary (see John 4).

O, to you woman in whom I see
a wonder as great as in Mary!
For she from within her womb
in Bethlehem brought forth His body as a child,
but you by your mouth made him manifest
as an adult in Shechem, the town of His father’s household.
Blessed are you, woman, who brought forth by your mouth
light for those in darkness.
Mary, the thirsty land in Nazareth conceived our Lord by her ear.
You, too, O woman thirsting for water,
conceived the Son by your hearing.
Blessed are your ears that drank the source
that gave drink to the world.
Mary planted Him in a manger,
but you planted Him in the ears of His hearers.
Your word, O woman, became a mirror
in which He might see your hidden heart.
“The Messiah”, you had said, “will come,
and when He comes He will give us everything.”
Behold the Messiah for whom you waited, modest woman!
With your voice your prophecy was fulfilled.
Your voice, O woman, first brought forth fruit,
before even the apostles, with the kerygma.
The apostles were forbidden to announce him
among pagans and Samaritans.
Blessed is your mouth that He opened and confirmed.

Ephrem the Syrian: Hymns tr. Kathleen E McVey. The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: 1989. Hymn # 23